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Increased expressions of homophobia in Africa are not only a reaction to the "personified" and visible homosexual identity, but also a tool for sexism, an attempt to solidify men's position in society.
In this paper, I explore the waves of homophobia that seem to be sweeping the African continent. I present evidence that homophobia is not only publicly approved by African leaders, but relies on unsubstantiated claims of an imposed homosexual identity, contradictory ideas on morality, and the use of outdated laws. I argue that these claims represent a façade that serves to entrench patriarchy and heteronormativity as legitimate and fixed in African societies. I show that the key difference between the West and Africa is not the presence or absence of same-sex desire, but its different social construction. Finally, I argue for an intersectional approach, which recognizes the intersections between sexism and homophobia, and assert that the situation calls for more focused organizing by Africans themselves in addressing the recent increase in expressions of homophobia.
Introduction
This paper addresses the increased crusading against those who engage in same-sex relations in Africa. It pays particular attention to the ways in which homosexuality has become more virulently opposed, contested, and denounced, particularly by political leaders, as un-African, with the potential of destroying African traditions and heterosexual "family values." Recognizing that such contestation is not new (Reddy 2001), the paper argues that the renewed efforts to label same-sex desire as un-African represent a façade that conceals neoconservatism and a resurgence of patriarchy, coated in the constructs of religion, nationalism, and law. The paper holds that it is both "anxious masculinities" (Stein 2005) that drive this agenda-with masculinity being reconstituted because of an array of social changes questioning the patriarchal authority-and support the rise of notions of the "homosexual" as "personified" (Foucault 1980). African societies have never historically had a "gay" identity or a pathologized "homosexual" category; however, same-sex sexual attraction and expression were known to occur, but in usually hidden but sometimes even culturally accepted ways (Epprecht 2004). I argue, therefore, that the wave of human rights that has swept through Africa has permitted many to claim a "gay" identity, thus aggravating the already heightened fear of the "anxious" man. This has ultimately resulted in draconian...