Was Queerness Always Taboo in Precolonial Africa?
“Homosexuality is not African.”
— a modern slogan that collapses a complex history into one sentenceYou’ve probably heard it before. It’s often said with confidence, sometimes with pride, sometimes with anger, sometimes as if the debate is already settled. But history is rarely that simple.
If we are going to ask a serious question — was queerness always taboo in precolonial Africa? — then we deserve a serious answer. Not slogans. Not politics. Not fear.
This article draws on peer-reviewed historical and anthropological research, including work by African historians and international scholars who have studied sexuality, kinship, and colonial law across the continent. It aims for historical honesty — not cultural shaming, and not romanticizing.
And the careful answer is this: No, queerness was not “always” taboo everywhere in precolonial Africa. But it also wasn’t universally accepted everywhere either. The real story is more complex — and far more interesting.
First, let’s define the question
When people ask whether queerness was taboo, they usually mean:
- Did same-sex relationships exist?
- Were they accepted or punished?
- Were they hidden?
- Were they considered normal?
And when we say “precolonial Africa,” we’re talking about African societies before European colonial rule reshaped legal and political systems across much of the continent.
Modern labels like gay, lesbian, or queer didn’t exist in the same way centuries ago. Many societies described behavior, roles, or social status differently. That’s why historians focus less on identity labels and more on documented practices and institutions.
Myth #1: “It never existed in Africa”
This claim does not hold up under research.
Anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard documented male–male relationships among the Azande in Central Africa in the early 20th century, describing socially recognized arrangements involving younger male partners in certain historical contexts, including military settings.
Scholars in African history and anthropology — including researchers such as E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Marc Epprecht, and Thabo Msibi — have documented or analyzed evidence of same-sex practices and gender diversity across different regions of the continent.
It does not mean every society embraced it. It does not mean it was widespread everywhere. But it does mean the statement “it never existed” is historically inaccurate.
Myth #2: “Precolonial Africa was completely accepting”
This is also an oversimplification.
African societies, like all societies, had moral codes. Many placed strong emphasis on lineage, reproduction, inheritance, and clearly defined social roles.
Acceptance often depended on:
- Age group
- Social class
- Spiritual role
- Marriage status
- Local custom
In some places, same-sex intimacy may have been tolerated in specific contexts. In others, it may have been discouraged or treated as private. Africa has always contained thousands of cultures and political systems. There was no single continental rulebook.
Woman-to-woman marriage: a complicated but important example
One of the most frequently discussed institutions in scholarship is woman-to-woman marriage, sometimes described as “female husband” systems. Researchers have documented versions of this practice in more than 30 African societies.
In some communities, a woman could pay bridewealth and take on the social role of “husband” in marrying another woman. These arrangements were often connected to inheritance, family continuity, and social structure.
Nuance
These marriages were not always about sexual orientation in the modern sense. Many were primarily about lineage and property.
What they prove
African societies could organize gender and marriage in ways that don’t fit rigid assumptions — complicating strict binary narratives.
At the very least, these systems complicate the idea that African cultures were uniformly fixed in a strict male/female binary framework.
The colonial law factor
One of the strongest historical shifts came through law.
Many anti-sodomy laws still in place in African countries today trace back to British colonial penal codes — especially versions of Section 377 (exported across the empire from the Indian Penal Code).
Human Rights Watch’s report This Alien Legacy documents how British authorities spread criminal bans on same-sex intimacy across colonial territories.
This does not mean colonialism invented every form of stigma. But it did standardize and formalize criminalization through state power in ways that were not previously uniform. Law shapes culture over time — and colonial law had long-term consequences.
Where the “un-African” narrative comes from
Modern claims that homosexuality is “un-African” are often tied to contemporary debates about:
- National identity
- Religion
- Postcolonial sovereignty
- Resistance to Western influence
Scholars like Thabo Msibi and historian Marc Epprecht argue that the idea of a completely heterosexual Africa was reinforced through both colonial narratives and modern political rhetoric.
In other words, the slogan is modern — even when it appeals to tradition.
So what’s the honest conclusion?
Was queerness always taboo in precolonial Africa? No.
Was it universally accepted everywhere? Also no.
Precolonial African societies had varied, context-specific norms regarding sexuality and gender. Some same-sex practices were recognized within certain systems. Some were discouraged. Some were private. Some were reshaped or criminalized under colonial rule. History does not deal in absolutes.
Why this matters
This conversation is not about attacking culture. It’s about respecting history enough to tell it honestly.
Africa’s past is not fragile. It does not need to be simplified in order to be defended. The historical record shows diversity, variation, and change over time. That reality does not weaken African cultures — it reveals their depth.
If we are serious about honoring African history, we must allow it to be as complex as it truly is. And complexity is not a threat. It’s truth.
Untold Queer Africa • Archive Essay
A careful, research-based look at African history, sexuality, and how colonial law reshaped cultural narratives.
Answer
No — queerness was not “always” taboo everywhere in precolonial Africa.
Also true
It wasn’t universally accepted everywhere either. Context mattered: culture, class, lineage, role.
- E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Sexual Inversion among the Azande
- Marc Epprecht, Hungochani: The History of a Dissident Sexuality in Southern Africa
- Thabo Msibi, “On (Homo) Sexuality in Africa”
- Human Rights Watch, This Alien Legacy
- Oxford Research Encyclopedia of African History, “Woman-to-Woman Marriage in West Africa”
Tip: If you want, I can also format these into proper citation style (APA/Chicago) and create a “Sources” section that looks like a mini bibliography page.