Gay rights and the politics of anti-homosexual legislation in Africa : insights from Uganda and Nigeria

Legislations prohibiting homosexuality (male-male relationships especially) are gaining increasing attention in Africa, especially within the global human rights discourse. Uganda and Nigeria lead the pack in the expression of the homophobia sweeping through Africa and both have passed homosexual criminalization legislations. These national laws prohibit the promotion of homosexual affairs by the countries' citizens. Informed by the law, this paper discusses the anti-homosexual laws in Uganda and Nigeria and examines the domestic and international politics of anti-homosexual legislation in the two countries. The study found that anti-homosexual legislations in the focus countries were informed by the dynamics of national politics, negative societal attitude to the expression of homosexual activities, and increasing religious conservatism.