Sexuality in Africa

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Homosexuality

The prevalence of homosexuality as a contentious topic in African stereotype of a homophobic continent over the decades. [1] Some believe that in certain African nations, sexual orientation has turned into a reason, for political persecution and acts of personal violence in many instances. [2] It must be noted that the majority of traditional African homosexual marriages were based on patriarchal gendered norms, in which the spouses assume complementary positions in society – that is, masculine and feminine. [3] Debates about research on and representations of same-sex sexualities within lesbian and gay studies also reflect the institutionalized racism, sexism, and homophobia of professional organisations. [4] Furthermore, it is important to understand thar “cross-cultural lesbian and gay studies has been accused more than once of cultural imperialism.” [5] Same sex marriage was a key area for legalisation for those who were lesbian or gay, because by governments legalising same-sex marriage, it allowed homosexuals to gain a sense of equality. [6] However, for President Mugabe, who was leader of Zimbabwe, he believed homosexuality was “un-African” and that it broke the traditional lifestyle for those within the West of the continent. [7]

When South Africa included protection for sexual orientation as a human right in its Constitution in 1996, it became the first nation in history to do so. [8] Throughout the colonial and apartheid period, there was a censorship with sexuality because they worked to create and place white, male heterosexuality as the most dominant group in the socially constructed hierarchy within a highly racialized and gendered setting. [9] This was a time in South Africa when most of society was still racially divided, which impacted those relationships. There was a demand for a safe space for queer people within society, meanwhile there was an obsession of examining the relationships between those who were ‘the black’ and ‘the white’. [10]

Female homosexuality was an extreme struggle for those within Africa, and it was a political fight for sexual freedom and expression within many states. [11] In nations like Cameroon, it had become essential to emphasise one’s be-longing or grounding by stigmatizing homosexuality. Many struggled with fitting in within their societies due to their homosexuality. [12] Meanwhile, for homosexual women that were seen or viewed to be more masculine than feminine also were viewed as a risk. Male sexual supremacy was the foundation of post-colonial power. Hence, homosexual women in relationships with others claim to be persuaded more masculine than feminine within their relationships with other women, was viewed to openly demonstrate signs and symbols of masculine power and identity. [13]


Sexuality in Africa varies by region.

Attitudes towards sexuality diverges between Sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa, with the former, more influenced by Christianity and the latter more influenced by Islam. [14] Discussion of sexuality in Africa often revolves around sexually transmitted diseases. [15] Although there exist African communities that are accepting female pleasure, others may repudiate against such an attitude, [16] while others view sexual acts as primarily a path towards reproduction. [17] Differences in genetic diversity show that in ancient African history, women were more likely to copulate and sire offspring than men, possibly due to female hypergamy. [18]


Religious aspects impacting homosexuality in Africa

The African continent is highly religious and has the fastest growing number of people who follow Christianity and Islam out of any anywhere in the world. [19] Across the African continent at least 86% of Africans identify as either Muslim or Christian. [20] The Pew Research show that the number of Africans identifying as Christians grew from around 10 million in 1910 to 500 million in 2010, and it is indicated that this number will grow to around 633 million by 2025. Pew Research also identified that the number of people who practiced Islam grew from 11 million in 1990 to 429 million in 2010. They also state that by 2030 this number will increase to around 639 million Africans. [21]

Despite both religions’ differences, they both significantly disapprove of the LGBTQI+ community with the idea of the ‘traditional family’ being a prominent feature within both doctines. More traditional African societies define marriage as a legalized union of a man and woman which constitutes a family. [22] Additionally, procreation is stated to be a religious obligation with both husband and wife being biologically reborn into the world and will therefore constantly be a part of the world (even after death). [23] As a result, many Christians and Muslims do not approve of homosexuality due to their traditional religious values.

However, in pre-colonial Southern Africa same-sex Africans were often seen to have positive spiritual powers. For example, some groups saw lesbians as healers, and astrologers, as well as having medicinal powers. [24] European colonisers had a dramatic impact on the positive social attitudes towards homosexuality among indigenous African populations. These colonisers began to educate Africans on the Christian religion, including their traditional societal values, which ultimately disagreed with homosexuality. [25] This traditional rejection of homosexuality continued and was taught from generation to generation within many African nations. In 1991, the former president of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, suggested that it was against “African tradition and biblical teaching” for a man and another man or a woman and another woman to be intimate with one another. [26] In addition, the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, gained applause after signing the Anti-Homosexuality Act which suggests how disapproving many people are toward homosexuality. [27]

Homosexuality in Uganda

Across the African continent, there are various legislation and cultural beliefs regarding whether homosexuality is acceptable or not. With many countries in other parts of the world transitioning to a legislative and cultural acceptance of LGBTQ+ sexualities, the African continent has the legacies of homophobia that former European colonies had implemented. Gay sex is illegal in thirty-eight African countries. [28] One of which is Uganda. With such stigmas and laws remaining since British colonial rule, LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda is very much still a battle queer Ugandan people face.

Religion is an essential factor when considering how LGBTQ+ is treated in Uganda. A history of missionaries and a heavy influence of Evangelicalism has spread the Christian image of “traditional family values.” [29] This leads to same-sex activity or relationships outside of the desired Christian image, resulting in the LGBTQ+ being outsiders in their own country. Therefore, because of the heavy influence of Christianity brought over by the West, the presence of religion in Uganda has negative impacts on the LGBTQ+ community. During colonial rule, not only was Britain spreading Christian ideals, but it was also destroying ways of life. Missionaries worked along with British colonial powers to implement Western ideals. [30]

Religion has made its way into influencing legislation regarding LGBTQ rights. Uganda is one of few countries in Africa where homosexuality, in some cases, is punishable by death. The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act is responsible for this. The Act also permits life-long imprisonment and the halt of conducting business with gay people. [31] When the bill was introduced in 2009, it was done so by Mr. Bahati on behalf of the Conservative Christian Uganda Parliamentary Fellowship. This Christian-desired bill has, therefore, made the lives of LGBTQ+ difficult as not only can they express themselves, but they also cannot be active in society.

Despite the influence of British Colonial Rule on homosexuality in Uganda, there is another set of arguments that Africa is an entirely heterosexual continent, and outsiders brought in any ideas of same-sex activity. Janet Museveni was an influential figure who projected this view nationwide. She used it to blame homosexuality for being present in Uganda. [32] In addition to banning same-sex acts, missionaries, along with British Colonial powers, prohibited traditional forms of Ugandan dancing. Paulo Neil Kavuma, when in power, decided to ban Western dancing. [33] Museveni and Kavuma, among other politicians, is an example of how Uganda’s poor treatment of homosexuals also comes from within. Uganda’s culture, history, and government have, therefore, made the lives of homosexual people in the country challenging, with no ability to express their sexuality without risk of punishment.




Related Research Articles

Within Christianity, there are a variety of views on sexual orientation and homosexuality. The view that various Bible passages speak of homosexuality as immoral or sinful emerged in the first millennium AD, and has since become entrenched in many Christian denominations through church doctrine and the wording of various translations of the Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT movements</span> Social movements

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBT people in society. Although there is not a primary or an overarching central organization that represents all LGBT people and their interests, numerous LGBT rights organizations are active worldwide. The first organization to promote LGBT rights was the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, founded in 1897 in Berlin.

The relationship between religion and homosexuality has varied greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and denominations, with regard to different forms of homosexuality and bisexuality. The present-day doctrines of the world's major religions and their denominations differ in their attitudes toward these sexual orientations. Adherence to anti-gay religious beliefs and communities is correlated with the prevalence of emotional distress and suicidality in sexual minority individuals, and is a primary motivation for seeking conversion therapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion and sexuality</span> Views of religions about sexuality

The views of the various different religions and religious believers regarding human sexuality range widely among and within them, from giving sex and sexuality a rather negative connotation to believing that sex is the highest expression of the divine. Some religions distinguish between human sexual activities that are practised for biological reproduction and those practised only for sexual pleasure in evaluating relative morality.

"Gay agenda" or "homosexual agenda" is a term used by sectors of the Christian religious right as a disparaging way to describe the advocacy of cultural acceptance and normalization of non-heterosexual sexual orientations and relationships. The term originated among social conservatives in the United States and has been adopted in nations with active anti-LGBT movements such as Hungary and Uganda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haitian Vodou and sexual orientation</span>

Homosexuality in Haitian Vodou is religiously acceptable and homosexuals are allowed to participate in all religious activities. However, in West African countries with major conservative Christian and Islamic views on LGBTQ people, the attitudes towards them may be less tolerant if not openly hostile and these influences are reflected in African diaspora religions following Atlantic slave trade which includes Haitian Vodou.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitarian Universalism and LGBT people</span> Relationship between Unitarian Universalism and LGBT people

Unitarian Universalism, as practiced by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), and the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC), is a non-Creedal and Liberal theological tradition and an LGBTQ affirming denomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT-affirming religious groups</span> Religious groups that affirm LGBTQ+ rights and relationships

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+)-affirming religious groups are religious groups that welcome LGBT people as their members, do not consider homosexuality as a sin or negative, and affirm LGBT rights and relationships. They include entire religious denominations, as well as individual congregations and places of worship. Some groups are mainly composed of non-LGBTQ+ members and they also have specific programs to welcome LGBTQ+ people into them, while other groups are mainly composed of LGBTQ+ members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Uganda</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Uganda face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female forms of same-sex sexual activity are illegal in Uganda. Originally criminalised by British colonial laws introduced when Uganda became a British protectorate, these have been retained since the country gained its independence.

Methodist viewpoints concerning homosexuality are diverse because there is no one denomination which represents all Methodists. The World Methodist Council, which represents most Methodist denominations, has no official statements regarding sexuality. British Methodism holds a variety of views, and permits ministers to bless same-gender marriages. United Methodism, which covers the United States, the Philippines, parts of Africa, and parts of Europe, concentrates on the position that the same-sex relations are incompatible with "Christian teaching", but extends ministry to persons of a homosexual orientation, holding that all individuals are of sacred worth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Africa</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are generally limited in comparison to the Americas, Western Europe and Oceania.

Many views are held or have been expressed by religious organisation in relation to same-sex marriage. Arguments both in favor of and in opposition to same-sex marriage are often made on religious grounds and/or formulated in terms of religious doctrine. Although many of the world's religions are opposed to same-sex marriage, the number of religious denominations that are conducting same-sex marriages have been increasing since 2010. Religious views on same-sex marriage are closely related to religious views on homosexuality.

Christian denominations have a variety of beliefs about sexual orientation, including beliefs about same-sex sexual practices and asexuality. Denominations differ in the way they treat lesbian, bisexual, and gay people; variously, such people may be barred from membership, accepted as laity, or ordained as clergy, depending on the denomination. As asexuality is relatively new to public discourse, few Christian denominations discuss it. Asexuality may be considered the lack of a sexual orientation, or one of the four variations thereof, alongside heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and pansexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religion and LGBT people</span> Relationship between organized religions and LGBT people

The relationship between religion and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people can vary greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, and regarding different forms of homosexuality, bisexuality, non-binary, and transgender identities. More generally, the relationship between religion and sexuality ranges widely among and within them, from giving sex and sexuality a rather negative connotation to believing that sex is the highest expression of the divine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014</span> Ugandan law

The Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 was an act passed by the Parliament of Uganda on 20 December 2013, which prohibited sexual relations between persons of the same sex. The act was previously called the "Kill the Gays bill" in the western mainstream media due to death penalty clauses proposed in the original version, but the penalty was later amended to life imprisonment. The bill was signed into law by the President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni on 24 February 2014. On 1 August 2014, however, the Constitutional Court of Uganda ruled the act invalid on procedural grounds.

Uganda has a very long and, quite permissive, and sometimes violent history regarding the LGBT community, stretching back from the pre-colonial period, through British colonial control, and even after independence.

Kapya John Kaoma is a Zambian, US-educated scholar, pastor and human rights activist who is most noted for his pro-LGBTQ+ activism, particularly regarding Africa.

Family Watch International (FWI) is a fundamentalist Christian lobbying organization. Founded in 1999, the organization opposes homosexuality, legal abortion, birth control, comprehensive sex education, and other things that it regards as threats to the divinely ordained "natural family." It has a strong presence in Africa, where it promotes conservative policy and attitudes about sexuality through its United Nations (UN) consultative status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criminalization of homosexuality</span> Classification of same-sex sexual acts as a criminal offense

Some or all sexual acts between men, and less frequently between women, have been classified as a criminal offense in various regions. Most of the time, such laws are unenforced with regard to consensual same-sex conduct, but they nevertheless contribute to police harassment, stigmatization, and violence against homosexual and bisexual people. Other effects include exacerbation of the HIV epidemic due to the criminalization of men who have sex with men, discouraging them from seeking preventative care or treatment for HIV infection.

References

  1. ↑ ‘Homophobic Africa? Toward A More Nuanced View’, African Studies Review, Patrick Awondo, Peter Geschiere and Graeme Ried, Vol. 55.3 (Decemeber 2012), 145.
  2. ↑ African Studies Review, 147
  3. ↑ Are same-sex marriages un-African?’ 338.
  4. ↑ ‘“Homosexuality” in Africa: Issues and Debates’, Issue: A Journal of Opinion, Vol.25.1, Commentaries in African Studies: Essays about African Social Change and the Meaning of Our Professional Work (1997), 8.
  5. ↑ “Homosexuality” in Africa, 8.
  6. ↑ ‘Are Same-Sex Marriages UnAfrican? Same-Sex Relationships and Belonging in Post-Apartheid South Africa’, Mikki van Zyl, in Journal of Social Issues, 2011-06, vol.67.2, (USA: Blackwell Publishing Inc).
  7. ↑ ‘Reviewed Works: Human Rights and Homosexuality in Southern Africa by Chris Dunton and Mai Palmberg; Beset by Contradictions: Islamization, Legal Reform and Human Rights in Sudan by Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights’, Review by: Rhonda Howard, African Studies Review, Vol 41.1 (April, 1998), 190-191.
  8. ↑ ‘Are same-sex marriages un-African?’, vol 67.2.
  9. ↑ ‘Black lesbian women in South Africa: Citizenship and the Coloniality of Power’ Angeline Stephens AND Floretta Boonzaier, Feminism & Pyschology, 2020-08. Vol 30.3, 325.
  10. ↑ ‘‘Queer/white’ in South Africa A Troubling Oxymoron?’ in Queer in Africa: LGBTQ identities, citizenship, and activism, Jane Bennett e.d. by Vasu Reddy and Surya Monro, (New York: Routledge, 2018), 109.
  11. ↑ ‘Black lesbian women in South Africa’, 327.
  12. ↑ ‘Sexuality and nationalist ideologies in post-colonial Cameroon’ Basile Ndjio, in The Sexual History of the Global South: Sexual Politics in Africa, Asia and Latin America, ed, Saskia Wieringa and Horacio Sivori, (England, London: Zed Books, 2013), 128.
  13. ↑ ‘Sexuality and Nationalist Ideologies in Post-Colonial Cameroon’, 136.
  14. ↑ Caldwell, John C., and Pat Caldwell. "The cultural context of high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa." Population and development review (1987): 409-437.
  15. ↑ Helleve, Arnfinn, et al. "South African teachers' reflections on the impact of culture on their teaching of sexuality and HIV/AIDS." Culture, health & sexuality 11.2 (2009): 189-204.
  16. ↑ Njambi, Wairimũ Ngaruiya. "Dualisms and female bodies in representations of African female circumcision A feminist critique." Feminist Theory 5.3 (2004): 281-303.
  17. ↑ Fanusie, Lloyda. "Sexuality and women in African culture." The Will to Arise: Women, Tradition and the Church in Africa (1992): 135-154.
  18. ↑ "More women than men have added their DNA to the human gene pool". TheGuardian.com . 24 September 2014.
  19. ↑ Mawerenga Jones Hamburu, The Homosexuality Debate in Malawi, (Baltimore: Project Muse, 2018), pg. 178
  20. ↑ Kaoma Kapya, ‘The Interaction of Human Rights and Religion in Africa’s Sexuality Politics’, International Journal of Constitutional Law, Vol, 21 (1), (2023), 339-355, pg. 341
  21. ↑ Kaoma Kapya, ‘The Interaction of Human Rights and Religion in Africa’s Sexuality Politics’, International Journal of Constitutional Law, Vol, 21 (1), (2023), 339-355, pg. 346
  22. ↑ Mawerenga Jones Hamburu, The Homosexuality Debate in Malawi, (Baltimore: Project Muse, 2018, pg. 165
  23. ↑ Mawerenga Jones Hamburu, The Homosexuality Debate in Malawi, (Baltimore: Project Muse, 2018, pg. 166
  24. ↑ Mawerenga Jones Hamburu, The Homosexuality Debate in Malawi, (Baltimore: Project Muse, 2018, pg. 176
  25. ↑ Mawerenga Jones Hamburu, The Homosexuality Debate in Malawi, (Baltimore: Project Muse, 2018, pg. 176
  26. ↑ Mawerenga Jones Hamburu, The Homosexuality Debate in Malawi, (Baltimore: Project Muse, 2018, pg. 176
  27. ↑ Mawerenga Jones Hamburu, The Homosexuality Debate in Malawi, (Baltimore: Project Muse, 2018, pg. 178
  28. ↑ Thabo Msibi, ‘The Lies We Have Been Told: On (Homo) Sexuality in Africa’, Africa Today, 58.1 (2011), p . 57. <https://doi.org/10.2979/africatoday.58.1.55>.
  29. ↑ Thabo Msibi, ‘The Lies We Have Been Told: On (Homo) Sexuality in Africa’, Africa Today, 58.1 (2011), p . 59. <https://doi.org/10.2979/africatoday.58.1.55>.
  30. ↑ Deborah Kintu, The Ugandan Morality Crusade (McFarland, 2017). Ch 4 p . 70.
  31. ↑ Kapya Kaoma, ‘The Interaction of Human Rights and Religion in Africa’s Sexuality Politics’, International Journal of Constitutional Law, 21.1 (2023) p . 340. <https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/moad031>.
  32. ↑ Deborah Kintu, The Ugandan Morality Crusade (McFarland, 2017). Ch 2 p . 24.
  33. ↑ Deborah Kintu, The Ugandan Morality Crusade (McFarland, 2017). Ch 3 p . 43.


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