Imperialist queerphobia : the curtailment of LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda and South Africa as a product of colonialism, religion, and patriarchy
Imperialist queerphobia : the curtailment of LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda and South Africa as a product of colonialism, religion, and patriarchy
Date
2022
Authors
Sheppard, Phoebe Eleanor
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The concerning reality for LGBTQ+ people in sub-Saharan Africa is ever-increasing state-sanctioned
queerphobia, societal oppression, heteropatriarchal violence, and religious queerphobia. This thesis
incorporates the analysis of archival interviews, political speech, newspaper articles, letters, case law,
photographs, and legislation to illuminate the fact that colonialism, religion and patriarchy have
coalesced in contributing to increasingly queerphobic attitudes within sub-Saharan Africa, primarily
driven by three core rationales: the contention that homosexuality is an ‘un-African’ phenomenon
imported from the West which is morally corrupting Africa and must be eradicated to protect and
preserve African culture; that homosexuality goes against Christianity – the dominant religion in South
Africa and Uganda – and is therefore regarded as a ‘sin’ that must be punished and legislated against by
African leaders placing their religious views at the forefront of legislative decision making; and that the
existence of queer relationships and identities outside of the heteropatriarchal binary present a threat to
masculinity which must be eradicated through heavily policing queer bodies and the enforcing of
violence in the name of ‘enlightenment’. It is these three concepts that need to be negated in order for
the full and equal rights of LGBTQ+ people to be enjoyed.
Description
Second semester University: University of Galway. Awarded thesis 2021/2022
Keywords
LGBTI rights,
gender discrimination,
gender identity,
colonialism,
patriarchy,
Africa,
Uganda,
South Africa,
religious aspects,
homosexuality,
violence