A NEW SPATE OF AFRICAN HOMOPHOBIA

Seemingly legitimised hatred of gay people in Africa as we enter 2010
Published on: 12 February 2010

Two recent news stories caught my attention and have led me to ask some serious questions around the slippery slope of homophobia in Africa. The first was a controversial bill, which was tabled in Uganda, which could have seen homosexuals put to death as well as making it illegal to lobby for LGBT equality, provide any support for LGBT people or even write about LGBT rights. Subsequent to external pressure – this legislation has been softened to limit the maximum penalty for offenders to that of life imprisonment. That this legislation is to be passed at all is disgraceful. What is perhaps more worrying from a South African perspective, is that Jon Qwelane was recently appointed to the position of high commissioner to Uganda for South Africa. Taking into account Mr Qwelane's editorial articles endorsing homophobia, we can be assured that he will not further a South African agenda of supporting human rights with respect to sexuality. Or perhaps that is exactly the point in a government which is becoming murkier on it’s standpoint on almost all issues.

What is also worrying is that once the initial news storm passes over, the door remains open for subsequent homophobic actions. Following the initial reaction to this story, the Church of Uganda – while motivating the scrapping of this punitive law – stated that it should be replaced by laws which would combat the "growing propaganda influencing younger people to accept homosexuality as a legitimate way of expressing human sexuality".

The second worrying story unfolded in Malawi where a couple were arrested for holding a public same-sex marriage ceremony. They have been charged with 3 counts of "indecent practices", for which they may be sentenced to 14 years in jail if found guilty. Though I do have respect for the culture of any group of people there are actions which fly in the face of what is acceptable to the world with respect to human rights. There is no country in the world currently where slavery is acceptable. Why should there still be any country where the denial of human rights around sexuality is still acceptable? Amnesty International made the following statement about the couple's incarceration: "The arrest of the two men solely for their real or perceived sexual orientation amounts to discrimination and it is in violation of their rights to freedom of conscience, expression, and privacy."

Following the original couple's arrest in Malawi a man was arrested and sentenced in Blantyre for having put up pro-gay rights posters. Police are currently searching for the man they believe is behind the material advocating the equality of rights for gays and lesbians. Does this sound familiar to anyone? If the terms for sexuality were replaced by those of race would the outcry against such actions be deafening?

Why is there such a lack of response toward these homophobic actions? There is only one conclusion I can draw and that is that there is silent collusion between the majorities of Africa against those with sexualities which are different from what is supposedly culturally acceptable. We cannot be complacent about what is happening just north of our borders because this has a definite effect in entrenching the beliefs of many about eradication of gay people. These stories are as important as if they took place in Cape Town or Pretoria. Motivate your political representatives – homophobia is not even vaguely acceptable.