Understanding African LGBT traveller motivations: a non-Westernised perspective

Abstract

Although the Western world (e.g. Northern America and Western Europe) is witnessing several social, cultural and political developments resulting in homosexuality being increasingly visible, tolerated and constitutionally protected, a large majority of countries in the non-Western world, most often those with high levels of religious conviction (Hattingh, 2017), do not outlaw anti-gay discrimination or protect gay1 rights (Vorobjovas-Pinta & Hardy, 2016). The African continent, in particular, seems to be a competitive arena for violation of gay rights, where 38 of 54 countries strictly outlaw homosexuality (ILGA, 2016). For instance, in 2008 the Gambian President threatened to ‘cut off the head’ of any homosexual2 the government ‘catches’ (Wockner, 2008). In 2014, a British tourist was arrested, tried and found guilty of ‘homosexual acts’ in Morocco, and sentenced to four months in jail (Strudwick, 2014).