Homosexuality is not African? Who says? Because we’re taking a dive down history and pre-colonial times and it’s looking quite queer over there a thread of African Queer History

1. Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep (Egypt) 2400BC
These were two ancient Egyptian royal servants. Palace of King Nyuserre Ini, sixth pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty. They were buried together at Saqqara.

Though it’s been debated, They are notable for their unusual depiction in Egyptian records, often interpreted as the first recorded same-sex couple.

2. Hatshepsut (Egypt) (1507–1458 BC)
Fifth Pahroah of the 18th Dynasty. Archeologists found it strange when they discovered her tomb. It depicted a pharaoh with the striped cobra headdress, false beard and kilt of a king but the inscriptions on the temple walls were feminine.

3. Queen (or King) Nzingha Mbande (Angola)
(1583–1663) Nzingha ruled the kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba in the north of modern day Angola. Nzingha led a four-decade military resistance against Portuguese dominion and is known for intelligence, military tactics, and diplomacy.

Nzingha’s life has several accounts of marriage to female wives and “men who dressed as women”. Transgressing gender binaries, Nzingha only responded “King” and wore both male and female clothing. “Female husbandry” shows how gender identity wasn’t a thing in African cultures.

4. King Mwanga II (Uganda) (1868–1903). Becoming the 31st Kabaka of Buganda (Uganda) at age 16, King Mwanga II openly had relationship with men. Homosexuality was declared a serious offense under the British Empire who tried to convert him from his “hedonistic and satanic” ways.

He aggravated the British who he said were intruders, He fought to free his country of their influence during his reign. For Mwanga, the ultimate humiliation was insolence he received from the (male) pages of his harem when they resisted his sexual advances due to their new faith

It was unheard of for mere pages to reject the wishes of a king. Mwanga was determined to rid his kingdom of the new teaching and its followers. It is believed that at least 30 Catholic and Protestant neophytes went to their deaths.

22 converted Catholics were burnt alive at Namugongo this is the story we know now as the Uganda Martyrs. Mwanga also executed 2 men who “rescued” pages from the king teaching them that sex with him was contrary to Christian beliefs.

5. The Dogon Tribe of Mali In Mali, the Dogon tribe generally maintain that the perfect human being is androgynous; the tribe worships Nommo, ancestral spirits who are described as androgynous, intersex, and mystical creatures, and whom are also referred to as “the Teachers”.

6. The Azande tribe in the historical region of Zandeland located around modern-day South Sudan, Central African Republic, and DRC practiced same-sex sexual relationships that were common in past pre-colonial times. Sexual relations between men were highly approved of

7. Nuer tribe that resisted the arrival of the British in the 19th century located in Nuerland around modern-day South Sudan and Ethiopia, earlier researchers noted same-sex marriage instances of “female husbands” and “woman marriage”

8. In the Lobedu kingdom located in modern-day South Africa the rain queen Modjadji could have as many as 15 wives. It was considered an honor for the queen to choose your daughter as a wife, so families sent their daughters to her for the promise of tribal standing and rank

9. The women soldiers from the former kingdom of Dahomey, who could marry younger women. They were all female warriors and they have inspired various pop culture depictions including the women warriors in “Black Panther”