Category: News

Beyond African religious homophobia: how Christianity is a source of African LGBT activism

The emergence of anti-homosexuality politics in Africa is often explained with reference to religion. Although religion is a major factor in fuelling homophobia in Africa, the Bible and the Christian faith are not only sites of struggle but have also been appropriated by African LGBT activists in support of their cause. Adriaan van Klinken says we need to move beyond a narrow focus on African religious homophobia as religion plays multiple and complex roles in contemporary dynamics of African sexualities.

The experiences of Christian homosexual university students en Africa

For students who are homosexual or bisexual and who identify with the Christian faith, this process of determining their social identity can be complicated as many sectors within the Christian community may only support heteronormative behaviour. Furthermore many cultures, particularly African cultures, do not condone homosexuality and/or bisexuality.

Beyond African religious homophobia: How Christianity is a source of African LGBT activism

In this piece I’m not concerned with “African homophobia” as such – although I’d like to pose the question whether homophobia is the most useful term to understand the politics around homosexuality and LGBT rights in contemporary African societies. Neither am I concerned with the reasons why Western media tend to depict “African homophobia” in rather sensationalist ways – although I do wonder whether it has something to do with the deep-rooted perception of Africa as “backward” that allows the West to see itself as “progressive” and “modern”.

Call to action by Uganda’s LGBT+ Community

The constitutional court nullified the Anti-homosexuality Act in August of 2014 but there has been numerous press over the past weeks about a plan by a section of Ugandan legislature to re-introduce the law. In order to provide clarity on the facts relating to this reporting and offer strategic guidance to partners, the leadership of the LGBTQI+ community and Civil society activists met in Kampala on October 17, 2019.