Editor's note: The Star newspaper was the first to publish this opinion article on March 18, 2024. Read it here.
On February 28, Ghana's parliament approved the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, a legislative move that significantly infringes on fundamental human rights.
The Bill imposes harsher sentences for the LGBTQ+ community. It has a jail term of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+. It also sets a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.
The Bill awaits President Nana Akufo-Addo's assent to become law.
Ghana's lawmakers took the cue from their Ugandan counterparts, who, on February 28, 2023, passed legislation that entrenched the criminalisation of same-sex conduct. The 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act creates new offences that now curtail any activism on LGBTQ+ issues, with the punishment including life imprisonment.
Back home, a few months before Uganda passed the world's strictest anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, MP Peter Kaluma submitted the Family Protection Bill 2023, which could have led to 50-year prison sentences for "non-consensual same-sex acts".
A critical analysis reveals that these bills might have originated from one source, whose aim is to promote a raft of homophobic laws in Kenya, Ghana and Uganda, and potentially everywhere in Africa.
The language of the respective bills appeared related. Words such as 'family values' have been used to hoodwink the public into supporting the bills, yet they continue to spread anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment across the continent.
We see the hands of Western Evangelical groups in this growing onslaught against LGBTQ+ communities in Africa. This influence, often masked under the guise of missionary work or aid programmes, has led to a surge in homophobic attitudes and regressive policies across the continent.
According to an investigation by openDemocracy, over 20 United States Christian groups have poured at least $54 million (Sh7.4 billion) into Africa since 2007 to influence laws, policies and public opinion against sexual and reproductive rights.
This substantial financial backing has empowered these groups to work closely with African lawmakers to push for legislation aligned with their conservative agendas. The alignment of some African clergy and lawmakers with Western groups highlights the complex dynamics where financial incentives may outweigh local rights and well-being.
With the financial powers, the Western Evangelical groups have continued to export their conservative ideologies to Africa actively. While their stated goal may be to spread Christianity, the consequences have been dire for LGBTQ+ individuals, as these groups frequently promote homophobic rhetoric and advocate discriminatory legislation.
This development underscores the importance of safeguarding African sovereignty and values against external interference and resisting attempts to impose foreign ideologies on indigenous communities.
Homosexuality in Africa predates colonialism and is deeply rooted in African culture and history. Despite colonial efforts to stigmatise and suppress same-sex relationships, evidence from various sources showcases the existence of homosexuality among African communities long before European interference.
In the book Boy-Wives and Female-Husbands: Studies in African Homosexualities, the authors note that in the Kongo and Ndonga kingdoms, there existed an alternative gender role where men wore women's apparel. This native practice demonstrates that diverse gender expressions and sexual orientations were recognised and accepted within African societies.
Moreover, early reports from Angola highlighted similar practices that challenged European notions of sexuality and gender roles. When Zande informants informed Europeans that men engaged in same-sex relationships with boys because they liked them, it caused shock and confusion among the Europeans.
Observations by missionaries, anthropologists and other observers in early colonial Zimbabwe pointed to the recognition and description of homosexual relationships and rituals among African men.
In South Africa's industrial centres in the late 19th century, homosexual "mine marriages" were common in the mining compounds, showing that same-sex relationships were prevalent and culturally accepted within specific African communities.
The infiltration of Western Evangelical agendas in Africa, therefore, represents a form of neocolonialism and imperialism. It undermines local autonomy and imposes foreign ideologies on African communities. In the face of this cultural onslaught, it becomes critical for Africans to reclaim and preserve their identity and values.