"We
have been disappointed for a long time by the conduct of the West, the
way you conduct yourselves there, but we just keep quiet. We just see
how you do things and your families and how they are organized. All
these things, we see them and we keep quiet. We never comment because
it's not our country. Maybe you like it. So this is now an attempt of
social imperialism to impose social values of one group on our society.
Then our disappointment is now exacerbated because we are sorry to see
you live the way that you live. But we keep quiet about it. Now you say
"you must also live like us." That's where we say no." --Yoweri Museveni
It is important to understand (even if one does not agree) the common African perspective of Western countries' overt pressure on Africa regarding gay rights. It is even more important to work with Africa starting from their understanding of homosexuality and how they view Western the pressure on them. However, the West has done none of the above effectively. For example President Barack Obama instead of just focusing on getting sodomy laws weakened in Africa, he jumps all the way to gay marriage:
"So my basic view is that regardless of race, regardless of religion, regardless of gender, regardless of sexual orientation, when it comes to how the law treats you, how the state treats you -- the benefits, the rights and the responsibilities under the law -- people should be treated equally. And that’s a principle that I think applies universally, and the good news is it’s an easy principle to remember."
Obama doesn't seem to understand that the world doesn't work like that. In response Senegal leader President Sall, had this to say:
"We don't tell anybody that he will not be recruited because he is gay or he will not access a job because his sexual orientation is different. But we are still not ready to decriminalize homosexuality. I've already said it in the past, in our Cabinet meeting it is Senegal's option, at least for the time being, while we have respect for the rights of homosexuals -- but for the time being, we are still not ready to change the law...But the society has to absolve these issues. It has to take time to digest them, bringing pressure to bear upon them, on such issues. "
Again, the West has to work with Africa on their level, and take baby steps in relation to gay rights; not jump the gun and pressure Africa on gay marriage from the outside. As President Sall said, it takes time to digest the issues.
I. The Failure of the West to Follow Instructions
The African leaders have given Western countries an instruction manual on how to deal with them regarding gay rights, but the West, due to their lack of respect, ignores those suggestions. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had the following to say about how Western countries are perceived by African countries:
"I advise friends from the West not to make this an issue, because the more they make it an issue, the more they will lose because we shall move away and do our own thing. Since Western societies do not appreciate politeness...See this is the problem with the Westerners, they cannot understand politeness. They cannot understand that someone is keeping quiet but is not happy with (them). Because for these people (Westerners) to come and talk and so on and so forth; u (the West) see that these people (Africans) are keeping quiet, they are not answering, they are keeping quiet. You don't check on their history or their culture, you just come with what ever you think is right."
The simple and specific instructions given by President Museveni were to 1) not make this an issue; then he described what would happen if the West kept pressing Uganda 1a) "we will do our own thing"; which in this context meant making anti-homosexual laws more strict. Museveni gave additional instructions 2) be polite. 3) Research the history and culture of countries you wish to speak to.
Kenyan deputy president William Ruto also gave instructions to the West:
"This country, the nation of Kenya, is a God-fearing nation," Ruto said. Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, where 90 percent of people believe homosexuality is wrong, according to the Pew Research Center. "Those who believe in other things, that is their business," Ruto said, referring to Obama's comments in support of gay marriage. "We believe in God.""America has made tremendous contribution to Kenya’s well-being and we are very grateful and as a government, we are ready to receive any help from America that will improve the lives of our people,” Ruto stated. “But for these other things we hear, it is none of our business as it goes against our customs and traditions.”
Ruto's specific and simple instructions were to stay out of Kenya's business as Kenya stays out of the business of the U.S. Ruto emphasized that the vast majority of Kenyans (90%) believe homosexuality is wrong, and Kenyan law reflects that. It doesn't matter if you agree with what he said or if you think he is overreacting. If the West wants Africa to soften its stance on homosexuality, then they need to follow the instructions given by the Africans. The ramifications of being snoody and ignoring this have already played out in Africa. It doesn't matter if long ago in the past Uganda and Africa accepted homosexuality, the fact is that now, in the present, Uganda and Africa no longer accept it, and the West needs to start at that point not jump to talking about gay marriage.
In his article "Outside The Box: How To Deal With Homosexuals: A Look At Africa’s (Emerging) Anti-Gay Laws," Denis Nzioka thoroughly documents the 38 countries in Africa
that have laws against homosexuality and the 10 African countries that have
strengthened existing sexual offense laws. Nzioka's observations demonstrate what happens when Western countries do not follow the instructions of the African leaders.
"Unfortunately, as the world – and by large, the global LGBTI, and to some extent, the sex work community – focused on the ruling, there is a worrying trend in the African continent as countries formulate new laws or amplify existing ones to further criminalize same sex persons.
In five countries around the world, same sex sexual conduct carries the death penalty while across the Commonwealth – with most African countries being members – penalties for homosexuality include jail sentences, flogging or death. According to the Human Dignity Trust (HDT), half a dozen Commonwealth countries specify life imprisonment.
38 African countries criminalize homosexuality . This criminalization stems from imported British laws in place in the late nineteenth century that, at that time, outlawed homosexual acts. Despite a 1967 Sexual Offences Act in England and Wales that repealed its own legislation and until the 1980s before Scotland and Northern Ireland did the same, these laws originally imposed during colonial times remain largely in place in these African, even in a post-independence era.
Of these 38, 10 have taken the extraordinary step of targeting LGBTI persons by strengthening existing sexual offences laws, or formulating ‘moral’ Bills that outlaw all forms non-heterosexual conduct or create anti-homosexuality specific laws."
Again, the issue is not whether u agree or disagree with the African perspective or if Africa accepted homosexuality many centuries ago; the issue is understanding and dealing with African countries on their level of understanding and taking baby steps on the issue of gay rights. Putting too much pressure on Africa to the point that they strengthen their sodomy laws is an ineffective tactic. It doesn't matter if the West doesn't think they are putting too much pressure on Africa regarding the issue; all that matters is the reality of the situation which is that 1) African countries think the West is being overbearing on the issue 2) In response, African countries have tightened their sodomy laws. That is the reality of the situation.
II. Dirty Western Hands in Africa
I am alluding to four issues when I use the phrase: "Dirty Western Hands in Africa." I am bringing up these issues because Westerners don't seem to be aware of how Africa has been mistreated by the West in regards to their views on homosexuality. I am arguing that the West is using its aid (which sadly Africa shouldn't be dependent upon) as leverage and a double-edged sword to strong-arm Africa to do what it wants. Dependence on Western aid creates a a situation of
co-dependence, where African countries get pulled around like a dog on a leash.
The first example is given by Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the African Sun Times, Dr. Chika Onyeani who summarizes how the UN is making efforts to bully the country of Malawi over its laws criminalizing homosexuality by taking Malawi to the UN court and suing it: "Four days ago, in a rare move, the United Nations AIDS task-force announced that it would pursue legal action against Malawi for its laws criminalizing homosexuality. This is regarded as judicial overreach by the world body, and it is assumed to be a bullying tactic by the UN over a country that is unable to fight back, unlike Nigeria and Cameroon that basically are not dependent on aids...The United Nation’s “Free and Equal” campaign is another example of using international muscle to force African countries to comply with what is becoming one of the practices of the most powerful lobbies in the world. Taking the country of Malawi to court is quite an extraordinary measure.
What is certain is that Africa will continue to remain a very hostile continent to the gay community. There is not only the fact that Africa considers homosexual acts unnatural and a bane to African culture, the continent sees it as an example of the West again trying to impose their will on a continent whose member-countries are dependent on handouts from the West, [and even] Malawi has resisted the pressure brought on her. As Africa sees it, there is barbarism in America with capital punishment, execution of convicts, which many African countries have outlawed and which Africa has not tried to foster on America. There should be a quid pro quo here. Africa says leave us alone just as we have left you alone on capital punishment."
"Now the World Bank is delaying a $90 million loan to Uganda's Health Ministry — money intended for a project to strengthen the country's health systems — because it wants to ensure that the development objectives of the project would not be adversely affected by the anti-gay law.The $144 million project focuses on maternal health, newborn care and family planning — public health areas whose grim figures have long attracted the attention of foreign donors.At least 16 Ugandan women die in childbirth daily, a shocking statistic that made the project critical in this East African country that depends on donors for about 20 percent of its budget. Announcing the project in 2010, the World Bank noted that without "significant investments" Uganda was "unlikely to achieve the Millennium Development Goal targets related to reducing child mortality and improving maternal mortality."
In addition, as Irish secretary General David Cooney noted; the cuts will negatively impact the poorest of Ugandans, not the leaders in parliament. Ireland said that it would NOT cut aid to Uganda over its anti-sodomy bill:
"Department of Foreign Affairs secretary general David Cooney said that while Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore had been very clear in condemning recently-passed anti-gay laws, the government believes that cutting aid will only add to the detriment of the Ugandan people...
Cooney said that that Irish overseas aid is in place for Uganda to help “some of the poorest people on the planet” and said it was assisting a society of “transient cattle owners who are making a transition to a more settled society”. He said that Irish Aid is not going to assist the president or the parliament there. “Whatever about the action of the government,” he said. “We do not feel that it would be appropriate to cut off our assistance that is going to directly to these people.”
In his article "Why the U.S. Can't Just Cut Aid to Uganda," Mark Leon Goldberg gives a list of harms (fewer AIDS drugs, health services, less clean water, etc) that would occur as a result of the West and specifically the U.S. cutting aid to Uganda:
"This is a human rights tragedy and a public health disaster in the making. So what can the international community do about it? As many people have pointed out, Uganda is heavily dependent on foreign aid. The USA is its largest contributor, giving over $400 million per year in assistance. But cutting off that aid to protest this law is not really an option. Most of this funding is for economic development, education and health projects. Shutting off the spigot would hurt those who need it the most.
There would be fewer AIDS drugs, fewer mosquito nets, fewer health services and less clean water for vulnerable populations. Further, the Ugandan military — which receives US support — plays a generally constructive role in supporting regional peace and stability. Its contributions to a UN-backed African Union force in Somalia is helping to restore order as Somalia undergoes a truly impressive transition. The Ugandan army also deserves credit for helping to end the incipient civil war in neighboring South Sudan."
The third example of Dirty Western Hands in Africa is the Vulture Funds that U.S. lenders use to put African and third world countries even more in debt and then use that same money to fund LGBT campaigns in the West through the HRC. Scott Long in his paper: HRC and the Vulture Fund: Making Third World Poverty Pay for LGBT Rights; makes the following observations
"Paul Singer runs a vulture fund. He makes his profits from the debt incurred by Third World countries — I won’t use the PC term “developing” countries, because the point of the debt is to prevent them from developing — and from the misery it causes their citizens. Of all the parasites in the global economy, of all the profiteers of poverty, vulture funds may be the worst.
Vulture funds operate by buying up a country’s distressed debt just as the original lenders are about to write it off – usually, as the Guardian describes it, when the country “is in a state of chaos. When the country has stabilised, vulture funds return to demand millions of dollars in interest repayments and fees on the original debt.” In other words, you purchase the right to be a hardassed debt collector, and to harass and impoverish whole populations till you get your cash. Singer, says the BBC, “virtually invented vulture funds.” A University of Pennsylvania expert on emerging-market debt told Bloomberg that Singer’s “actions are amoral,” adding that he puts the squeeze on “without worrying about the potential consequences for the country involved.”
Long continues:
"It’s a sick irony that the money HRC takes to fund its new work in the Third World is made off the backs of Third World suffering. It’s politically disastrous for an LGBT group to operate this way. They’re sending a message to governments in the developing world that the US really does see LGBT people as a privileged class, and is willing to promote their rights while condoning the immiseration of whole populations. But it’s self-defeating also. LGBT people don’t want this kind of “help.” LGBT people are citizens, workers, children, parents too. HRC should know that they are as affected as anybody when a parasite like Singer enforces endless debt service on states, devastates the necessary services that governments provide, litigates countries into permanent submission. What does HRC think it can give the victims, after Singer has stripped their assets and sold off their national resources? Is same-sex marriage supposed to be a consolation? I’m afraid HRC is acting like old honey badger, too. It just don’t care."
The fourth and final example is Western Cultural Imperialism being imposed on Africa through LGBT rights. I've already pointed to this by showing how President Obama has kept calling for gay-marriage (something that is nowhere near African values except for white run South Africa) in Africa. It's one thing to propose that African countries withdraw their laws criminalizing homosexuality, but it is something else to leap-frog all the way over to gay marriage; and for that reason Africa, India, and Russia have all reacted in the extreme to the West.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron expressed is his longings to impose Western Cultural Imperialism through gay marriage by stating:
“I’ve told the Bill team I’m now going to reassign them because, of course, all over the world people would have been watching this piece of legislation and we’ve set something, I think, of an example of how to pass good legislation in good time.
“Many other countries are going to want to copy this. And, as you know, I talk about the global race, about how we’ve got to export more and sell more so I’m going to export the bill team. I think they can be part of this global race and take it around the world.”
The EU has said that it isn't trying to impose gay-marriage on Africa (Nigeria), yet the European Courts of Human Rights is set to impose gay marriage on Italy. How can Africa believe that the West is not trying to impose gay marriage upon it when at the same time Western Courts are trying coerce it upon Italy?
III. Conclusion: Reframing the Issue and Providing Effective Solutions
In his paper “Gay Death Penalty: Uganda’sResponse to Western Cultural Imposition,” Bob Onghetich frames the issue explaining
Western Individualist cultures vs. African Collectivist cultures. Onghetich
emphasizes that unlike Western cultures, African cultures’ sense of morality
for individuals is determined by the family, village, tribe, and the larger
culture:
“In an individualist community the individual gets to decide questions of morality for themselves, and even where it contradicts that of the other people, it is their individual choice. As Dodd, Carley put it, “individualism pervades concepts of personal freedom, in which each person has the right to individually pursue his or her choices.”
In Uganda, an individual’s choices and freedoms are subject to the approval of the family, village, tribe and the larger cultural community. This is in sharp contrast to the countries in the West where individuals are encouraged to pursue personal choices; this is sometimes, regardless of what the family or other group wishes. Individualism is esteemed so much so that an individual’s sexuality is their personal choice. It could be for this reason, that despite national debates, and demonstration against legalizing same sex marriages in United States and France, the community does so with tolerance of its individual member’s sexual orientation.Unlike the West, the traditional extended family, hands down morals and values on sexuality, to its individuals members and expects loyalty in return for protection from the hardships of life. It can be fairly concluded that the collectivist cultural and the individualist cultural dimensions frame, for Uganda and the West respectively, can provide insights into the debate on the Anti-Homosexuality legislation in Uganda, whose very aim seeks to protect the traditional family from threats of homosexuality."
Onghetich concludes his paper providing a solution that the West should stop pressuring Uganda from the outside and let it work these issues out internally:
"National culture is not innate and as such the value system of the society is dynamic, as reflected in changes in attitude over time. The community in Uganda, with globalization, which seeks for cultural fluency among citizens of the globe, will find itself changing attitudes to match up with the rest of the world. This change in societal values however, does not come about by coercion and threats from outside, but a change from within the societal units."
In conclusion, the West needs to stop 1) pressing Africa on the issue of homosexuality and gay marriage 2) stop cutting aid to Uganda and threatening other African countries with aid cuts 3) stop the vulture funds 4) stop pursuing legal action on Malawi before the UN. 5) stop trying to impose gay marriage on Italy which in turn reveals a threat to African countries. What the West should do is let the African countries work out these issues from within and let the issues digest in the culture for awhile as Bob Onghetich and Senegal's leader President Sall have proposed.
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