A Dance of Many Tunes

Abstract

The contestation of sexuality is a dance of many tunes—various predispositions and factors are at play. Through colonialism and Christianization, I argue, Western norms were re-appropriated as African. Against attempts to erase African agency in sexual politics, I argue that sexual minorities are not agentless subjects—but are active political actors who are challenging homophobia through their visibility and activism. Accepting the nagative effects on sexual minorities, protective homophobia has unintended benefits: it aids interfaith and ecumenical relationships, the development of African democracy, and the establishment of human rights cultures in Africa. By listening to stories and the lived experiences of sexual minorities, I conclude that ubuntu—the belief that one’s humanity is innately linked to that of others—can aid positive dialogue on human sexuality.