Topic: HIV research among men who have sex with men in RSA has been ‘largely

invisible’ critically discuss whether homosexuality within an African context is obliging us to

think HIV/AIDS as a disease introduced by homosexuals.

Homosexuality firstly can be defined as forming part of the sexual orientation of an

individual. This then includes their sexual wants, needs and desires often towards an
individual belonging to the same sex group as them. Furthermore, it is stated that an
individual does not necessarily have to have sexual relations with an individual of the same
sex to be considered homosexual (Rudwick, 2008).

Therefore, the mere longing to be with an individual of the same sex can place them under
the homosexual category. Previously in South Africa homophobia was said to have been
institutionalized in both the countries colonial and apartheid history. Furthermore it is said
that until the early 1990s it was considered to be illegal with regards to engaging in same sex
relations. In addition the immorality act was then considered to be one of the key components
of apartheid legislation.

This immorality act basically had outlawed sexual activity amongst people of separate races.
The anti-gay legislation alternatively was only said to have been enforced after 1966 after
police officials had raided a private party which had taken place in Johannesburg (Rudwick,
2008)

Alternatively, in 1983 HIV/AIDS was mainly believed to come from homosexual men and
was commonly labelled a “Homosexual” disease. During this period HIV/AIDS test were
said to be done on homosexual men alone. Furthermore, it was only in the year 1990 where
attendees from a clinic were tested for HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

The year 1990 was then in fact the year where it was discovered that individuals of other
sexual orientations had the virus. For instance individuals that were involved in heterosexual
relationships were also found to be infected. In addition to this during the apartheid era
evidently there was a large amount of judgment cast onto homosexual men. Therefore they
were found to be the main carriers of HIV/AIDS due to the fact that they were the ones tested
the most (Ratele, 2001).
In the South African context there has always been a negative attitude towards homosexual
individuals by the African communities. For instance amongst black people there are myths
that homosexuality is un-African. Furthermore it is stated that gay couples are unable to
naturally have proper families homosexuality is becoming a threat to African nations. In
addition it is a basic belief that homosexual acts as well as behaviours are not in black culture
(Patton, 1999).

This notion was and still is used continuously by homophobic individuals as well as
associates all over the country Furthermore, according to Africans being gay is not Zulu and
if you openly expressed that you were gay or lesbian you were placing yourself in a
dangerous position

As previously stated there were a great amount of focus on homosexual men with regards to
their sexual orientation and the overall spread of HIV and AIDS. Homosexual men were
them believed to be the main carriers of this deadly and rapidly spreading disease. However,
it is now being made evident that there was a great amount of evidence that was ignored that
HIV/AIDS in Africa was actually due to it being heterosexually transmitted.

Hence, the apartheid state dismissing HIV/AIDS as being a disease that had been acquired by
homosexual men this being due to their somewhat deviant behaviour that had caused them to
stand out from the rest. Due to this the apartheid government facilitated the entry of the virus
into the wider heterosexual population by ignoring them being the actual main carriers of the
disease.

Therefore, the focus will now shift back to whether homosexuality within a african context is
obliging individuals to think of HIV/AIDS as a disease that was introduced by homosexual.
As previously stated the apartheid government was evidently anti gay or homosexual.
Therefore the lawas that they had implemented demonstrated their attitudes towards
homosexual men. Furthermore the behaviours of homosexual men in that era was considered
to be deviant and as commonly know the apartheid government wanted to dominate
individuals.
Thus the implentation of acts that stated that men should refrain from enaging in sexual
activities with other men. Furthermore, during the era of apartheid HIV/AIDS had been
connected with homosexual individuals in the sense that they were as mentioned previously
the deviant group. Thus a great amount of attention was payed to these individuals and their
overall behaviour. They were infact tested more than individuals that were engaging in
heterosexual relationships. Furthermore, the virus was first picked up in an homosexual
individual and therefore by default they were associated with the disease.

In addition African attitudes towards homosexual men are to a certain extent similar to those
of the apartheid government. This being due to the fact that they have separated homosexuals
from their African group and proceed to state that being homosexual is "un-african" hence
suggesting that the act of homosexuality is a form of deviance. In addition individuals also
state that homosexuals are unable to produce proper families and they are in tern upsetting
the norms with regards to how individuals ought to behave and how African family life
should be. Therefore, as the apartheid government, African individuals are also not tolerant
when it comes to homosexual individuals within the community.
Bibliography:
Patton, C. 1999.Inventing African AIDS. In: R. Parker and P. Aggleton (eds.),
Culture, Society and Sexuality. A Reader. Pp. 387–402. London: UCL
Press.
Ratele, K. 2001.The Sexualisation of Apartheid. Unpublished PhD thesis, University
of the Western Cape.
Rudwick, S. and Ntuli, M. 2008. IsiNgqumo: introducing a gay black South African
linguistic variety. South African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies