Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
against sexual minorities. In Uganda, a new anti-homosexuality bill
was proposed in parliament in 2009 that increases the penalties for
'homosexual acts' from 14 years in prison to a life sentence.
Neoconservative religious and political leaders often draw on a dis-
course of anti-colonialism to justify their stance; they assert that homo-
sexuality was imported to Africa by colonialism and claim it has been
reinforced through economic exploitation in the post-independence era.
They perceive homosexuality as a threat to African cultural values.
Cross-cultural research with a range of ethnic groups has, however,
challenged such assertions (Jolly, 2000). The Gikuyu ethnic group in
Kenya, for example, practiced 'woman-to-woman marriage' as a means
of enabling children to be brought into households and in order to solve
disputes over the inheritance of land and property following a hus-
band's death (Njambi and O'Brien, 2000). Similarly, many African
languages have specific words to describe gay people, suggesting that
same-sex relationships have a long history in many cultures.
Alongside increasingly repressive discourses surrounding sexuality
in some countries, there has been growing recognition of people's sexual
rights, evidenced in the introduction of progressive legislation on abor-
tion, civil partnerships among same-sex couples, and non-discrimination
on the basis of sexuality. South Africa was the first country in Africa to
legalize same-sex marriage. Globalization and transnational flows of
people, knowledge and ideas are leading to transformations in gender
and sexual relations at both the local and global scale (Corrêa and Jolly,
2008). Digital networks connect people and cultures around the world
(see Chapter 3.4) and rapidly transmit news of violations of sexual
rights through global media technologies. This helps to disseminate
information, raise awareness and facilitate transnational advocacy and
activism to promote and protect people's sexual rights.
A 'sexualities and development lens' not only draws attention to the
rights of sexual minorities, but also seeks to challenge dominant norms
of heterosexuality and patriarchal privilege. The concept of 'heteronor-
mativity' highlights the normative and restrictive nature of construc-
tions of heterosexuality, in which it is assumed that individuals' sexual
identities conform to a social norm of heterosexual love, sex and repro-
duction (Hubbard, 2008). Heteronormativity can, therefore, be defined as
the assumptions, naturalization and enforcement of heterosexuality as
the norm (Corrêa and Jolly, 2008). Heterosexuality is culturally hegem-
onic in many contexts, resulting not only in the marginalization of sexual
minorities, but also in the institutionalization of 'heteronormativity' in
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