2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt the US of backing the plot, but the Pentagon denies supporting it. US officials say it was Greg Wales who made all the approaches to them. Greg Wales, a London-based property dealer, is alleged to have raised $500,000. Equatorial Guinea official sources claim that in November 2003 , when the plot was in its early stages, an Old Etonian mercenary, Simon Mann, paid Mr Wales about $8,000. Mr Wales denies any involvement in the coup. Theresa Whelan, a member of the Bush administration in charge of African affairs at the Pentagon, twice met a London-based businessman, Greg Wales, in Washington
LGBT rights in Equatorial Guinea LGBT rights in Equatorial Guinea Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Equatorial Guinea may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is legal in Equatorial Guinea, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available as opposite-sex couples. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Equatorial Guinea. Same-sex couples have no legal recognition. There is no protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The U.S. Department of State's 2010 Human Rights Report found that "there are no laws criminalizing