It is not based on heresay that most African countries are against the Lesbians Gays Bisexual Transgender Queer and Intersex amongst others (LGBTQI+) community primarily because of the cultural beliefs that have been bestowed on them for centuries.
One would ask by whom? Who bestowed these cultural beliefs? Well to be honest that is a question that still has many experts scratching their heads some have sighted it is the missionaries who were on an escapade in Africa preaching and teaching the Gospel of what was right and what was wrong.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem to answer the question of stigma wholeheartedly as back in the days, and unfortunately even now, in some African sects if someone gives birth to a person with Albinism or twins stigma automatically follows and at times even death which is something the missionaries were not in support of but that is another topic for another day that also needs urgent attention today it will be about the LGBTQI+ community.
They are very few countries on the African continent that condone the existence of the LGBTQI+ community such as South Africa, Mozambique and Angola amongst others. However, regardless of it being legalized in those African countries, members of the LGBTQI+ community still continue to receive disparaging comments from the societies they reside in including from family and friends.
In many African communities if you are found to be a member of the LGBTQI+ community punitive measures are taken which include indoctrination, exorcism and at times even death. To help in understanding why these opprobrious norms are still practised in Africa I engaged with two LGBTQI+ activists from South Africa, Bruce Walker from Pretoria Pride and Ruth Maseko from Triangle Project Umndeni.
“We are still staying in a society that takes us as sin or sinners that is why we are always tortured and killed and most of the time before we are killed we are raped because men believe they can make us women by raping us they don’t believe that a woman can love another woman that’s why they always make our lives very difficult.
As for how we can combat this stigma as a continent? Africa needs more awareness, people need to be educated and taught that there is nothing wrong with same-gender love, a man can love a man and a woman can love a woman and in terms of parents who later on find out that their child is gay or a lesbian we need to have parents support groups because some parents end up in shock when they get to figure out that their child is gay or a lesbian so parents need to be sat down with and be educated too,” said Ruth.
In addition, Bruce shared the same sentiment citing various governments throughout the continent need to do more to prevent the stigma that is currently perpetrated toward members of the LGBTQI+ community, “There are no consequences if someone kills a member of the LGBTQI+ community nothing seems to happen, it is like okay fine it is just a gay person the Police seem not to do much about it so we need to raise awareness and educate people that a gay child is just like a straight child there is nothing wrong. Us as an organization we try to highlight the injustices against the LGBTQI+ community regardless, we need to stand together as the LGBTQI+ community because if we don’t do that people will continue with these prejudicial acts.”
Nevertheless, communities across the continent are slowly acknowledging the existence of the LGBTQI+ community as more and more people are now coming out of the closet even local celebrities, sports personnel and other influential people are coming out which is kind of having a positive impact on the manner in which members of the LGBTQI+ community are now being perceived but as Ruth and Bruce clearly alluded more still needs to be done to educate and inform people about the matter for the continent to do away with the stigma.
