Conversion Therapy in Africa: An Assault on Human Rights and Ethical Healthcare
Posted: 18 July, 2024 Filed under: Jarred H Martin, Pierre Brouard | Tags: Africa, anti-LGBTQ legislation, anti-LGBTQ sentiments, aversion techniques, cisgender, consensual same-sex sexual relationships, conversion practices, discrimination, electrical shocks to the genitals, gender identity, healthcare, healthcare settings, heterosexuality, human rights, lgbtq, medical interventions, psychological counselling, queer, religious beliefs, same-sex sexual imagery, sexual orientation, sexuality education, Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act Leave a comment |
Author: Dr Jarred H. Martin (PhD Psychology), Department of Psychology, University of Pretoria |
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Author: Pierre Brouard (MA Clinical Psychology), Centre for Sexualities, AIDS & Gender, University of Pretoria |
Introduction
The recent publication of Outright International’s report, Health Ethics and the Eradication of Conversion Practices in Africa, draws needed attention to the prevalence of conversion practices in Africa, particularly within the context of healthcare settings. As psychologists, we write about conversion therapy as a subset of conversion practices (including those conducted by faith and cultural practitioners, often at the behest of family) aimed at changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. Conversion therapy can include psychological counselling, medical interventions, and aversion techniques, such as electrical shocks to the genitals during exposure to same-sex sexual imagery.
It’s not just you and me, and that’s okay
Posted: 20 May, 2024 Filed under: David Ikpo, Victoria Amaechi | Tags: African continent, Beverley Ditsie, Coming out, Coming out vs Coming home, fight against discrimination, gay, gender expression, heteronormative standards, homonormative, homophobia, Justice Edwin Cameron, lgbtq, Mark Gevisser, multi-institutional relationships, political incorrectness, queer, queer inclusivity, queer persons, queer rights, queer visibility, Sassoi of Ghana, sexuality, Simon Nkoli, The Pink Line, Zachie Achmat 1 Comment |
Author: Victoria Amaechi Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria |
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Author: David Ikpo Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria |
Queer visibility, and what it accomplishes, turns the social, cultural and legal wheels towards queer inclusivity in society, and is a great complement to the advancement of queer rights on the African continent and globally.
On the African continent, South Africa sets the tone for the merits of queer visibility, through the openly politicised lives of queer icons such as Simon Nkoli, Beverley Ditsie, Justice Edwin Cameron and Zachie Achmat. Other African queer icons have also emerged through their great work, such as Caine Youngman of Botswana; David Kato, Kasha Jaqueline, Richard Lusimbo and Frank Mugisha of Uganda; Abdellah Taia of Morocco; Rev Jide Macaulay and Uyai Ikpe-Etim of Nigeria; Alex Donkor of Ghana and Eric Lembembe of Cameroon. This list does no justice to the infinite number of queer persons within and outside of civil society and government, in the full glare of public visibility, who work tirelessly for queer inclusion on the African continent. This work is no mean feat, and for the most part makes the difference between whether or not a person returns at night to their families after a day’s work, or whether or not there is a family to return to. However, this is not true for all of us.
AfricLaw 