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The State of LGBT Rights in Africa

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The Palgrave Handbook of African Women's Studies

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights are contested in Africa. On the one hand, there is a reluctance to accept LGBT rights as human rights. On the other, the focus on homosexuality and by extension LGBT means that sexual and gender diversities in Africa remain hidden. This chapter uses the human rights frame to understand responses to LGBT rights in African countries, paying particular attention to religion, law, family, popular culture, and health. Legal steps toward full rights of LGBT people are presented while also providing a synopsis of where each African country fits.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

    Zethu Matebeni

  2. Centre for Women and Gender Studies, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    Zethu Matebeni

Authors
  1. Zethu Matebeni
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Babcock University, IIishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria

    Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso

  2. Department of History, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Toyin Falola

Section Editor information

  1. No affiliation provided

    Elsada Diana Cassells

  2. No affiliation provided

    Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso

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Matebeni, Z. (2021). The State of LGBT Rights in Africa. In: Yacob-Haliso, O., Falola, T. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of African Women's Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28099-4_79

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