out through unsavory means.
“There are fears that I have, even with this focus group
discussion. I’m not comfortable right now, even as I’m
speaking. I’m not comfortable because I don’t know what
may happen, even if we are not at GALZ. As long as I am in
the company of someone whose sexual orientation is LGBTI,
I’m not comfortable. I would like to attend events, but because
of the raids dzatinonzwa tinotya (that we hear about, we are
scared). Firstly, I’m protecting myself from my family. There
are some who know, and some whom I never want to find
out. So it brings a question iwe wairohwa wairohwerwepi,
zvambodii, zvakutonetsa. Saka even ndichida kuparticiparte
I can’t because hauzivi kuti zvinoperera kupi.(if there is a
raid and I get beaten and arrested, it is going to open a can of
worms with all kinds of questions like why were you beaten,
and where were you when that happened)” – Gay Member.
Another respondent in the FGD had this to say:
“I would like to attend all events, but on my part, I can’t attend,
because if I attend and get arrested, my parents would say
musiyei arimujeri imomo (leave her to rot in jail), they know
who I am but they can’t just accept it” – Lesbian Member.
Another participant also expressed the following fears in a
focus group discussion:
“When someone gets raided, beaten and injured, it’s a perilous
situation. You may have lied to your parents saying that you
38
An Assessment of the impact of state sanctioned and unsanctioned raids on
GALZ premises and gatherings
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