[Trigger Warning: Mention of sexual violence.]
As I’m sure we’re all aware of, the pressure to conform to African societies’ view of what is deemed, “acceptable,” has been the driving force behind why many of us continue to either stay in the closet, or hide ourselves from our communities. However, in the fight to not only revolutionize and destigmatize queerness, we must step away from the idea of that queerness is something to be hidden. Now, what that entails can vary depending on your ethnic group, and or traditional and religious beliefs.
To speak from the perspective of an African Muslim, my struggle lies within not only battling the stigma of queerness in African societies, but battling the stigma of queerness in Islam as well. Point being, the homophobic rhetoric that’s pushed forth has resulted in the persecution and exile of those like me. As a Muslim, I was raised with the notion that queerness equated to degradation. I remember then dedicating hours, even days of research toward finding specific ideals and beliefs within Islam that specifically delegated queerness as such. What I found left me with conflicting ideas.
Mainly, with the Qur'an. When it came to finding passages in the Qur'an that specifically mentioned homosexuality I found there to be none. Instead, what I found were passages that alluded to "homosexual acts". Case in point, "Surat IV: 19-21 19. But whoso rebels against God and His Apostle, and transgresses His bounds, He will make him enter into fire, and dwell therein for aye; and for him is shameful woe. 20. Against those of your women who commit adultery, call witnesses four in number from among yourselves; and if these bear witness, then keep the women in houses until death release them, or God shall make for them a way. 21. And if two (men) of you commit it, then hurt them both; but if they turn again and amend, leave them alone, verily, God is easily turned, compassionate." And again, " Surat VII: 78-84 [On Lot at Sodom] 78. Then the earthquake took them, and in the morning they lay prone in their dwellings; 79. and he turned away from them and said, 'O my people! I did preach to you the message of my Lord, and I gave you good advice; but ye love not sincere advisers. '80. And Lot, when he said to his people, 'Do ye approach an abomination which no one in all the world ever anticipated you in? Hey 81. verily, ye approach men with lust rather than women- nay, ye are a people who exceed. '82.But his people's answer only was to say, 'Turn them out of your village, verily, they are a people who pretend to purity. '83. But we saved him and his people, except his wife, who was of those who lingered; 84. and we rained down upon them a rain;- see then how was the end of the sinners!"
Both passages make note of the fates of those of Sodom and Gomorrah, where men were raped and thus, “partaking in homosexual acts." And while this has lent itself the role of delegating why queerness is in in fact stigmatized, I, and many others, don't see it that way.
These sort of passages have long been used as the basis for the condemnation of queerness in Islam. Yet, it's clear these passages in and of themselves do not outright condemn queerness. They instead condemn acts of violence toward other persons that are mainly sexually violent in nature, regardless of gender. This left me to believe that the issue wasn't Islam, but its interpretation.
But where would that leave queer African Muslims? Whose doubled beliefs both seemingly condemned queerness? Where would that leave Islam as we know it today? Can the skewed interpretations of otherwise welcoming faiths be redirected? Admittedly, there are a myriad of answers to these questions, none of which can be answered in one sitting. In total, I've said that to say this: It is time to reclaim what is rightfully ours.
It is high time queer Africans with a strong sense of faith not only be at peace with their faiths, but themselves as well. Whether that means distancing themselves from faith-based practices, or turning to a life of piety. Regardless, our strength lies within the ability to make that choice out of will, not force. Furthermore, our abilities to lead fulfilling lives relies on embracing all aspects and facets of our being that we feel make us whole. That includes faith.
So to my fellow queer believers, I challenge us to work to dispel the notion that our existences are "sins"; that we have no place in religion. I challenge us to not only dispel that notion, but fight for our seats at the table.
Let us take control of our fate and faith.
Ramadan Mubbarak.
"Many hands make light work." - Tanzanian Proverb