Article by Alice McCool published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation* (UK), May 18, 2020 A Ugandan court on Monday ordered the release of 19 LGBT+ people jailed for almost 50 days for risking spreading...
” … if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”.
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.
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”.
Last Sunday, at a weekly literary gathering in Kaduna, a bearded dark macho guy openly said, smiling with a perfect row of white teeth, “I am homophobic, so writing this story was very difficult for me” as if he expected the audience to give him a standing ovation.
I had to confirm what he had said by asking him to repeat himself, which he did in clearer terms. I couldn’t even wait to hear his short story.
Zamira Rahim, Independent.uk (United Kingdom), 16/09/2019 A well-known Rwandan gospel singer is facing a public and personal backlash after coming out as a gay man. Albert Nabonibo told a Christian YouTube channel that he...
France24.com, 11/10/2019 A film about the fallout from a romantic relationship between two Nigerian men has premiered in London before a hoped-for but likely controversial release in the west African country. “Walking With Shadows”...
Homosexuality is highly taboo in Egypt among Muslims and minority Christians alike, but it is not explicitly prohibited by law. Egypt regularly arrests gay men, with large police raids on private parties or locations...
Patrick Awondo, Peter Geschiere, Graeme Reid, Alexandre Jaunait, Amélie Le Renard, Élisabeth Marteu, “Une Afrique homophobe? Sur quelques trajectoires de politisation de l’homosexualité : Cameroun, Ouganda, Sénégal et Afrique du Sud [1]”, dans Raisons politiques...
We are One”,” AFRICA UNITE, SAY NO TO XENOPHOBIA”