Is Homosexuality Un-African?
Of 54 countries in Africa, being gay is legal in 19 of them. In 31 countries, being gay is a crime. In 4, it is punishable by the death penalty. Homophobia exists in 54 countries in Africa.
The artwork draws on media stories of the LGBTQIA+ community and their experiences of homophobic and transphobic violence, social rejection and laws regarding homosexuality in African countries. The artwork comments on the suppression of sexual identity in public spaces, where individuals assimilate to heteronormative behaviours to avoid discrimination, violence and social rejection. This assimilation is a fundamental threat to the freedom of identity. The artwork highlights traumas experienced by this community, commenting on the role of popular culture and media in the dissemination of information relating to violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals as well as perpetuating homophobic stereotypes and widening the divide between ‘us’ and ‘them’.
