Did Homosexuality Exist In Africa Before Colonialism & Is It UnAfrican?

Following the recent controversy over the treatment of Homosexuals in Tanzania, the issue has taken centre stage with the argument that Homosexuality is ‘UnAfrican’ and did not exist in Africa before Western Colonialism is consistently made.

This position appears to rest on the understanding that Pre-Colonial Africa did not tolerate Homosexuality, therefore the Gay Rights movement is a manifestation of Western Imperial Culture in Post-Colonial Africa.

In addition, since Homosexuality does not result in procreation, its unnatural, deviant and without precedent in nature.

Lets examine these arguments.

Homosexuality In Africa Before Colonialism

There is evidence of Pre-Colonial Homosexuality in Africa.

For example:

It is believed that Kabaka (King) Mwanga II, who ruled Buganda in the latter half of the 19th century, was gay. Furthermore,Cave paintings of the San people near Guruve in Zimbabwe depicting naked men having same sex intercourse have revealed that same sex sexual relations existed in Bushmen times; The rain queen Modjadji of Balobedu peoples was also believed to be homosexual in her relations as she has ‘many wives’. Among the early Zande warriors found in Congo and Sudan, homosexual relations were also believed to be commonplace. The warriors were said to marry younger men who performed the duties of a wife until they became Warriors. In Gabon and Cameroun male sexual relations were believed to transmit wealth between them.