In his overview on Homosexuality in “traditional” sub Saharan Africa  and Contemporary South Africa, S Murray and other writers such as Donald  Donham list out a number of communities where homosexuality have been practiced even before colonisation came into Africa.

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Just to mention the few; Murray states that the Maale of Southern Ethiopia, a small minority of men who crossed over to feminine roles, they were called Ashtime . They were male dressed as women, performed female tasks, cared for their own houses and apparently had sexual intercourse with men. In the Meru of Kenya, Meru ritual leaders called Mugawe dress as women and sometimes even marry other men .

In the central African Zande culture, before European conquest, it was regarded "as very sensible for a man to sleep with boys when women are not available or are taboo." What do we mean by taboo? In most cultures in Ghana, it was deemed a taboo to have sex with women when they are in their menstrual period.

Not long ago, especially in the villages, a woman in her menstrual period was banished from the main compound and has to prepare her food outside.

The adult males paid the families of boy wives, just as they paid for female brides. The two slept together at night, "the husband satisfying his desires between the boy's thighs". When the boy grew up he joined the company and took a boy-wife in his turn. It was the duty of the husband to give his boy-wife a spear and a shield when he became a warrior. He then took a new boy-wife ."

Western influences notably Christianity and Marxists have spread this notion that homosexuality is a decadent, bourgeois Western innovation forced upon colonial Africa by white men or the Islamic slave traders. 

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When the argument around homosexuality not being African fails they quote the bible and argue that God does not want homosexuals. The Bible they are using came with the colonisers and they like quoting from the book of Leviticus 18:22 .  This quoting from this book in the bible negates the fact that there are many laws that are stipulated in that same book they themselves (Christians) no longer use. For instance the law about owning slave, Lev. 25:44 states that a person may indeed own slaves both female and male provided they are purchased from a neighbouring nations. Can that still be relevant in this day and age?



 Again why do we become surprised when men treat women as filthy when they are on their periods because the bible in Lev. 15:19 say so? In some instances the women are not allowed to prepare dinner for her husband during that period, it will be interesting to know how women in this day and age feel about that verse.  Do they really consider themselves filthy when they are on their period; I personally do not and do not need a verse from the bible to tell me I am.

 
There are lots of laws that are stipulated in the book of Leviticus and half of those are no longer practised by all the Christians but what is interesting is that most Christians agree on the abomination of homosexuality but will not agree on the law that says Christians should not eat a pig in Lev 11: 7-8. Precisely because the Spur ribs are very tasty and they have an answer that those pigs that Jesus said should not be eaten were forced into the ocean, but the reason Lev 11 say pig should not be eaten is not because pigs have demon but because pigs do not chew the cud .

In conclusion it is important to state that whatever any anti homosexual person in this world would like to think or believe about homosexuality they should at least read the work of Murray, Epprecht, Donham, etc.  These authors show evidence that homosexuality has both history and precedence in Africa. To use the bible when the argument of homosexuality being un- African fails, is actually misleading because Christianity and the Bible are both un- African.​



IS HOMOSEXUALITY UN-AFRICAN? – A QUESTION ASKED AFTER THE USE OF THE BIBLE HAS FAILED​

BUWA: The topic of homosexuality being unAfrican has been at the height of much debate, Do you believe homosexuality is unAfrican?



DK: No!
What is African, what and who constitutes African? Who died and made them ‘judging gods’ to decide what is and what is not African, who made those rules that being Homosexual is Un-African and does that mean the so called “corrective RAPE” is African? If that is the casethen I shall remain with my “Un-Africanness” state of mind, at the same time my feelings still stand at the fact that Homophobia is Un-African.



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BUWA: You are a lesbian woman, you are born on the African continent. Where does this statement place you? Do you feel unAfrican?



DK: I am bothered by that statement homosexuality is  “Un-African” what has my “Africanism” have to do with my sexuality? When did it start playing part in my life as a lesbian woman who pays tax and is active in influencing change within society?  Such statements increase homophobia and it infringes/violates LGBTI rights.



BUWA: For me this statement is quite a patriarchal statement because the justification is that it hinders procreation so in essence being African is about reproduction? How do you feel about this statement as a woman?

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DK: Well first thing is first, who said I am here to make babies?  These statements create misunderstandings and incorrect information of what homosexuality is. I agree with the Patriarchal statement you mentioned which goes to show that tradition and culture plays a big role in terms of power issues and gender in equality when it comes to discrimination against women and other forms of abuse.

BUWA: Do you believe population issues in the continent in light of the poverty, unemployment, lack of housing, over congestion on the African continent? Has homosexuality stopped population growth? How do you feel about his statement?



DK: Population growth or lack thereof has absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality. As it is we are over populated and the very homosexuals that they are discriminating against are the ones that end up adopting abandoned children. At the same time who said LGBTI community cannot procreate? It is high time that people start shifting their mindsets and engaging themselves in making sure that they are respecting LGBTI rights. Society needs to start focusing on other pressing issues that also matter such as poverty, unemployment, education, housing, teenage pregnancy, etc.