Of Sexuality and Culture


Sexuality has become a burning issue throughout the world today, from the United States to India, from Australia to Nigeria, sexuality is now a matter of raging controversy, as humanity continues it journey on the road of history.


In Nigeria, the issue of gay rights is taking the front burner, especially on social media where young and old alike, debate the morality and spirituality of homosexuality. Of course, like every other controversy, there are two sides to the argument; those who oppose the rights of LGBTs (usually on religious grounds) and those who support them(usually based on the use of critical logic). Predictably, those who extol religious dogma seem to be winning the argument on the basis of sheer majority. Indeed, everyone has an opinion, which of course is to be respected no matter how ridiculous it is.


Is homosexuality unAfrican?

The more daring homophobes are usually quick to allege that homosexuality is an unAfrican phenomenon, "it is alien to our culture and traditions" they say,when you ask them to prove it, they open the Bible or Quran, both books that are neither African, nor even qualified to be used as moral guides in modern society.


Other less daring, or perhaps, less imaginative debaters will claim "it is against God's law". Well, apparently everybody and their shrivelled grandmothers now claim to be God's oracle. Ironically, I can mention dozens of "God's laws" that will get you behind bars or in a mental asylum in modern day society.




One cannot of course blame those who make such ignorant claims, even common modern history is not part of the Nigerian educational curriculum.


Historically, homosexuality has been a social phenomenon in Africa, until of after the advent of the colonialists.



I sometimes wonder at people who scream to high heavens about "indecent" dressing, homosexuality, use of earrings, use of makeup and so on, chalking them all up as western imported cultures. I wonder because before the colonialists came, half of Africa ran around nearly unclad. In most Nigerian tribes, including igbos, yoruba, ibibios and even hausas; women were scantily clad in animal skins or thinly spun sackclothes, hiding only their breasts and nether region.


Use of dyes to adorn the face, hands, toes and lips was cultural. Yet, some historical revisionists will come and say exposing of skin is not African culture. How ignorant can one be?, was it not the European colonialists that brought the custom of covering up in heavy clothing, and dressing "modestly"?.The Europe of those days was highly conservative and religious, hence such mode of dressing was fashionable. Now, their cultures have changed and they now dress more liberally.


I digress, but my point is, dressing scantily has been a cultural thing in Africa before our great grandfathers were born. So quell the erroneous notion that this or that is unAfrican, what you should be concerned with is, if you are okay with it. If it suits you, fine. If not, do what suits you.


Back to the topic, homosexuality has been in practice among many tribes of Africa even before Jesus was allegedly born. Among the Hausas of Northern Nigeria, we have the Dan Daudu, who exhibit very effeminate characters and are considered women, they even marry fellow men. The Ashanti kingdom of Ghana, where male concubines were kept as slaves and slept with for sport. The Dahomey of Ghana, where young males were castrated and kept as women. The Kikuyu and Meru tribes of Kenya and so on. In fact, King Mwanga I, an ancient bugandan monarch, was a popular homosexual during his reign.


Even graphic depictions of same sex intercourse have been found on stone carvings amongst relics of ancient Nubia and South African tribes. Of course, Egyptians paintings and pictorial scenes depicting homosexual intercourse is a common evidence one could point to, seeing that all it would take to prove it is a simple Google search.



It is therefore erroneous to claim that homosexuality is unAfrican. If you have a problem with it, state it clearly without mincing words, instead of hiding under the guise of altruistic African values which you clearly know nothing about.



It is understandable that the advent of both Christianity and Islam fuelled, and still fuels, the current spate of homophobia in Africa, however, it should not be taken that gay sex is unAfrican, as that is a very ridiculous notion in itself. Instead, it is Christianity and Islam that is unAfrican, and should be practised with caution.




In conclusion, African or unAfrican, every individual is entitled to do whatever is in his or her best interest, provided the actions are legal and in accordance with common human empathy and tolerance.

you all homos never give up, do you.
it's not by force to accept your perversion. give up already.

All this story for a situation that won't change in anytime soon? Yours is a sorry case.