Homophobia’s Role in Political Manipulation
Homophobia’s Role in Political Manipulation
by Chris Houston
“People have faced attacks, evictions, and been denied access to health services.” This week, I spoke with Healy Thomson about the impact of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda. The legislation, signed into law last year, permits the death penalty for certain offences related to homosexuality.
“Across Africa, LGBTI persons find themselves…confronting formidable obstacles to their legal and social rights,” said Tigere Chagutah of Amnesty International in January. These human rights attacks are fueled by U.S. Evangelical missionaries, who claim biblical condemnation of homosexuality.
However, the scriptural evidence for this condemnation is less than convincing. I asked Healy what had prompted this sudden targeting of people based on their sexuality. “Distraction” she opines, “It’s a very low-cost way for politicians to distract people from other issues. This tactic is used in Canada and the US, where politicians can divert attention from economic or healthcare issues by uniting people against a so-called common enemy: queer people.”
“That’s what we’ve heard from our partners in Uganda. The new law is seen as a way for the government to deflect attention from corruption and other scandals. By positioning themselves as protectors against an external threat, governments can appear as guardians of the country.”
Writer and former social worker Kai Cheng Thom echoes Healy’s sentiment, “In times of social and economic instability…it’s always been a popular move to turn the blame toward small and highly visible minorities.” Human rights advocate Graeme Reid described politicians weaponizing homophobia “to bolster legitimacy, increase popularity and distract from pressing social ills.” The University of California’s Ari Shaw attributed Polish President Andrzej Duda’s 2020 election victory to “embracing homophobic politics to distract from waning economic growth.”
When allegations of political malfeasance arise, it’s helpful to have a distraction. Fueling fears about minorities is a pattern we see globally, whether it’s refugees, immigrants, religious or sexual minorities.
Healy works for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a Canadian charity that has spent the past 20 years supporting community organizations assisting people living with HIV. While treatment for HIV is now widely available and affordable in most countries, the challenges people face are increasingly social rather than pharmaceutical.
The rising cost of food, for instance, affects the efficacy of daily medications for HIV, as these medications must be taken with nutritious food. Frequent natural disasters and the rising cost of transport also hinder access to clinics. Moreover, increasing hatred and stigma reduce access to treatment and HIV testing, as criminalization and state-endorsed hatred imply a tacit endorsement of violence.
According to The Trevor Project, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on youth suicide prevention, “Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10 to 14, and the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds.” They also state that “LGBTQ+ young people are not inherently prone to suicide…but rather placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.” Earlier this year 16-year-old Nex Benedict died by suicide in Oklahoma after being bullied about their gender identity. Earlier this year, Xtra Magazine interviewed “Levi” (a pseudonym), a 16-year-old trans youth in Saskatchewan who tried to take their own life after anti-trans-bullying.
Stigmatization is deadly, both in North America and globally. When evangelical missionaries export their hatred, they often paint homosexuality as a foreign influence, accusing the gay community of pedophilia and predatory behavior. This provides political leaders with fodder to incite fear and shift public discourse away from unsolved social problems toward a vulnerable minority. Ugandan Human Rights advocate Dr Frank Mugisha points out the irony in this; the imported foreign influence is homophobia.
The good work that Healy’s employers do is also under threat. Economic hard times are hitting much of the world. In addition, many philanthropists are cutting back from funding overseas programs. While the HIV epidemic continues, kids are born with HIV, sexual violence in conflict zones leaves survivors with HIV, and discrimination and inequality continue to undermine HIV prevention efforts. Modern treatments prevent transmission to partners and from mothers to newborns, but if people can’t afford travel or food or are scared to seek treatment, the gains made against the epidemic will be lost.
Cynically scapegoating sexual minorities to misdirect us from real problems simply produces more of those real problems. Culture wars have no winners.
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Chris Houston is the President of the Canadian Peace Museum non-profit organization and a columnist for The Bancroft Times.
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