With the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu last December 26 at age 90, many remember not only his lifelong fight against discrimination but also his defense of LGBTQ rights.
Tutu is well known for saying during the 2013 launch of a UN campaign against LGBTQ discrimination: “I oppose such injustice with the same passion that I opposed apartheid.”
He further declared that, “I would not worship a God who is homophobic.”
“I would refuse to go to a homophobic heaven. No, I would say, ‘Sorry, I would much rather go to the other place’,” he said.
Community mourns Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s passing
Many members of the LGBTQ community in South Africa spoke on the loss of the Church leader’s passing.
“Desmond Tutu was the voice of the voiceless. He sat at tables where the LGBT community was not invited, so he spoke on our behalf,” said Nate Brown, executive director of Pan Africa ILGA.
Brown further said Tutu’s 2013 speech had an impact: “When he says he wouldn’t pray to a homophobic God, it challenges all the Christians who are against the LGBT community. We felt understood and loved.”
Keval Harie, director of the Gala Queer Archive, told RFI’s Claire Bargelès: “The archbishop was a real ally of the community.”
“It was very important that as a member of the clergy, wearing his religious robes, he was able to show that there was a place for LGBTQI+ people in the Church,” Harie said.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the defense of LGBTQ rights
Tutu made his position known, both in South Africa and throughout the continent, despite this making him unpopular both within the Anglican Communion and beyond.
He spoke out against Uganda’s proposed law criminalizing homosexuality in 2014. He also clashed with Zimbabwe’s former ruler, the late Robert Mugabe, who said gays are “evil” in 2013.
Even most African religious leaders rejected his LGBTQ positions, with those agreeing with him often being cautious.
Yvonne Wamari of the LGBTQ-rights group Outright Action International told AP: “Most of them are unwilling to offer their contrary views due to fear of reprisal and backlash for not conforming with ‘African values’.”
“As long as the religious leaders are unwilling to interpret the Bible from the lens of love for all, as Tutu did, homophobia and transphobia will remain a part of our lives,” Wamari, a Kenya-based researcher, said.
Alex Kofi Donkor, director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, said: “A lot of African preachers hold a lot of prejudice, hate and disgust for the LGBTQ community.”
Africa still remains dangerous for LGBTQ community
Sadly, despite Tutu’s renown and influence, his LGBTQ advocacy was still limited to South Africa, being the only African country to have legalized same-sex marriage.
What’s more, the South African constitution protects against anti-LGBTQ discrimination. And even with these, there is still violence against the LGBTQ community in South Africa happening.
Meanwhile, 30 out of the African continent’s 54 countries consider gay sex as a criminal offense. A few of these implement a death penalty for those caught.
However, Brown cited Tutu’s influence in pushing other countries to reverse their positions, with Angola, the Seychelles, and Mozambique having decriminalized same-sex relationships.
Likewise, the Court of Appeal in Botswana upheld a 2019 ruling that decriminalized consensual same-sex activities.
“His death is a setback, because he is irreplaceable. But I would like to think that as a community we will be able to continue the fight for gay rights,” Brown said.
Check out a video of Tutu’s famous declaration here:
