Former Zimbabwean President Canaan Banana, 61, was sued for $115,000 April 10 by a policeman aide who says Banana raped him and forced him into a three-year sexual relationship from 1983-86.

The policeman, Jefta Duba, 35, is now in prison, convicted in February of the 1995 killing of a fellow cop who allegedly had called him "Banana's wife."

Judge David Bartlett sentenced Duba to only 10 years February 24 because Duba's revulsion to gay sex caused post-traumatic stress which mitigated the crime, Bartlett said.

During the trial, former Senior Assistant Police Commissioner John Chademana testified there had been "numerous intelligence reports" on Banana that made Duba's story believable.

Banana is married with four kids. A Methodist preacher, theology professor and peacemaker, he was president from 1980 to 1987 while current President Robert Mugabe--who is virulently anti-gay--was prime minister. Banana has remained a key figure in Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front party.

Mugabe has called homosexuals "repugnant to my human conscience...immoral and repulsive." He has declared gay sex "an abomination," and "sub-animal behavior" and urged citizens to "hand (gays) over to the police."

"I don't believe they have any rights at all," he stated in 1995.

DRAG QUEENS FLOOD THAI TV

Thai television is drowning in drag queens, reported the Bangkok Post.

"Tune into any daytime television channel these days, and before long you may well see a character who is male, but whose behavior is a wild parody of female mannerisms: exaggerated ladylike daintiness, drag queen hijinx, campy verbal acrobatics--they're all in the repertoire," the Post said.

"No woman could hope to compete with their version of over-the-top super-femininity. And evidently audiences love it. Male cross-dressers are now familiar figures, guaranteed to bring an instant laugh in TV comedies, dramas, talk and game shows, commercials and even films."

The article, which filled an entire page of the newspaper, went on to say, "The performers who play 'katoey' roles frequently present themselves as drag queens who rant non-stop, firing off sarcastic abuse in all directions. Some scream and yell their tirades, others eye their male prey in a raunchy manner that leaves little to the imagination."

The Post sees that as problematic.

"With homosexuals being portrayed as shrieking, mincing creatures night after night on the TV screen, who can blame the public for seeing them as weird misfits who have no place in a serious society?" the authors commented.

POLICE RAID ARGENTINE GAY GROUP

Police raided the offices of Comunidad Homosexual Jujuy in San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina, April 6.

Witnesses said officers and infantry troops burst into the building and whisked the 10 occupants off to a police station for "identification purposes."

Gay leaders in Buenos Aires denounced the raid as pure harassment and requested protest letters to (1) Sr. Gobenador de la Provincia de Jujuy Carlos Ferraro, San Martin 450, (4600) S.S. de Jujuy, Argentina. Fax: 011-541-0882-30146. (2) Sr. Jefe de Policia Juan Genovese, Belgrano 499, (4600) S.S. de Jujuy, Argentina. Fax: 011-541-0882-37702. (3) Sr. Ministro del Interior Dr. Carlos Corach, Balcarce 50, (1064) Buenos Aires, Argentina. E-Mail: postmast@minte.gob.ar. Carbon copy to Sr. Enrique Vides, Comunidad Homosexual de Jujuy, 18 de noviembre 230, Barrio Almirante Brown, (4600) S.S. de Jujuy, Argentina. E-mail: marcelo@lesgay.wamani.apc.org.