Things were gay as hell in Africa.

-JeCorey Holder
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by JeCorey Holder

These days, queer identities are commonly misconstrued by the “woke” cishetero Black community as a Western contruct that was forced onto their African ancestors. I hear constant claims that LGBTQ people are “not part of African culture” when it was, in fact, white colonization that began queer demonization. Modern Black cis heterosexuals are determined to continue this cycle.

The Gag is… various types of queer identities have been reported in a number of African societies. Ugandan languages had several different words for “homosexual” alone.

RELATED: It’s past time to quell the remnants of queerphobia begat by colonialism in Africa

And since homophobic people love Khemetic Egyptian imagery so goddamn much, let me let you know that Talmudic literature describes ancient Egyptians as living “liberal sexual lifestyles” that included women practicing polyandry and bisexuality.

In the preserved myth of Egyptian deities Horus and Seth, Seth tries to seduce Horus in his sleep. In the story, a specific act of sexual violence is villified, not the same-sex relations. In fact, the story goes on to depict graphic uses of how Horus got back at Seth using his own semen.

Now, let’s head on South to The Maale of Southern Ethiopia, who have records of “a small minority [of men] crossing over to feminine roles. Called ashtime, (they) dressed like women, performed female tasks, cared for their own houses, and apparently had sexual relations with men.”

RELATED: Africa must decolonise the violent patriarchy solidified by white colonialism

There was a religious leadership role called ‘mugawe’ among the Meru people of Kenya. They wore clothes typically made for women and rocked feminine hairstyles. Mugawe are frequently homosexual, and sometimes are married to a man. Homoerotic bachelors were reported to have lived among the pastoralist Nandi and Maragoli.

Things were gay as hell in Africa until The European Christian missionaries came in and dropped the first anti-sodomy laws in the 19th century. Religious dogma spiraled all the way out of control from there.

Woke Black people who are “decolonizing their minds” claim to be experts on what ancient Africans were like, but their rampant queerphobia is a direct result of the very colonization they claim to be divesting from.

Recommended Readings:

If you say being gay is not African, you don’t know your histor

Kenya’s Supreme Court Upholds a Colonial-Era Anti-LGBTQ Law

Gamer, geek, and social activist. JeCorey Holder has been weaving tapestries of shade and fury since the early 2000’s. Pro-LGBTQ, pro-black, and pro intersectional feminism, he is full of feelings and opinions that try to call out and tear down the oppressive status quo