LGBTQ+ and African Ethics
Between Tradition and Human Rights
Keywords:
African ethics, cultural identity, LGBTQ , human rights, African philosophyAbstract
The discourse on LGBTQ+ identities and rights has gained increasing prominence across the globe, including in African societies, necessitating philosophical reflection. While human rights frameworks advocate for inclusivity and acceptance, traditional African ethics largely view sexuality through the lens of communal values and natural order. This tension raises critical questions about African cultural identity, morality, and the evolving influence of globalisation. Employing the methods of analysis and phenomenology, this paper argues that the LGBTQ+ movement, though presented as a universal human rights struggle, is largely shaped by Western ideologies that may not align with African ethical thought. Furthermore, it contends that if left unchecked, the growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities could significantly erode Africa’s traditional moral values on sexuality, already weakened by modernity and digital influence. The paper concludes that while human dignity is universal, an African philosophical anthropology rooted in communal ethics and moral education can provide a framework for addressing this complex issue in a manner that preserves African identity and values.
Downloads
References
The Nasara Journal of Humanities, 12(2), 232–239.
Asante, M. K., & Mazama, A. (Eds.). (2009). Encyclopedia of African religion. SAGE
Publications.
Azenabor, G. E. (2010). Modern theories in African philosophy. Byolah.
Bujo, B. (2009). Foundations of an African ethic: Beyond the universal claims of Western
morality. Crossroad Publishing.
Chepkwony, A. K. (2021). Interrogating issues of sexuality in Africa: An African Christian
response. East African Journal of Traditions, Culture and Religion, 4(1), 17–31.
Chitando, E., & van Klinken, A. (2016). Christianity and controversies over homosexuality in
contemporary Africa. Routledge.
Cobbah, J. A. M. (1987). African values and the human rights debate: An African perspective.
Human Rights Quarterly, 9(3), 309–331.
Dankwa, S. O. (2021). Knowing women: Same-sex intimacy, gender, and identity in
postcolonial Ghana. Cambridge University Press.
Donnelly, J. (2013). Universal human rights in theory and practice (3rd ed.). Cornell
University Press.
Dzobo, N. K. (1992). Values in a changing society: Man, ancestors and God. In K. Wiredu &
K. Gyekye (Eds.), Person and community: Ghanaian philosophical studies I (pp. 223
242). Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.
Ekeh, P. P. (1990). Social anthropology and two contrasting uses of tribalism in Africa.
Comparative Studies in Society and History, 32(4), 660–700.
Epprecht, M. (2008). Heterosexual Africa? The history of an idea from the age of exploration
to the age of AIDS. Ohio University Press.
Epprecht, M. (2013). Sexuality and social justice in Africa: Rethinking homophobia and
forging resistance. Zed Books.
Gloppen, S., & Ravlo, H. (2021). LGBTQ rights in Africa: Struggle, resistance, and social
change. Routledge.
Gyekye, K. (1997). Tradition and modernity: Philosophical reflections on the African
experience. Oxford University Press.
Magesa, L. (1997). African religion: The moral traditions of abundant life. Paulines
Publications Africa.
Mbiti, J. S. (1969). African religions and philosophy. Heinemann.
Menkiti, I. A. (1984). Person and community in African traditional thought. In R. A. Wright
(Ed.), African philosophy: An introduction (pp. 171–181). University Press of America.
Murray, S. O., & Roscoe, W. (Eds.). (1998). Boy-wives and female husbands: Studies in African
homosexualities. St. Martin's Press.
Mutua, M. (2002). Human rights: A political and cultural critique. University of Pennsylvania
Press.
Nyeck, S. N. (2020). Queer African studies: An introduction. Agenda, 34(1), 1–6.
Nyeck, S. N. (Ed.). (2021). Routledge handbook of queer African studies. Routledge.
Nzegwu, N. (2006). Family matters: Feminist concepts in African philosophy of culture. State
University of New York Press.
Oyeshile, O. A. (2006). The individual-community relationship as an issue in social an
political philosophy. In O. Oladipo (Ed.), Core issues in African philosophy (pp. 102–119).
Hope Publications.
Oyewumi, O. (1997). The invention of women: Making an African sense of Western gender
discourses. University of Minnesota Press.
Tamale, S. (2014). Exploring the contours of African sexualities: Religion, law, and power.
African Human Rights Law Journal, 14(1), 150–177.
Tamale, S. (2020). Decolonization and Afro-feminism. Daraja Press.
Tutu, D. (1999). No future without forgiveness. Doubleday.
van Klinken, A. (2018). Transforming masculinities in African Christianity: Gender
controversies in times of AIDS. Routledge.
Wiredu, K. (1992). Moral foundations of an African culture. In K. Wiredu & K. Gyekye (Eds.),
Person and community: Ghanaian philosophical studies I (pp. 193–206). Council for
Research in Values and Philosophy.
Wiredu, K. (1996). Cultural universals and particulars: An African perspective. Indiana
University Press.
Wiredu, K. (2004). A companion to African philosophy. Blackwell Publishing.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Advances in Law, Pedagogy, and Multidisciplinary Humanities
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
