Top Anti- Homosexual Phrases Amongst Africans
1. It is forbidden by God read Leviticus 18:22, 20:13
2. Marriage is between a man and a woman for pro-creation,
3. It is satanic , it needs deliverance from God,
4. It is a white-man invention. Evil and foreign. "Faggots have no
place in African Society"!
5. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve
Growing up in rural Northern Nigeria, I often would hear the word,
"dan daudu" this term is attributed to a person who has the
characteristics and demeanor of both male and female; however, with
more pronounced male features. From my understanding dan daudu
sometimes dresses like a woman and has sexual intercourse with both
male and female. Dan daudu at times would marry a male and or a female
for reproduction. I don't recall hearing a revolt against this special
gender amongst us. One could say, dan daudu would have his "cake and
eat it is too".
However, despite the exposure to the idea that there is a third gender
group, I did not take the time to reflect on its implications, after
all what does that got to do with me. My third year at undergraduate I
was forced to interact with schoolmates on campus who recently
identified themselves as homosexuals (they desire loving, sexual
relationship with members of the same sex) and bisexual (they engage
in sexual relations with both male and female or vice versa). Being
the born again, sanctified and justified Christian woman of God that I
was, I recollect expressing to the homosexuals and bisexuals every
time I conversed with them, "you will go to hell!" I went further by
pointing out to Genesis 19 from the Christian Holy Bible that talks
about Sodom and Gomorrah, how it was destroyed by God because of their
sinful sexual engagement with the opposite sex. For all these facts, I
urged them to repent from their sinful ways.
It has been over a decade now since I learned about "dan daudu" gender
and six years interaction with homosexuals and bisexuals in the
Western world. Through these years, I decided to read outside my
academic work, by studying and engaging with this group, I read books,
articles and asked others questions. Through my analysis of "dan
daudu" (which is consider third gender group in most of Northern
Nigeria), homosexual and bisexual seem to have a lot in common. This
commonality includes: the desire to be in a meaningful, loving
relationship with members of the opposite or the same sex, fight for
human dignity, respectful and peaceful coexistence with those
different from them, and to be acknowledge for their human-ness; hence
despite their sexual orientation, they too were created by God.
I am mindful that I run the risk of generalizing that homosexuals,
bisexual experience is equal to Dan daudu or any other sexual
orientation across the African continent, however, given the high-
lighted commonality earlier in this piece, as members of global
family, we can't ignore the fact that we have these people in our
community. For the lack of a better umbrella term for the entire
sexual orientation group I mentioned, I would use a western label
"homosexual or gay" interchangeably throughout this piece. Finding
constructive ways in dealing with this topic is crucial not only on
the African continent but world over. In the past years Westerns and
Africans dealt with homosexuality differently.
Early 1950s most Christian religious Britons believed that
homosexuality was a disease that could be cure like any other illness
(See," Treatments of Homosexuality in Britain since the 1950s-an oral
history: the experience of patients, http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/328/7437/427.
Those who publicly shared their sexual orientation were giving the
alternative of either going to jail or getting a medical treatment.
This option in dealing with homosexuality contributed into hundreds of
arrest and murdering of gays in Britain. Homosexuals who chose to get
medical attention to correct their desires as suggested by medical
experts, ended up with entirely different problems, such as social and
psychological challenges.
In the United States of American anti-homosexual rhetoric could also
be trace to the early 40s when the U.S government made it clear that
gays were not welcome and their sexual preference was rather
unnatural. Societal pressure forced the government to sack military
personals that were suspected to be gay. Homosexual women got raped,
killed and harried by civilians; most of these attacked were done in
the name of purifying American land from these evil doers (See, brief
history,http://safezone.slu.edu/downloads/reading.homosexuality%20in
%20america.pdf).
Today in America even though homosexuals have relatively basic rights
by being allowed to coexist in some spheres; their interaction in
society is rather limited. Like any other marginalized group in
America, homosexuals live predominately amongst themselves. There are
laws such as Proposition 8 which confines the constitution of
marriage only to heterosexuals (Female and male) relationships. What
such underdone law does is forces non-Christians into living by
"traditional" Judeo-Christian institution of marriage and its
ordinance.
This is not to say that America refuses to act on its moral
obligations towards its marginalized. America has come a long way, we
have five states today that allow gay marriage: Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and recently New Hampshire. However, even
though these marriages are allowed by specific states, the Federal law
does not recognize them as such. Religious groups, primarily
evangelical Christians continue to fuel hate speech domestically for
example see a court case on anti- gay protest, by Westboro Baptist
Church in Topeka, Kansas at a funeral service
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6274T020100308 . This
contaminated, diluted hermeneutic ( reading) from some Western
Christians found strong hold internationally amongst Africans who seem
to be carefree as per things they allowed into their midst.
Most Western evangelical clergy men and other religious group seem to
maintain 18th century racist theory that Africans are like children,
who need someone to lead them to the light ( See Hegel, "Philosophy of
History" ). Evangelical minister Rick Warren a known author and pastor
uses his influential status by pushing for dangerous agenda amongst
Africans. Recently pastor Warren went to Uganda, supporting the
country's religious leaders with their cruel, " Kill the Gay bill".
This bill in question criminalized homosexuality anyone found to be
gay would be thrown in jail, and other times killed if the person is
H.I.V positive. Warren suggested that Uganda is a purpose driving
nation because of its brutal take on homosexual activities in the
country.( see youtube " Rick Warren, Sen. Inhofe, Sen. Grassley, & The
Family Uganda Update – Rachel Maddow" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t-gSJDpv1o&feature=related
).
Other Evangelical preachers such as Scott Lively, Don Schmierer and
Caleb Lee Brundidge all join hands to offer support that Uganda make
it law against gays in the country. ( See youtube "Anti- Gay Bill in
Uganda " http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy6E-zTSZjo). The push by
these evangelical pastors caused an international outcry by the gay
community as a result the pastors were forced to denounced it.
Unfortunately the damage has already been done, Africa persistently
becomes a free continent where everyone but Africans could offer
remedy for their internal problems.
Most African clergy seem to have forgotten so soon the year 1884 with
the help of Christian missionaries, Africa became a piece of pie that
members of "first world" partook in its consumption. This period of
1884, scramble for African did not only allowed Westerns to purloin
(steal) African lands and natural resources but also gave them alot of
access to ignite a forceful fire of self hate, dishonesty, disgrace,
inferiority complex and corruption amongst the native.This is not to
suggest that Africans are not capable of committing
atrocities,however, what Western dictatorship, colonization had done
on the continent left a lasting legacy for what Africa it is today, a
troubling land fill with many woes. ( See Seun Kuti " Don't Bring that
Shit to Me" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfeOPK0GobA&feature=related
)
History tells us that the legacy of 1884, its continue imperial
influences amongst the colonial subjects (Africans) is still awake;
this is apparent in how Africans read the Bible, see themselves and
hope to become, almost all in the image of the white man, their
colonial master, (See Ngugi Wa Thiongo "Decolonizing the Mind and
Moving the Center: The Struggle for Cultural Freedom", V.Y.Mudimbe
"The Invention of Africa" and Franz Fanon "Black Skin, White Mask").
It is not surprising in recent years to hear of horrific events
against homosexuals in Africa, to name a few: In Malawi a couple was
sentence 14 years in prison and the law to justify it was that their
sexual orientation is "unnatural". This conviction was later reversed
by the president due to pressure by the international human rights
groups ( see " Malawi gays face 14-year prison terms"
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/18/malawi-gays-convicted-unnatural-acts/?page=1.
Dakar, nine Senegalese men were arrested for "indecent" behavior and
jailed with five years prison time.This sentence was condemned by gay-
rights groups in the country. ( See "Senegalese gay men appeal a
homophobic sentence" http://www.afrol.com/articles/32915), in Ghana,
Nigeria, South Africa, and others African countries share the belief
that homosexuality is sinful, anyone caught in the act would be thrown
in prison.( See "Behind the Mask" a support group for hiding gays
across Africa, http://www.mask.org.za/ghana-stage-anti-gay-protest/#comments).
This Western view and reading of scripture, it imperial tactic could
be seen on how some African clergy deal with homosexuals' orientation.
There is quite a consensus that homosexuality is un-African, this
might read as if African clergy are trying to protect the dignity of
Africans and their culture; I would suggest this is yet again another
way of wanting to please the colonial master. Donna Smith, a South
African human rights activist expresses, "What is un-African is
homophobia; some people believe homosexuality is an idea brought here
by the white man. But it has always been here. What the white man
brought was homophobia clothed in religious doctrines that we did not
have before ( see Malian paper,
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2006-11-06-fear-and-violence-still-rule-gay-township-life
). What Smith is suggesting is that, Pre-colonial African History
tells us that, homosexuality exited, however, upon the arrival of
Christianity and other foreign religion such as Islam, gays were
forced to hide behind closed doors. Religious doctrines that confine
marriage particularly amongst Judeo-Christian faith to a man and a
woman forced Africans to abandon their tolerance for those who desire
members of the-same sex, and multiple partners.Through my interaction
with a number of Africans, those who were willing to discuss this
sensitive topic shared how their relatives told them positive
narratives about the peace and harmony that exited between all people
of different sexual orientations.
I connected with a young man from Central Africa who works as a social
worker, he expresses, "There are plenty of stories mostly oral
history. As for stories from my grand-father, [he said homosexuality ]
was pretty normal until the strange ones came ( White men). Then the
chiefs started to banish them from the village." This claim could also
be supported by other works that highlighted the existence of
homosexuals in African societies, even though they were not labeled
with that umbrella term. (See the book "Allah Made Us" p. 7, 11. by
Rudolf Pell Gaudio. Note. even though this book was written by a
Westerner, from my experience and that of others, I could say the
author did a relatively good job of describing the situation on
grounds in the Northern Nigeria).
Pre-colonial times, African societies where loose, not very rigid as
they eventually became upon the arrival of Christianity and Islam.
See " Parallels in the Gender Minority/Sexual Minority Histories of
Africa and Asia" http://www.colorq.org/articles/article.aspx?d=QHistory&x=parallels
, " Homosexuality in "Traditional" Sub-Saharan Africa and Contemporary
South Africa*" http://semgai.free.fr/doc_et_pdf/africa_A4.pdf
Homosexuals were also believed to have special divine inspiration,
healing power, subsequently they were given a place of honor in
society. ( See " Parallels in the Gender Minority/Sexual Minority
Histories of Africa and Asia" http://www.colorq.org/articles/article.aspx?d=QHistory&x=parallels
).
Given the situation we have at hand, I would suggest that African
clergy and government to have a substantive priority by educating the
masses about its past. It seems there is a dilemma amongst Africans
about the origin of homosexuality on the continent. This unnecessary
confusion amongst most Africans could be avoided if Historical
documents or oral history was past down in a way that could be
beneficial to the present generation.This is because, for those who
have done their home work, they are aware that "gays" have always had
a presence in African life. However, because of the narrow research
done on this topic by others we have unnecessary disputes.
I would also suggest that the present generation of Africans must
make a strong commitment to good scholarship and research, rather than
depending on work by Westerners. This sort of move would prevent
Africans from divisive scholarship.It would be wise to make the
effort by encouraging our young people to engage in critical thinking.
When that happens, generation after wouldn't be in confusion as the
present one.
As for those who relay solidly on Christian Biblical commentaries it
would be wonderful if you participate in critical reading of the
Holy Book instead of hiding behind foreign religious dogma. Perhaps,
revisiting the historical context, study how it has impacted African
reality,its legacy. Africans must begin to ask questions as a
community about the Holy Bible such as: who wrote it? For whom was it
written? Who are the characters in the book? Are the words written
worth editing or are they infallible? Could one be African and belief
in the Christian Holy Bible, if so what would that Christianity look
like. Because as it stands most African theologians hold firmly to
Western commentaries to solve their internal predicaments.
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