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Is Homosexuality Socially Learned? What Are We Missing? A Critical Examination of African Perspectives

Homosexuality

Ugandans read daily newspapers on 25 February 2014 with headlines and images of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signing anti-gay legislation in Kampala, Uganda, 24 February 2014. (Photo: EPA / Ronald Kabuubi)

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Zoologists tirelessly investigate animal behaviour, and it’s quite surprising to learn that some animals are homosexuals. I give you the quiz, and if you are cooperative, you can share the names of those aquatic and land animals in the comment box. Did Arabs and Western countries impart homosexual characters to these animals, too? Nature is full of wonders, and it’s exciting to learn about the very nature that we evolved from.

In my searches, I found that during catastrophic periods such as wars, hunger, drought and others of the exact nature, female mates refuse to have sex with their male mates for fear of conceiving. The logic is that during a catastrophe, the only strong will survive, and pregnancy is a weakness that one can not walk or run long enough without food to survive.

The question here is how, then, do they satisfy their sexual desires? Homosexual, however, not all animals expose that character; human beings, lions, giraffes and penguins, among others, have been shown to behave that way.

When Western countries and their allies expanded inclusion from women to the other groups, only six African countries ( South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Lesotho, Seychelles and Mozambique) legally recognised these other groups.

Religious philosophy and traditional customs are pillars of the anti-inclusiveness of women and other social groups. However, most women in the African context have given up their fundamental freedom and rights to men in political and socio-economic spheres. This piece aimed to highlight the civic failure that intensified the outbreak of LGBTQ in Africa and the politics of transition from victims to criminals.

There is no scientific evidence to prove that there are biological or genetic factors or whatever scientists can name that directly resulted in the evolution of the group mentioned. Since the sponsor of the research dictated the scientific findings, it is no wonder that research sponsored by China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran will curse the existence of the groups in their findings as long as Western scientists suppose it is a biological and natural phenomenon.

The diversity of scholarly perspectives makes the matter uneven and confusing; however, the Diversity of research findings solely targets sources and grassroots acceptance of LGBTQ in African mainstream spheres.

Identification of the wrong cause has a potential impact on the solutions recommended; conversely, identifying the deep root causes does not guarantee the effectiveness of the solutions proposed. According to Rosanas and Velilla (2005), “Ethics of Management” highlights simplistic and insufficient solutions proposed to solve fraud scandals.

Also, read World Bank Fund Withdrawal: What Might Happen Next in Uganda? A Financial Puzzle

It has come to my attention that these solutions are cross-cutting and recommended by almost every anti-inclusivity journalist, politician, academic, and bureaucratic personnel.

To believe these solutions could get rid of homosexuals in Africa and Tanzania in particular, they suppose, therefore, more penalties, more monitoring, more independence to authority and more technical competence of the personnel deployed to shut down homosexuals.

There is no way we could ignore that in the African context, and these other groups did exist before colonialism. Instead of blaming Arabs and Western integration with Africa as sources, scholars, researchers and philanthropists should investigate and dig deep to find out how impotent men were treated back then (since anti-inclusionists’ assumption is that African men used to be perfect from their birth to death) to question whether the problem is being homosexual or manifestation of feminine characters to men and/or masculine characters to women.

My stand is, manifestation of these role and characters of one sex by member of opposite sex is neither natural nor biological but social learnt, the very environment that allows children to grow and imitate specific characteristics is the same context that denied him/her to live in that reality.

Problem Identified

Many people believe that homosexuality is Western civilization and culturelessness; Africa and Tanzania, in particular, believe integration with these people is the root cause, and the solution to this is to de-link social, emotional, cultural and physical.

However, can the African government operate without funds from Western countries? Is Chinese aid sufficient enough for Africa to shift its loyalty toward her? Is homosexuality accepted among all Western cultures and people?

Do African youths engage in homosexuality by choice or reward motives? Do unemployment, poverty and life hardship have any role to play in the outbreak of homosexuals? Is education sufficient to end homosexual practices? is homosexuality a problem or a manifested impact of the problem?

Responding to these questions will make this piece long and tedious. Unfortunately, I will not answer those questions. However, the cause is not deep enough to convince me to believe that every Western national is a supporter of homosexuality, and through depart the model, future generations will be safe.

Gender Equality is associated with being the cause of homosexuality; how could men champion equality in roles with women? What interests them in women’s roles? Women, what’s funny about being a plumber, porter or bodaboda? People believe that gender equality is extended to men and women to the extent that men want to be mothers and women to be fathers, bad enough husbands and husbands or wives and wives.

I personally do not hate or disagree with the wind of inclusion under either religion or culture ground, and I suppose that the causes explored are tertiary, if not secondary, causes that are worthy of little or no attention at all. Western culture and gender equality can be directly related causes but are not as important and relevant today as they were three decades ago.

I believe in civic failure as the relevant cause of homosexuality. My identification of the cause is not the impression of my hatred of Inclusiveness or LGBTQ, but a mere contribution to raising attention to factors that are social and ignored. Politicians have no solutions to family failure, divorce, poor parenting, street children, and child abuse by family members, matters that are often sorted out among the families.

The only thing that politicians care about is how to brainwash citizens in exchange for votes and how to get resources, especially during elections; CCM has no solutions to this, maybe through humiliation and aggressive approaches.

Homosexuality is victims and not criminals, and these are people who have been abused, traumatised, victimised or worse, people who have no hope but accept it as part of their dark impulses, people who have no one to trust and tell what they have been through, teachers, fathers, uncles, neighbours, musicians, actors, artists, pastors, priests, sheikh, policeman, lawyers, doctors, who else (everyone, except you, but deep inside you know the truth) are either agents of LGBTQ or agents to facilitate smooth flow of that tradition.

Unfortunately, I have no solutions to propose; I enjoy how people pretend to hate LGBTQ; it’s funny to see how victims turned to be criminals, and it’s amazing to see the next generation protected by people who assault them.

Mungu ibariki Afrika, Mungu ibariki Tanzania. I have a boy who needs to grow and have a purpose, and the purpose is not to be a father and grandfather and die. I cannot protect him from music, film, friends and whoever he wants to associate with; only God can.

I personally believe that homosexuality is not natural, at least in the African context; therefore, it is socially learnt or resulted from social experiences that can be bad or good; however, in the African context, most of the social experiences that recruit people, especially men, are bad experiences (mentioned earlier).

I also believe that anti-inclusiveness laws are a colonial imposition. My position is not whether they are good or bad since colonial constitutions in Africa were not entirely terminated but only redesigned to leave provisions that were politically fit to assume loyalty.

I believe that no government in Africa can dare to end the homosexual situation, not even Uganda, with their ant inclusion paperwork, since not only in Uganda but in the rest of the world inclusion, including Russia and China, homosexuals leveraged themselves in positions of power. They have social influence, and they are the policymakers, educators, law enforcement agents and lawyers. Some of them are priests and sheikhs.

I better quote one of the Lyrics from Sho Madjozi’s song “You Can’t See Me” to describe these people since they have married and had children. They do it to blind the fool, though they live to regret and pretend to be happy. Still, deep inside, they know that they have never enjoyed hetero sex even once.

Homosocial is not homosexual; not every man or woman who enjoys the company of members of the same sex is homosexual. I’m so sorry if this article is disappointing; I must write it this way.

Pius is a Political scientist and pan African, Champion of Cambridge Development Initiative 2017.

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Plas
Plas
4 months ago

You have come to a conclusion and believe that Homosexuality is not natural but socially learnt. Yet, you have stated that homosexuality has been observed in animals. Do you think they have also socially learnt it?

Wish there was more research done to your article by taking views of people that identify as homosexuals.

Speaking from personal experience, as someone who identifies himself as a gay man, I was never abused or traumatized in my childhood. I grew up in a loving household with supportive parents and siblings.

I knew I was different since I was child. Whenever my brother were playing games like football, I was more interested in playing with dolls. Growing up in my teenage years and encountering adult websites on the internet, I was attracted to the male form. The females did nothing for me which was not the case with my friends.

I thought that might just be a phase and I might grow out of it but alas, after 30 plus years that is not what happened.

I even pursued females for relationship and dated a few girls but the attraction was just not there. The relationships were never consummated, despite trying several times. The physical aspects required for intimacy between a male and a female just did not happen. I even consulted doctors and was advised that I might probably have anxiety or dysfunction and was prescribed medicines. None of which worked.

The attraction to the male form never subsided, and I eventually decided to pursue a man from a dating site. Imagine my amazement to find out how fulfilling it was to get intimate with someone that I was actually attracted to.

Having met several gay men, and sharing experiences with them makes me realize that most of them are that way from the time they are born and not all of them are influenced socially.

Sure, there were people I met who were abused and traumatized as a child and felt they grew up wanting same sex affection due to their trauma BUT this was just a few people that I encountered. Majority of the people I have met, interacted with or had relationships with have all grown up in happy families and have never experienced abuse or trauma and have all felt that they were born that way.

Rukky
Rukky
3 months ago

I found it difficult to understand the reason or logic behind your article. You started by saying animals have been found to exhibit and engage in homosexuality but where is the evidence for this because to me this will be the defining feature of weather or not homosexuality is natural or socially learned. It could also be a choice as the other commentators have said. Regardless I think the main issue nowadays is the promotion of homosexuality as an acceptable and something to be celebrated. Individuals have choices about how they live their lives and conduct themselves but as a society we have a responsibility and a duty to protect and safeguard humanity for continuity and to prevent self destruction. Individual needs can not take precedence over humanity and therefore this is about balance. While individuals can continue to peacefully enjoy their lives they have chosen for themselves there definitely should be scrutiny as wether promoting a particular behaviour or lifestyle is for our benefit

Pius
Pius
3 months ago

To Plas
It’s amazing on how you’ve discovered your true self and I’m happy for it. Unfortunately the article intended to provide insight to authority that criminalise victims. I only want justice to homosexual who were victims before accepting that part to be their true selves, gays who live to regret to be related to their accusers, or wish what happened to them to be deleted in their history book.
As you celebrate the support and understanding of your family let’s not forget that majority of African parents and governments are very strict and consider the gay to be abomination and curse but still in their houses they have kids who got no voice to speak or place to seek justice, but justice is waiting for them to grow and identify them as criminal and shame. I’m from Tanzania, and I think context is big deal to considered when you relate this article to your personal life, however six African countries that legalise homosexuality will be fit to insert your story
What a beautiful feedback. I hope you enjoy my readings.

Jos
Jos
3 months ago

If I say I am a serial killer from childhood, I have been feeling and now i kill for fun. Will I be left just to go on killing because I feel am born a serial killer. Will I say it is normal to kill. Same, if am a rapist, will I be right to say am born a rapist, am normal? what if thieves also should say we need to be recognized because we are born with a tendency to steal? will there be some order in the society and in nature!! Is there differences between Instinct, Will and intelligence? Do animals and humans have the same kind of Instinct, Will and Intelligence? Can these faculties be used to make proper judgement on what we need to do in life on earth. sometimes humans have to make sacrifices for the good of humankind. Imagine, am born with AIDS, so should I just go about spreading it because I was born like that? Can each we have self-dialogue just to see the future of our actions…who benefits from social disorder. how can what is different be the same at the same? what kind of logic is that? What is, is and is not at the same time!!! You cannot be man and woman at the same time!!

All have got tendency to act inappropriately but we know is not right and decide not just to act according to our desires. Defiant will not help us.When you take people to the realm of the unknown by appealing to the unknown, that is called minimalism of an issue. Change needs courage and effort. It doesn’t come easy!

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