A Macro-Level Analysis of the Scope, Causes, and Consequences of Homophobia in Africa
Ireland, P.R.
African Studies Review 56(2): 47-66
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-0206 Document Number: 249690
: Although Africa has gained a reputation as one of the world's most homophobic areas, there are cross-national differences in the extent and intensity of antigay laws. This article assesses the factors that have been advanced in the literature - albeit unsystematically and often mostly implicitly- to explain the observed patterns of homophobia: conservative religious beliefs, delayed political and economic development and resistance to globalization, political leadership strategies, and the legacy of colonialism. It argues that a more robust analysis suggests that a British colonial past, a large Muslim population, and the absence of economic freedom and openness explain at least one-third of the variance in sodomy laws. This finding has implications for efforts to fight African homophobia.