George Barasa 2
George Barasa[edit]
George Barasa is a Kenyan artist and LGBTIQ and human rights activist, currently based in Canada [1]. Born in 1990 in Nairobi and raised in Bungoma, he became well-known in Kenya after he was publicly outed in 2011 by The Star newspaper as a gay man who was dating a Catholic priest.[1] In 2013, he came publicly out himself as gay and HIV positive.[2] George is the first Kenyan gay gospel artist to come out both as homosexual and HIV positive in Kenya. Soon after he was trending both in Kenya and around the world that Google rated his stage name Joji Baro the first rising name on Google Search engine.[3] Few years later, he admitted to have battled suicidal thoughts[4]. In 2014, he caused further controversy when he posted a Facebook invitation to LGBT people to attend the church he had co-founded, Cosmopolitan Affirming Church, in Nairobi, Kenya[5]. In 2017 Jojibaro was attacked at his resident by someone he was helping at his residence a few months before fleeing to South Africa[6]
Barasa developed a career as a musician and singer, performing under the stage name Jojibaro, which is a combination of short form of George and Barasa.
Same Love (Remix)[edit]
Barasa is well known for producing, and appearing in, the first Kenyan gay music video, Same Love (Remix), released in 2016.[7][8] [9]This was a remake of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' Same Love video, with the lyrics and visuals adjusted to reflect the struggle for gay rights in Kenyan[10] [11]and broader African contexts. It has been argued that the Same Love (Remix) video 'as an artistic intervention, interrogates popular narratives of homosexuality as un-Kenyan, un-African and un-Christian and creates a sense of a citizenship that is yet to come: a pan-African, Christian and queer citizenship of love'.[12] The song was banned by the Kenyan Film Classification Board (KFCB)[13] and a warrant of arrest[14] was issued to those who participated in the production. Still the same year, Barasa was nominated for the David Kato Vision and Voice Award, ending up as a finalist.[15]
Ezekiel Mutua the then Director of KFCB demanded YouTube to pull down the song but Google was adamant and instead put an advisory notice on the video effectively contributing to censorship.[16] The tweet caused the music video to go viral across many social media including Facebook, Twitter[17], YouTube triggering a Kenyan Gay vdeo conversation about LGBTIQ Rights in Kenya and around the world gaining attention of the original maker of Same Love song Macklemore. While confronting the KFCB Director, Ezekiel Mutua confused him with a lady to which he responded in a now popular remarks, "I am not Madam, My name is Jojibaro!"[18]
Current life[edit]
Barasa likes to be referred to as a non binary person. His life was in danger and in 2017[19] he fled to South Africa and claimed asylum[20] which was rejected[21]. George would then launch a successful petition against Department of Home Affairs. Mambaonline which teamed up with George to petition the government gathered over eleven thousand signatures and he was able to petition DHA .[22]While in South Africa he met his partner Simon [23]with whom they have had an on and off relationship. Canada heard about his plea through the United Nations[24] [25], he flew to Toronto ending years of living in limbo and uncertainty.
References[edit]
- ↑ Community·October 21; 2017 (2017-10-21). "#OurStories: "I never came out; I was outed" - George Barasa". The Rustin Times. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
- ↑ Ken (2013-09-18). "The Story of Joji Baro - The Gay Gospel Artist". Nairobi Wire. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ Watiri, Sue; Watiri, Sue (2013-08-06). "Joji Baro Is One Of The Top Rising Names On Google Search In Kenya". Ghafla!. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ↑ Syombua, Pauline (2016-10-29). ""I get suicidal thoughts every time I am rejected" Gay activist reveals". Pulselive Kenya. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ↑ Mwangi, Githae (2014-03-28). "Gospel Artist Opens Nairobi's First Homosexual Church". Nairobi Wire. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ↑ Editor, Kuchu Times (2017-06-20). "Kuchu Times' Kenyan Correspondent George Barasa Attacked". Kuchu Times. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ↑ Muchene, Esther. "Why we released gay video - Artistes talk about banned explicit video". Standard Entertainment. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ↑ Art Attack (29 February 2016). "Same Love (Remix)". YouTube. Retrieved 25 October 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Feder, J. Lester. "This Powerful Remix Of "Same Love" Puts The Original To Shame". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ↑ "Kenya court to rule if gay relations are criminal acts". thestar.com. 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "Kenya's anti-gay laws lead to harassment, LGBT persons say, want change". Campaign to Decriminalize Poverty & Status. 2016-12-15. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ van Klinken, Adriaan (2018-08-18). "Citizenship of Love: The Politics, Ethics and Aesthetics of Sexual Citizenship in a Kenyan Gay Music Video". Citizenship Studies. 22 (6): 650–665. doi:10.1080/13621025.2018.1494901. ISSN 1362-1025. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Langat, Anthony (2016-03-10). "Ban on sexy music video raises gay rights campaign profile in Kenya". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
- ↑ "Department of Justice | Homepage | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "Presenting our Finalist of the Day: Kenyan Artivist, George Barasa". David Kato Vision and Voice Award. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Duffy, Nick (2016-03-14). "Google shrugs off Kenya's demands to block gay music video". PinkNews. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ Chao, Janet; Chao, Janet (2016-02-24). "This Is Why Twitter Is Laughing At The Kenya Film Board. Banning A Song? On Youtube? Hahaha. Thie Ûkίumaga". Ghafla!. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "Queer Voices: Joji Baro". www.queerafricannetwork.com. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "Kenya's Censorship King: Head Of Film Board Accused Of Overstepping". NPR.org. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "Home Affairs tells African refugees to prove they're gay". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
- ↑ Ray, John (2019-05-24). "LGBT activist remains in exile as Kenya upholds anti-gay laws". ITV News. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "LGBTI activist denied asylum in SA because he has to 'prove' he's gay". MambaOnline - Gay South Africa online. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ Lisimba, Hillary (2021-12-08). "Kenyan gay man George Barasa introduces his "Mubaba" to the public". Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- ↑ Richardson, James (2019-04-05). "LGBT Activist from Kenya was denied asylum by home affairs". The South African. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ↑ "Mungu halali! LGBT activist Joji Baro finds asylum in Canada after he was rejected in Africa". Mpasho. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
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