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Theological Dialogue Towards Ethical Restoration in a Homophobia-Riddled Society

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Theological Dialogue Towards Ethical Restoration in a Homophobia-Riddled Society HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 8 Original Research Theological dialogue towards ethical restoration in a homophobia-riddled society Author: Homosexuality and homophobia in South Africa exist side by side. Homophobia is very common 1 Kelebogile T. Resane in communities and churches. Biblical texts, traditional cultures and politics partner to dismiss, Affiliation: discredit or disqualify homosexuality, but historians and anthropologists have evidence that 1Department of Historical & homosexuality has been around within African cultures for many ages. Christians are divided Constructive Theology, Faculty into two camps. There are those who openly oppose gay rights with citations from biblical texts, of Theology and Religion, claiming that homosexuality is forbidden by God. Others claim that this is poor biblical scholarship University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa and a cultural bias read into the Bible. To these, the Bible says nothing about homosexuality as an innate dimension of personality; as a sexual orientation, it was not understood in biblical times. Corresponding author: Despite a progressive constitution and affirming legislation, sexual and gender minorities Kelebogile Resane, experience discrimination in South Africa. The church expresses homophobic tendencies by [email protected] excluding homosexual people from the sacraments, liturgy and ordination. Theology is invited to Dates: embark on a journey of dialogue with communities and homosexual people in order for it to be Received: 08 Apr. 2020 meaningful and relevant and contribute towards social, political and economic empowerment. Accepted: 23 June 2020 Through dialogue with the homophobic community, theology can journey out of the continuous Published: 24 Aug. 2020 hermeneutic circle spanning biblical text, dogmatic traditions and the present, ever-changing How to cite this article: historical context. This journey is taken, applying the ethics of faith, hope and love. Resane, K.T., 2020, ‘Theological dialogue Contribution: The article invites further research on theological grounds for exclusion of towards ethical restoration same-sex orientation people from ecclesial rights such as ordinances, liturgy, confessions and in a homophobia-riddled ordination. society’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies Keywords: homosexuality; homophobia; dialogue; same-sex orientation; church; theology. 76(4), a6030. https://doi.org/ 10.4102/hts.v76i4.6030 Copyright: Introduction © 2020. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work The intention of this article is to give neither the theological nor psychological reality of is licensed under the homosexuality, nor to argue for or against it. There is abundant literature on this subject. Creative Commons The argument here is that, whether theologically correct or incorrect, there is an elephant in Attribution License. the room. Homosexuality is vogue la galère ! – a real inevitability. The concern here is homophobia. The community – religious or civil – is encouraged to create a space for dialogue in order to learn and understand the matter at hand, especially in the church. Instead of ascending the bema to judge people of same-sex orientation, and exclude them from ecclesiastical processes, there should be some ethics of acceptance, love, embrace and inclusion. These are summarised in three New Testament words: faith, hope and love. The attitudes and assessments of any ethical query should be governed through these three ontologies. Africa and homosexuality Generally, a homosexual person is anyone, male or female, who engages in sexual relations with members of the same sex or who desires to do so. It is an affectional attraction to, or active sexual relation with, a person of the same sex. Homophobia is a dislike of or prejudice against homosexual people. It is antipathy and hatred by heterosexual people towards non-heterosexual people. There is a general belief that African people are deeply homophobic and unaccepting of gender diversities. African homophobia has been attributed to European colonisation in the literature, in both theological and secular studies. This is contrary to literature that shows that homosexuality and same-sex relations can be proved historically among current and various Southern African tribes. There is an indication that in the 18th century, the Khoikhoi people had some linguistic characters such as koetsire as a reference to a man who is sexually receptive to Read online: 1 Scan this QR another man. There is also soregus, referring to same-sex masturbation practised among friends. code with your Amara Das Wilhelm (2004:230) makes reference to AmaZulu (inkotshane), Basotho (boukonchana), smart phone or mobile device Mampondo (tinkonkana) and Xitsonga (nkhonsthana) terms that refer to ‘boy-wives’, who typically to read online. 1.https://historycollection.co/these-time-periods-in-history-surprisingly-accepted-and-celebrated-homosexuality/14/ (viewed 29 March 2020). http://www.hts.org.za Open Access Page 2 of 8 Original Research dressed as women, sometimes wearing fake breasts. They There is also a clause in the Civil Union Act that allows performed chores associated with women, such as cooking civil servants to refuse to solemnise civil unions if they and fetching water and firewood. They engaged in intercrural object to same-sex relationships on the grounds of their sex with their older husbands, called numa in isiZulu and ‘conscience, religion or belief’. In a country that is religious, Sesotho and nima in isiMpondo and Xitsonga. These boys this presents a very real obstacle for same-sex couples who were not allowed to grow beards and not even allowed to want to marry. This is quantified by the fact that LGBTQ+ ejaculate. After reaching manhood, they were released and South Africans, particularly in rural and township areas, given some freedom to take their own inkotshane by choice continue to face challenges, including homophobic violence, (Murray & Roscoe 2019). particularly corrective rape. Bernadine (2014) agrees with Epprecht (2003:3) that these For the first time, there is scientifically valid, nationally relationships were also known as ‘mine marriages’, as they representative data to inform social dialogue and advocacy, were commonly practised by miners until the 1950s. They public policies and academic debate. Progressive Prudes,3 are commonly discussed as homosexual relationships, one of the first surveys conducted on the ‘attitudes towards though sometimes the boy-wives are discussed in the context homosexuality and gender non-conformity in South Africa’, of transgender experiences (Bolich 2007:250; Zabus & Coad noted that: 2013:163). • 51% believe that gay people should have the same human rights The Batswana and the amaNdebele are also documented as • 72% feel that same-sex activity is morally wrong having a tradition of acceptance or indifference towards (amazingly!) homosexual acts. At a day-long meeting for 25 local chiefs • 55% (half of the population) say they will ‘accept’ a gay (dikgosi), hosted by the anti-acquired immune deficiency family member syndrome (AIDS) human rights organisation BONELA • 27% report having a friend or family member whom they (the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV/AIDS), know is homosexual gay men and chiefs shared their understandings and • 44 of the queer community reportedly experience experiences. The chiefs said that homosexuality has always % been part of local society, as is clear from the existence of a verbal and physical and/or sexual discrimination in word for it – matanyola – in the local Setswana language, their everyday lives because of their sexual orientation, which is spoken by about 4.5 million people in Botswana and and sensitive issues are often remarkably under-reported. South Africa.2 Despite a progressive constitution and affirming legislation, It is also noted that the amaNdebele and the amaZulu sexual and gender minorities experience discrimination warriors would have intercrural sex. Effeminate men in in South Africa. This reflects the ongoing impact of Ndebele society would often become healers and spiritual heteronormativity, ‘culture’ arguments and violence in leaders (Mabvurira et al. 2012:219). In these societies, suppressing non-normative sexual and gender identities. homosexuality was not viewed as the antithesis of Christians do not intentionally choose to be homophobic; heterosexuality. There was widespread liberty to move misinformation and lack of information regarding between the two and engage in sexual activity with both men homosexuality are the main contributors to this ignorance. and women (Long, Brown & Cooper 2003). Homosexuality was criminalised under colonial law as unnatural, and Homophobia is a weapon for sexism, and it is understood homosexual acts were deemed crimes against nature (Kuloba through the lens of heterosexism. It is through gender roles 2016:25). that assumptions about what men and women should and should not do are made (Msibi 2012:525). Homophobia and sexism are direct manifestations of patriarchy. In conservative South Africa and homosexuality South African contexts, it is still seen as wrong for women to On 30 November 2006, a significant shift was marked in the wear pants, as these garments are ‘meant for men’. This South African constitutional history. On that day, South practice is mostly upheld in conservative churches and Africa became one of the few countries in the world to cultural celebrations.
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