Kenyan author and activist Binyavanga Wainaina, who bravely came out in 2014 amid increasing persecution of gay people in Africa, has died at the age of 48.
Wainaina died “after an illness” which was not specified, according to the chairman of the Kwani Trust, an organization founded by the author.
RELATED: Amid Increasing Persecution of Gays in Africa, Author Binyavanga Wainaina Comes Out
The AP reports: “Wainaina also helped to create tolerance for the LGBT community by coming out publicly in 2014 as gay in Kenya, a country where laws still criminalize homosexual behavior. He also revealed he was HIV-positive. He published a painfully honest essay online to mark his 43rd birthday. He said he came out to help preserve his dignity.”
“Binyavanga Wainaina”by Internaz is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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