Economic growth is sweeping through Africa these days with rates of up to 8% in many countries across the continent. This is far in excess of what is being experienced in Europe and signals a rise out of poverty for many people - although political corruption and negative foreign influence are still factors that limit and hamper progress in many regions.
Despite the optimistic economic outlook, there is still a very disturbing undercurrent of both religious and social intolerance at play in many countries. At least 36 out of the 55 countries in Africa still have laws in place which outlaw homosexuality. On the 13th January of this year Africa's largest country by population and second largest by GDP, Nigeria, brought in new laws that pave the way for a further crack down on same sex relationships with jail sentences of up to 14 years for those found 'guilty'. In other parts of the continent, thankfully, things are different with both homosexuality and same sex marriage legal in South Africa.
I am not a fan of Western countries preaching to Africa about what qualifies as social progress. Our record of negative interference on the continent over hundreds of years and the destruction that it wrecked on the indigenous civilisations of many nations does not allow us to take the moral high ground on any subject. I also wonder just how much of the homophobia that exists on the African continent stems more from Western religious influence, primarily Christianity and Islam, than from the traditional tribal beliefs of African people.
Ultimately, it's down to African countries and their people to structure their own societies how they see fit. However, I personally find the laws in countries such as Nigeria that outlaw homosexuality disgusting and practically akin to institutionalised racism. Surely Nigeria has more pressing social problems for Mr. Goodluck Jonathan to tackle?
Free Love!
Link to the status of LGBT rights across Africa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Africa
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