In Africa, the act of homophobia is supported by a vast number of Presidents. There has been an increase in the protests against people who are involved in these same-sex relations in Africa because it is viewed as a taboo that could ruin family values. Political leaders have strongly stood against homosexuality because they view it as un-African and something that could harm the traditions of Africa (Msibi, 2011:56). But by saying that homosexuality is un-African, is to support an act that is aimed at hiding the truth about homosexuality behind the deception and the use of male authoritative figures. The term homosexual is a term that does not originate from Africa. It is a Western term. This term controlled relations on a social scale in the west and also gave a label to those people who were involved in same-sex relations. Being known as a gay or homosexual person allowed people to feel a sense of collective identity. It made people involved in same-sex relationships feel like they had their own communities and gave them a sense of belonging.
In many African countries, same-sex relationships are not be made public. Being involved in such a relationship may lead one to being discriminated against or even executed. In most African countries, it has been made illegal and it is a punishable offence to be involved in same-sex relations. In Malawi, two men were sentenced to fourteen years in prison for publicly celebrating their engagement, due to widespread uprising from the Western world, they were granted amnesty on humanitarian grounds (Msibi, 2009: 58). The worst case so far has been in Uganda, where an anti- homosexuality bill has been proposed and recently put into action. This bill states that homosexuality is an offense tha...
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...ny wives to secure their autonomy. There seemed to be a clear separation between sex and gender: the women could be males and vice versa (Msibi, 2009:65). The women that were strong economically could take on many wives to assert their power.
This then leads to the conclusion that same-sex relations are not new to the African continent. This then ultimately shatters the thinking that Africans were heterosexual before the Europeans came to the country. The only thing that is new and un-African is the identification and labelling of the act. Forming an identity around being a homosexual is the un-African thing that is being referred to by the many politicians and religious leaders. The desire to be involved with someone of the same-sex sexually is not a problem brought about by Europeans because evidently, it has been around Africa for centuries before colonization.
submissive, powerless objects of their husbands. Equality and balance within their marriages were of no
As the years dragged on in the new nation the roles of men and women became more distinct and further apart for one another. Women were not allowed to go anywhere in public without an escort, they could not hold a position in office let allow vote, and they could only learn the basics of education (reading, writing, and arithmetic). In law the children belonged to the husband and so did the wife’s property and money. The only job women could think about having was being a ‘governess’ which would give other women education.
More than 70 countries around the world continue to criminalize same-sex sexual behavior between consenting adults, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment and even to death.18 These discriminatory laws against gay men and other MSM are more common in countries in sub-S...
Homosexuality is not a new trend, sexual orientation, or identity, in fact homosexuality is believed to date back over 5,000 years ago (Adams, 2011). Same sex couples have existed for thousands of years and research will show how the social and political stigmas that are known today, have stemmed from religious point of views and political opinions.
As a society we see everyone as straight person and if you are not then others do not accept you. Last week, Arizona state legislature passed a bill permitting business owners to refuse service to homosexual customers if it conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs. Researchers argue that homosexuality is based on genetics while religious persona believe homosexuality is unorthodox. I will be discussing research about the impact of homosexuality on the family and how people believe that when homosexuality is innate it increases LGBT rights. Also, how homosexuality can lead to at risk sexual behavior for men and prone to HIV’s.
Homosexuality is out of the norm in the society compared to heterosexuality, which is the sexual preference that is always portrayed to be the good one. In the Catholic religion there has always been a debate whether if God is against or not about homosexuality. Homosexuality is not against God. By analyzing Bible passages that mentions homosexuality, Jesus’ teachings, Christian ethics, and surveys taken in workplace that shows discrimination against homosexuality, then it will become evident that God is not opposed to homosexuality.
Is homosexuality considered a choice to have or not? Homosexuality is something someone is born with. Someone can not just choose whether they are straight, bisexual, pansexual, or homosexual. People sometimes want to be one, but they end up being the other, which is not their choice. People go through life thinking being a homosexual is considered a choice and for attention, but that isn’t at all what people do that for. In “Is Homosexuality a Choice?” the article states: “Supporting gay marriage becomes equivalent to supporting the construction of wheelchair ramps. The ‘gays can’t help being that way’ approach is reminiscent of the old view of homosexuality as a psychiatric illness” (Mallory, Marcia, Scientific American). This is saying
Even up until now, the controversial issue of homosexuality is still apparent and widely discussed in many countries all over the world. Although many people are becoming more open minded and less skeptical about homosexuality, many more are still reluctant to accept the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) communities as equals. Whilst many may argue that their religion absolutely forbids same sex marriages, thus, rejecting the idea of homosexual relationship, many of them feels it is their right to make the gays and lesbians straight again. For instance, in South Africa, many males practice corrective rape. It is a form of hate crime towards lesbians in order to ‘cure’ them of their homosexuality in order to change them into heterosexuals (Strudwick, 2014). This proves how sick and twisted the minds of homophobes are. As a Catholic myself, even though I was taught that same sex relationship is wrong and not natural, I do not condemn homosexuals or look down on them. In fact, I even have friends that are gay or bisexual. It is good that more countries have now implemented new laws to protect the LGBT community. This ensures the lower crime rate and discrimination of the LGBTs. Despite the fact that a few European countries and several others have legalized same sex marriages, there are still rejection and objection from some parties particularly from the Roman Catholic Church (Bingham, 2005). Why does the Church have such strong objections? Through my research, I will discuss on the views and teachings of the Catholic Church on homosexuality and same sex marriage.
In just the last 50 years, gay marriage and more specifically, homosexuality, has made great strides in social reform. For example, as of May 2014, 18 states in the United States have legalized same-sex marriage with some other states allowing same-sex unions. The main issue during these last 50 years is the debate between fundamentalists and scientists who argue the controversial debate of nature vs. nurture. Some fundamentalists argue that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice. Conversely, some scientists argue that homosexuality is biologically-determined in the womb due to genes or hormones. Moreover, research conducted by the journal Science and other sources will be examined within this paper that denotes that homosexuality is biologically-determined. This paper will argue that homosexuality is natural. The crux of the issue is that homosexuality is natural due its biological roots and ancestry in humans and animals.
Society is created with both homosexual and heterosexual individuals. Previously when certain laws discriminated against others, such as law for women's rights to vote, these laws were changed. Changing the traditions of the country does not mean that it will lead to the legalization of other extreme issues. Each ...
A basic understanding of African religions will provide an awareness of African customs, the African view of death and life beyond death. In many cases the african religion is polytheistic on their day to day practices.However, they believe in The High God where is overriding beliefs that beyond gods, spirits one god exists. Despite the general belief in a Supreme Being, cults to the “High God” are notably absent from many African religions; prayers of petition or sacrificial offerings are directed toward secondary divinities, who are messengers and intermediaries between the human and sacred realms. In many countries in Africa people pray to different gods and goddess. In West Africa theirs a lot of animism, where they pray to the sky and the earth and the seas.
(a) Africans and Europeans have relations that date all the way back to the origins of humans and human migrations. Scholars have hypothesized that Homo erectus found in Europe about 800,000 years ago originated and migrated from Africa Europeans and Africans also had religious relations; which is evident from the spread of Christianity, introduced by the Byzantines, throughout Africa specifically in North Africa, the Nile Valley, and the Horn of Africa. Aside from religious relations, Africans and Europeans also had economic and political relations as a result of European colonization and conquest of the African regions. Economic relations were a result of Europeans coming into Africa and taking natural resources to benefit from in the production of goods and trade. Another specific example of economic relations between Europeans and Africans is the practice of mercantilism, in which European nations were the mother countries and countries of Africa were the colonies. As the mother country, Europeans, would take natural resources from the colony, African regions, to produce goods, which would then be sold back to the colony. This also attributed to the political relations between Africans and Europeans because the economic desires of the Europeans often led to them controlling the Africans to maximize profit and their own personal benefits; which is directly related to slavery, one of the biggest relations between Africans and Europeans. Slavery and the slave trade in turn created social relations because slaves were considered to be a class of their own. Another social relation that resulted from slavery was the creation a “new race” known as the...
There are different gender identities such as male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exist all around the world. There is inequality in gender identities and dominance of males regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it is different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much change has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed.
An overwhelming majority of African nations has reclaimed their independence from their European mother countries. This did not stop the Europeans from leaving a permanent mark on the continent however. European colonialism has shaped modern-day Africa, a considerable amount for the worse, but also some for the better. Including these positive and negative effects, colonialism has also touched much of Africa’s history and culture especially in recent years.
In America, the rights of women have come a long way from where they were just forty and fifty years ago. Women still have a far path to go for equality and equal respect as men in America, but the success thus far is certainly notable. This success however, is not shared internationally to women of different countries, religions and cultures. Westerners seem to believe that using globalization as a means to bring gender equality to the people of Africa is a suitable plan, even though it is obvious that their values and cultural norms are no-where near similar to ours. Western feminism is not yet a reasonable approach to gender issues facing Africa. There are many examples of women in power in Africa especially in seats of legislature and congress in African countries, so this debate is not argue whether or not African women have made any head-way in improving their rights and the impact of their voices. This debate is to argue simply that our “western ways” are not the “only ways”. Feminism needs to be tailored specifically to the people it effects before it can be an effective proc...