Abstract:
Most African states see permission of unconventional sexuality and recognition of
same-sex marriages as “deviant” in relation to the traditional sex roles of women
and men. States have invoked justifications such as “cultural sovereignty,”
“protection of public morals,” “religious sanctity,” and “traditional values” as a
rationalization for criminalizing queer sexuality. However, religious leadership, not
the state, has the responsibility to guide the morality of individuals. Everyone
should enjoy equal rights irrespective of their sexuality, including sexual
orientation and sexual identity. The realization of the rights of “all people born free
and equal in dignity” will require criminalizing homophobia, not homosexuality.
