Binyavanga Wainaina, Kenyan author, reveals he is gay

Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina has become one of the most high-profile Africans to confirm he is gay, the BBC reported Tuesday. The writer made the revelation in "I am a homosexual, mum," an essay published on the Africa is a Country and the Chimurenga Chronic websites to coincide with his 43rd birthday Jan. 18. "Of course my friends knew, but I had been toying with how useful it would be to make a public statement for close to eight months," Wainaina told the GlobalPost Monday. The BBC said gays and lesbians risk jail terms of up to 10 years if they are convicted of homosexual acts in Kenya.