LGBT+ activists in Democratic Republic of Congo are celebrating the arrival of Pope Francis, whose recent push for the decriminalisation of same-sex relations has given them hope of greater acceptance of their community across Africa.
Same-sex relations are illegal or taboo in many socially conservative African countries, including in South Sudan which the pope will visit after Congo. Some influential African religious leaders preach against it as a corrupting force and LGBT+ people often face threats and exclusion.
