But gay organizations have grown markedly in size and prominence, in Kenya and across Africa. Homosexual acts remain illegal, punishable by 14 years in jail. In Kenya, meanwhile, a court recently ruled that gay and lesbian groups may register under constitutional provisions that bar discrimination. And last May, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights adopted its first-ever resolution condemning anti-gay violence and prejudice. That's an important step in Ghana, where victims of anti-gay violence have often been jailed while their assailants got off scot-free.Įlsewhere in Africa, Mozambique recently decriminalized homosexuality. Yet police announced they had arrested a suspect in the beating of the music promoter, who was not under investigation himself. There's little chance of that happening soon in a country where 96 per cent of people view homosexuality as 'unacceptable,' according to a 2013 Pew Research Center poll. 'Maybe you just hate free people because you lack their courage to be free,' Romanian-Ghanaian star Wanlov the Kubolor posted on Facebook, pleading for Ghana to abolish its anti-gay law. So you be you … let them be them.'Īnother musician pleaded for new protections for gay people in Ghana, where – as in 36 other African nations – homosexual activity is illegal.

Get with the program,' tweeted Efya, a popular soul singer and actress.

In Ghana, for example, several celebrities spoke out in February to condemn a brutal mob attack on a music promoter who was suspected of being gay. Meanwhile, prominent African entertainers – who have started to cultivate their own global presence – are taking up the banner of gay rights. So they're increasingly exposed to global media images, including gay-related themes.

Although many Americans still imagine Africans living in 'the bush' – that is, in isolated villages – more than a third of people on the continent live in cities by 2030, a majority of Africans will make their home in an urban area. In Ghana, where I have been teaching periodically since 2008, friends have assured me that gay rights are simply alien to Africans.īut there's also change in the air, fuelled by satellite television and other popular entertainment. You can hear echoes of that claim across the continent, where people insist that homosexuality violates indigenous cultures and traditions.

Too Hot to Handle by Jonathan Zimmerman