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| Binyavanga Wainaina: Kenyan author and gay rights activist dies | Binyavanga Wainaina: Kenyan author and gay rights activist dies |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Prize-winning Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina has died after a short illness at the age of 48. | Prize-winning Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina has died after a short illness at the age of 48. |
| He won the Caine Prize for African writing in 2002 and was best known around the world for his satirical essay How to Write About Africa. | He won the Caine Prize for African writing in 2002 and was best known around the world for his satirical essay How to Write About Africa. |
| Wainaina was also named among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2014 for his gay rights activism. | Wainaina was also named among Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in 2014 for his gay rights activism. |
| He "demystified and humanized homosexuality" author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote at the time. | He "demystified and humanized homosexuality" author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote at the time. |
| Wainaina was one of the first high-profile Kenyans to openly declare he was gay and "he felt an obligation to chip away at the shame" that people felt about being gay, Adichie added. | Wainaina was one of the first high-profile Kenyans to openly declare he was gay and "he felt an obligation to chip away at the shame" that people felt about being gay, Adichie added. |
| Last year he announced plans to marry his long-time partner at a wedding in South Africa. The announcement divided opinion in Kenya where homosexual acts are illegal. | |
| He suffered a stroke in 2015. | He suffered a stroke in 2015. |
| Five quotes from How to Write About Africa: | |
| His brother James Wainaina told the BBC that his family wants to celebrate his life. | |
| "We are in a life celebration mood, we're looking at this from a human level; it's a human story. | "We are in a life celebration mood, we're looking at this from a human level; it's a human story. |
| "Allow that humanness to shine, people are hurting," he said. | "Allow that humanness to shine, people are hurting," he said. |
| Tributes have been pouring in on Twitter: |