Africa: pursuing inclusion through spirituality and faith
Adélard is the Coordinator and founder of Gay Christian Africa, a partner of OneBodyOneFaith. He is also a Trustee of OneBodyOneFaith, and lives in Italy.
Names have been changed to product the identities of participants.
Gay Christian Africa (GCA) in Collaboration with two local NGOs in East -Central Africa organized two spiritual retreats under the theme “You are Precious in my Sight”. After almost 5 years, Gay Christian Africa was, for the first time, able to explore the reality and beauty of queer people on the ground. Around 45 people participated coming from different denominations (Christians from different inclusive evangelical churches, Protestants, Catholics and Muslims), Christian leaders, and human rights activists, making the retreats incredibly rich.
Unfortunately, due to security and safety reasons, the visibility of these retreats was limited to only a few LGBTQ+ people. Beyond harsh and criminalizing laws that queer folks fear, they also face rejection from their family, friends and religious communities. Being out is a cost that many are not willing and able to pay, so that they might survive like anyone else. However, inner peace is what everyone is craving, to be able to look in the mirror and see themselves.
Participants had an opportunity to share about the relationship between faith, spirituality, and sexuality in their own lives. It was a special moment that allowed them to notice if their spirituality/faith is an obstacle or an opportunity to live their sexuality or gender identity in a serene and fulfilling way. Although the participants considered themselves to be spiritual, their spirituality or religion, however, was described by many as an obstacle.
Aisha, a Muslim trans woman, shared her experience as a trans person in her mosque. Sadly, she consistently experiences discrimination in her religious community: particularly finding a place to worship, as men and women do not pray together. Sometimes she is not accepted in one or the other prayer rooms (Musalla). Fortunately, although her family is very religious, their understanding and unconditional love is very strong. It gives her the strength to believe in a God who loves her immensely despite the situation she is experiencing in her faith community.
Parents struggle to cherish, love and protect their children as their communities were offering little support. David, a Catholic participant, shared his experience with his partner, who he met in a Catholic movement during their pastoral work. Their relationship was first a shock to his mother, who then decided to read and educate herself, but most importantly how to defend and protect them in the eyes of the family and society (neighbours, religious community, and colleagues). So often parents are left behind because their children came out, whether voluntarily or not. There is no room to ask questions of themselves or with other parents like them.
These retreats revealed that beyond being protagonists of the growth and inclusion of our own churches and religions, LGBTQ persons could become disciples of an interreligious dialogue and peace. “We are from different religions but we are experiencing the same struggle: hatred, rejection and discrimination in our own churches and in society based on religion.” Said Aisha.
Although the online presence of GCA has been beneficial for many queer folks who have reached out to express their appreciation, the online spaces aren’t very safe for everyone. Many confessed their lack of trust and insecurities regarding safety when opening up about their sexuality online or through phone calls because they suspect the conversation to be intercepted or revealed. Others instead cannot afford to follow our social media even though they like our content because they fear to be retrieved by others and therefore be identified or exposed.
Guy, a 24 year old young man, expressed his gratitude to Gay Christian Africa for helping him a few years ago to reconcile his faith and sexuality. He shared this, with a big smile: “I was lost, desperate with an endless sense of guilt. My life didn’t have a meaning anymore because I was sure God doesn't love me and my feelings are sins. You helped me through these hard times though it was virtual and today I feel free, loved, appreciated and deserving”.
The rise of anti-LGBT+ sentiments pushed by Politicians and lawmakers across Africa recently is reported to be backed by far right American evangelicals. In other contexts, officials often use the bible or their religious beliefs to justify their positions against LGBT+ community and calling them “unnatural” and “un-African”. There is no doubt that faith and religion are the instruments fueling discrimination and hostility in Africa.
In a context where human rights struggle to be respected or valued regardless of who you are as a person, spirituality and faith is the only shelter to find dignity and humanity. Knowledge on how to navigate religious and spiritual conversation around “homosexuality” can help both LGBT+ people and their families to start a constructive dialogue at their home.
To pursue inclusion and pave the way for inclusive laws, these retreats helped me to understand that there is a need work to find a way to use the same language that both society and lawmakers can understand – we are often not able to understand one another in our differences. It is also clear that there is no activism without a religious or spiritual approach! Religion and spirituality is a bedrock to many African cultures, often blinding the society to be able to differentiate the two. The attachment to religious belief in many countries in Africa can be interpreted as a survival tactic that people are using to keep hope burning for a better future, which makes our work here that much harder.
