Chapter 2: Queering Pan-Africanist Leadership: Confronting Queerphobia and Ableism in African Public Discourse

This chapter scrutinises the overt animosity articulated by various notable African leaders towards Queer communities, illuminating a concerning disjunction between political authority and the entitlements of Queer and people living with disabilities (PWDs) across the continent. The former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, infamously equated individuals identifying as gay and lesbian to animals in a speech that drew widespread condemnation. In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni has articulated provocative assertions and enacted repressive legislation, notably the 2023 Anti-Homosexuality Act, which received affirmation from Uganda’s Constitutional Court in April 2024. The recent legislative action taken by Namibia’s upper chamber in 2024, which prohibits same-sex marriage and imposes penalties on its advocates, has drawn sharp criticism from activists who view it as a fundamental violation of queer rights and an affront to constitutional principles. Ableist statements have also been included in such public discourse. These developments highlight the persistent exclusion of Queer people and PWDs within certain regions of Africa. This chapter presents a rigorous examination of the mechanisms of exclusion at play and posits Queer Pan-Africanism as a revolutionary paradigm, one that interrogates conventional notions of citizenship and belonging, while fostering a broader, more inclusive perspective for the political and social trajectories of Africa.