Homosexuality in society

Today's society faces a lot of challenges in addressing, adhering to and adapting to changes in cultural and social norms. What people refer to as normal human behavior in one society can normally be seen as taboo in another. One of the most controversial issues facing society nowadays is the subject of homosexuality. This essay discusses how different societies in Africa have addressed the issue of homosexuality.

Homosexuality, which refers to members of the same sex being sexually attracted to one another, has been an issue of debate in most African societies. A lot of conflict has arisen between the cultural believes of most African societies on this issue. Homosexuality is denied in most African countries despite evidence of its existence in certain traditional practices for centuries. It is evident in most African countries that homosexual relationships are ruled out as illegal under law. For instance, the country Malawi has for the past two decades held homosexuality as an offense punishable by imprisonment.

There are, however, certain societies that have embraced the existence of homosexuality. For instance, the Republic of South Africa is one of the African countries that have repealed laws against homosexuality. Despite this fact, negativity has persisted among some members of the population. For instance, in 2012 the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa lobbied for the removal of gay rights from South Africa's constitution. This, to an extent, shows that despite some African governments embracing homosexuality, negativity still persist mainly due to traditional and religious beliefs.

To conclude, African society have gone a long way is addressing the issue of homosexuality. Some have taken steps to embrace homosexuality. However, mainly due to conservative traditional and religious beliefs, integration of homosexuals in society is often met with resistance from the masses. It can therefore be said that societal conservative tendencies have in man African countries led to the sidelining and intolerance to homosexuality.