TY - JOUR
T1 - Religious leaders as agents of LGBTIQ inclusion in East Africa
AU - van Klinken, Adriaan
AU - Bompani, Barbara
AU - Parsitau, Damaris
N1 - Funding Information:
Adriaan van Klinken ( [email protected] ) School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK and Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa; Barbara Bompani ( [email protected] ) School of Social and Political Science, Centre for African Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK and African Centre for Migration & Society, the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and Damaris Parsitau ( [email protected] ) British Institute in Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya and Professor Extraordinary at University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa and at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. This briefing is an output of the project ‘Sexuality and Religion Network in East Africa’ (SERENE), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK, under the Global Challenges Research Fund scheme (Grant Ref.: AH/T008490/1).
PY - 2023/5/2
Y1 - 2023/5/2
N2 - Religious leaders are often associated with the politics of homo- and transphobia in Africa and other parts of the world. However, the picture is more complex than that and more nuanced analyses are required. This briefing article draws attention to the emergence of efforts to engage with and understand African religious leaders also as agents of LGBTIQ inclusion, specifically in East Africa. We highlight several initiatives in this field, identify key actors involved, and outline approaches and strategies that have been developed in Kenya and Uganda. We discuss this recent shift with reference to broader debates regarding religious leaders as agents of progressive social change, and to the development strategies in which such efforts are embedded. Overall, this briefing article will showcase creative and dynamic strategies, tactics, and networks that start to challenge dominant narratives around religion and sexuality in East Africa.
AB - Religious leaders are often associated with the politics of homo- and transphobia in Africa and other parts of the world. However, the picture is more complex than that and more nuanced analyses are required. This briefing article draws attention to the emergence of efforts to engage with and understand African religious leaders also as agents of LGBTIQ inclusion, specifically in East Africa. We highlight several initiatives in this field, identify key actors involved, and outline approaches and strategies that have been developed in Kenya and Uganda. We discuss this recent shift with reference to broader debates regarding religious leaders as agents of progressive social change, and to the development strategies in which such efforts are embedded. Overall, this briefing article will showcase creative and dynamic strategies, tactics, and networks that start to challenge dominant narratives around religion and sexuality in East Africa.
KW - religious leaders
KW - LGBTIQ
KW - religion
KW - sexuality
KW - gender
KW - East Africa
KW - Kenya
KW - Uganda
UR - https://academic.oup.com/afraf
U2 - 10.1093/afraf/adad012
DO - 10.1093/afraf/adad012
M3 - Article
SN - 0001-9909
VL - 122
SP - 299
EP - 312
JO - African Affairs
JF - African Affairs
IS - 487
M1 - adad012
ER -