A new church in Rwanda has opened its doors to the country’s LGBT+ community, providing them with a safe space to worship on their own terms. The church, called the Church of God in Africa in Rwanda, is based in the capital, Kigali. It comes at a time when the LGBT+ community in Rwanda is gradually gaining acceptance and respect within a largely conservative society. While many mainstream houses of prayer have sent them away, or made them feel unwelcome in the past, today more and more gay, lesbian or transgender Rwandans are feeling safe to come out. The church also provides a place of comfort to those without support systems, or who are shunned by society and their families. Rwanda has neither legalized nor decriminalized same-sex relationships, but society still holds on to conservative attitudes towards homosexuality. The ambiguity in the existing laws leaves members of the LGBT+ community in a state of limbo.
SOURCE: DEUTSCHE WELLE
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