Homophobia and its roots in Colonialism

by Brittney Shakespeare | January 17, 2022

“Man to man, Gyal to Gyal, Dat wrong, Scorn dem!!” These lyrics are just one example of how casually integrated homophobia is in our Jamaican society. As we go about our daily lives this discrimination is displayed in:

1) music

2) media and

3) day-to-day conversations.

But have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “why is Jamaica homophobic?” The simplest answer is Colonialism. Many European nations made anti-gay laws and ensured that their colonies followed them, however, most erased these laws early on, making countries that were colonies less likely to have laws against homosexuality ingrained into their structure. This was not the case for Britain however and is the reason why so many Commonwealth countries still have these laws instilled.  

It has been found in multiple studies that 50% – 80% of the countries in which acts of homosexuality are still criminalized and sodomy/buggery laws are present were once under British rule.  Sodomy is the criminalizing of oral/anal sex (any non-procreative sexual activity) between man and man, man and woman, or man and animal, being more popularly used in cases of anal sex against gay men; Buggery being the British version. Such laws were exported to the ex-colonies when they were colonized by Britain in a mission to spread the ideologies which they believed in such as Christianity which was pushed onto the enslaved Africans who did not practice the religion.   

These homophobic laws from Europe were forced unto the colonies, with many of the (currently) ex-colonies still having these laws in place. This contributes to homophobia still being ingrained into the structure and society of these countries. Jamaica is a perfect example as we still have these laws even though we are no longer under colonial rule. 

An example of laws against homosexual acts that are still in place in Jamaica is the ‘Offenses Against The Person Act’ which was passed in 1861. It includes such Articles like: 

• Article 76 which states “Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery [anal intercourse] committed either with mankind or with any animal, shall be liable to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for a term not exceeding ten years.”
• Article 79 which states “male committing any act of gross indecency with another male” which is a misdemeanor and can get you up to 2 years in jail. 

Not only are these laws harmful as they cause members of the LGBTQ+ community to see themselves negatively, but they also influence the view that our society has on homosexuality. This leads to a stigma around being educated about topics under the LGBTQ+ umbrella, whether that be to learn about different sexualities or protection when engaging in sexual activities. 

The first step to destigmatizing homosexuality is to erase these laws and implement/enforce the protection of these vulnerable groups. Though this will not erase the social stigma,  it would be a step in the right direction to reform and decolonise the view of the LGBTQ+ in Jamaica.

Sexuality Pre-colonialism (African) 

Prior to colonialism, in Africa, there were no killings based on the sexuality or gender of people. Instead, there was a more accepting attitude towards sexuality and gender identity. Many, like Egypt, acknowledged and respected the third gender. Others believe that gender was not dependent on sexual anatomy and didn’t have words specific to certain binary genders, such as the Igbo and Yoruba tribes (now a part of modern Nigeria) who also did not assign gender to the babies at birth. Many also had words specifically for gay men like “gor-digen,” which is from the Wolof Language spoken in Senegal. Also during these times, in African spirituality, it was believed that homosexual acts (anal sex between two men) would give you magical powers to ensure a healthy crop yield, good health, and fend off evil spirits.

This is also reflected in their spirituality as Africans did not consider their main God within the gender binary (neither a he or she). LGBTQ+ Africans were often royalty in these societies and were highly respected and embraced. 

Famous examples of LGBTQ+ representation in Africa before colonization:   

• It was known that Mwanga II, the last monarch of Uganda, was gay and faced no criticism from his subjects while ruling. 
• Basotho women of Lesotho had long term relationships with each other called “Motsoalle”.
• Queen Nzinga Mbande  ruled from 1583-1663 Ndongo and Matamba which is now known as modern day Angola.  She would often dress in men’s clothing and had many husbands who dressed in womens clothing that were known as her wives.  
• Dan Duadu’s were men in the Boris tribe of Nigeria who were encouraged to be effeminate and flamboyant, slept with men and lived with women counterparts until married to a man.  

The Europeans and Their Views on Homosexuality 

Twelfth-century Europe was first when the idea of homosexuality was rejected, especially in churches. This was because Christianity started gaining popularity in Europe so laws were formed based on “biblical teachings”. Many of these laws were also put in place because the idea of ‘purity’ became admirable. In 1533, When the Christian Church (The Church of England) separated from The Roman Catholic Church, such laws were reviewed from a secular standpoint and King Henry VIII still felt it was necessary to keep these laws even making them punishable by death. In 1611 the King James Version of the bible was published by King James I of England. It is this translation of the Bible (KJV) that possesses the first homophobic translations which push the homophobic narrative, despite him being known to be bisexual. When slavery began all colonies were exposed to these ideologies through Christian missionaries who were sent from the mainland.

Homophobia is directly an outcome of Colonialism. The history of our country is rooted in the slavery and mistreatment of our ancestors by the very people who made these laws. These laws were created in 1861 and have not changed, still being a part of our society centuries later. In order for us to move forward as a country and strip ourselves completely of the colonial mindset and recover from the trauma endured, all laws from them need to be erased and replaced with what we as a nation decide.  For a country that presents itself as being proudly liberated, being one of the first to gain independence in the Caribbean (first in the British Caribbean), having such laws still a part of our structure, especially when laws are reviewed and discussed annually, does not reflect the proud and patriotic mindset which we as a country frequently talk about having and are known for.