Presentation of Africa Mix

“I have the passion for liberation and I want to see it come.”
Julie Victor Mukasa, LGBT activist from Uganda.

A photographic proof
In this exhibition you will meet people who do not exist! Both the
authorities and the majority of the population of Uganda and Kenya
deny the existence of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
fellow countrymen.
Or rather – they used to not exist, because homosexuality is
apparently not African. If there are people claiming to be homosexuals,
they are believed to be victims of western influence.
But the invisibles are becoming visibles, starting to stand up to
face the oppression. In East Africa there is a growing movement that
claims equal rights and protection against discrimination.

Jurisdiction
The Penal Codes of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania still include
paragraphs that prohibit homosexuality. These laws were introduced
by the British Empire during the colonial days and are of Victorian
origin. They forbid “carnal knowledge against the order of nature”
with a penalty of 14 years (Kenya) to life imprisonment (Uganda
and Tanzania). Zanzibar (which is part of the United Republic of
Tanzania) introduced a new law in 2004 that specifically prohibited
sexual acts between women. In Uganda the Constitution itself was
amended in 2005 to make sure that marriage is only allowed
between a man and a woman and make it illegal for same sex
couples to marry. Uganda is thus the second country in the world
(after Honduras) to use the Constitution to ban same sex marriages.
People are seldom prosecuted for having broken these laws. Even
so such laws constitute a dangerous threat to sexual minorities.
These laws imply that the authorities do not sanction homophobia.
They represent a signal to the general population that gays and
lesbians can be persecuted, blackmailed or treated like criminals.
Those who defy the authorities’ prohibition and the population’s
prejudice are courageous human beings. Those who have been
photographed for this exhibition are willing to risk something for a
cause they believe in.

Patriarchies and other oppressing structures
Sexuality and sexual issues are still a taboo in East Africa. Even
after years of campaigns against HIV/AIDS, and the women’s
movement’s fight for reproductive right, it is the religious ideas and
orders that dominate the discussion: To prevent HIV-infection they
preach abstinence and abortions are totally unacceptable.
All kinds of sexual activity and all relationships that replace the
traditional heterosexual family are seen as sick, sinful and unnatural,
and are strongly condemned. An important reason for this is that
same sex sexuality undermines the theory of two opposing sexes and
the entire hierarchy built on this theory. To put it simply:
Homosexuality challenges men’s dominant position. Heterosexuality
is an important mean to maintain patriarchy and keep African
women in a subordinate position. That is why the queens and the
tomboys you get to see here are dangerous: They challenge the
hetero-patriarchy.
Different kinds of oppression are linked together. It is a well known
fact that the subordination of women has made them the poorest
group in the world. That is why organizations like Norad focus on
women in their development programs. The South African history
has taught its people a sound understanding of how discriminating
attitudes are connected and influence each other. A South African
judge has said that homophobia “gives rise to a wide variety of other
discriminations, which collectively prevent a fair distribution of
social goods and services.” It is not possible to fight poverty without
fighting the oppression of marginalized groups like lesbians, gays,
bisexuals and the transgendered.

Gay struggle and solidarity
To organize sexual minorities in a society that bans homosexuality
and despises homosexuals is something that requires skills above the
average. No wonder the homosexuals of Eastern Africa still struggle
to organize. But something is happening. In all the three countries
there are up and coming movements that are going to change the
society. And there are courageous and visionary people who are
willing to sacrifice a lot to experience the freedom we in Norway
take for granted.
On June 27th 1974 the gay liberation day was celebrated in Oslo for
the very first time with a rally at Universitetsplassen (The University
Plaza). It was only two years since sexual relations between men
were decriminalized, and both the right to marry and to adopt were
far off goals. But international solidarity was considered a priority in
1974: Det norske forbundet av 1948 (The Norwegian Alliance of
1948, the first gay organization in Norway) held a demonstration in
front of the British Embassy to protest against the criminalization
and persecution of homosexuals in Northern Ireland.
We are still celebrating June 27th, and gay solidarity is still important.
This year Skeiv solidaritet (Queer Solidarity) has started a campaign
together with among others Skeive dager (the Pride organizers),
Skeiv ungdom (Queer Youth), Skeiv verden (Queer World) and LLH
(The National Association for Lesbian and Gay Liberation) to show
solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people of
East Africa. If you want to know more, or join the campaign, check
it out on www.skeivsolidaritet.no
Annika W. Rodriguez