Esha Bhandari for BBC

Possibility of gay rights in Africa

Esha Bhandari

Recently, abetting gay relationships, being involved in a gay relationship, or even witnessing gay acts have been strictly prohibited across several African countries, including some key allies for the UK and other western nations such as Ghana, Botswana, and Nigeria. 

It seems that nearly all religions and political parties, even the most liberal, are advocating against gay rights and are pushing for anti-gay legislation that would officially criminalize any and all gay acts with up to 14 years in jail, or, in some cases, the death penalty. Many Christians and Muslims stand united in their stance of not supporting gay rights, especially strong-willed Islamists who fully respect their religion’s attitude towards gay oppression. Furthermore, the UK, along with the US, have issued statements regarding African countries’ banishment of homosexuality, including one from former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton that said that homosexuality is a societal norm, not a Western invention. Ugandan presidential adviser John Nagenda reacted harshly to this statement, interpreting it as America forcing gay rights upon his country, lashing back, “If the Americans think they can tell us what to do, they can go to hell.” Our own UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, went even further and said that he will reduce aid to those countries that do not accept gay rights. Various African governments deemed his decision “childish” and “immature.” Spokespeople within these unwilling countries pointed out that the rich will continue to be rich and corrupt; seizing aid will only make the poor and gays suffer more. Godwyns Onwuchekwa, a gay rights activist, posed the question, “If the US still acquires states in which homosexuality is illegal, how can they expect other countries to listen?” They suggested that if the US and UK instead focused more on strengthening human rights groups, the people fighting for themselves could have a bigger impact on their own government. Unfortunately, growing movements by Westerners, such as the UK-based Justice for Gay Africans campaign, have been met with opposition forces and anti-gay campaigns, and hostility towards gays in Africa has seemingly worsened.

In countries such as Nigeria, where the bill regarding 14 years jail time as punishment to those either in or witnessing a gay relationship was established, fierce opposition to those moderate enough to vote down the death penalty has continued. “You are evil, you are a devil, and if you were my brother you’d deserve to be killed,” was only one of the many jeers faced by activists against the legislation. Ahmed Lewan, another “backer” to the legislation criminalizing Nigeria’s same-sex marriage, is more moderate, proclaiming, “We are protecting humanity and family values; in fact, we are protecting civilization in its entirety.” Lewan, amongst others, believe that if they were to allow gay marriage, the population of the world would diminish. However, there does exist some openly active people for the cause. Rashidi Williams, a young activist and gay male, has repeatedly spoken up for the health and rights of homosexual, bisexual, and transgender individuals. He has also suffered much abuse for his outspokenness, including verbal and physical assault while walking with a male friend. He says of the issue, “We have traditional names for homosexuals. So tell me what is not Nigerian about homosexuality?” Lesbians additionally have endured offenses that are, in some cases, even worse. Many have experienced “corrective rape”, in which males think sexual advances are key to “fixing” the woman’s sexual orientation. Additionally, some are stabbed or stoned, but despite the repeated violence, many women often suffer in fearful silence, afraid they will be mocked and ridiculed by policemen, or even tracked down again by their attackers. Even in countries such as South Africa, the only country in which homosexual marriage has been legalized, it is all too common to encounter many men who support the ideas of “corrective rape”, are threatened by the fact that women believe they do not have to be married to a man, or believe in ideas that are considered “Un-African”.

Fortunately, there has been progress to end hate crimes against gay individuals, both men and women alike. There have been petitions fighting to end corrective rape, including one signed by 170,000 people worldwide, and the justice departments have begun to listen. Although many gays and lesbians still live in fear for their lives, they refuse to back down and be proclaimed heterosexual. Already, working together, teams have pushed for heavier sentences against those inducing hate crimes, and despite the tough road ahead, activists and gays remain united in a fight for their rights.