Most African countries are homophobic, because homosexuality is not part of our culture. It is something foreign to Africans.
Our religious beliefs have a large role to play, when it comes to our acceptance and our hostility towards homosexuals. The bible forbids it and i'm sure, other religious books do too.
Its hard to see gays out in the open in Nigeria, even before there was a law against it. It has always been, a man and a woman. In Africa, you see men marrying 5 to 10 wives, but you can't see otherwise. There are traditional laws regarding marriage between a man and a woman , and not between man and man, or woman and woman. This was even before we had missionaries.
The western world has always been open to different things. They justify just about anything, as long as science can give an excuse for the craziness. So they are quick to judge Africans for our own laws.
But, each to his own they say. We all have our lives to live and whatever comes out of it, we face it. I am not a supporter of homosexual acts or same sex marriage. But i won't judge anyone, for it. It is not my place to judge. I won't kill for it and i don't support killing gays, or locking them up. I won't make snide comments at them or curse them. I would only advice a friend who is homosexual and that will be a one time only advice. I have had conversations with gay people before, and i only gave them my opinion.
Remember, you can't wear too left shoes. So why marry someone that isn't made for you.
"Most African countries are homophobic, because homosexuality is not part of our culture. It is something foreign to Africans."
Homosexuality by itself is not culture at all. It exists everywhere across time and space. It exists in the animal kingdom, too. The only thing that is variable about it is how different cultures relate to it. Some deny it exists. Some tolerate it begrudgingly, others tolerate it completely. It's simply something a small minority of people have. Nobody invented it.
There has been a lot of homophobia in the West in the past, too, make no mistake about it. Homosexuality has only been legal in most Western countries for a few decades. Tolerance of homosexuality in society does not make anyone a homosexual. You either have it in you or not. Even before homosexuality was illegal in Nigeria attitudes against homosexuality must have been homophobic to the extent that public displays of affection between homosexuals were dangerous to engage in.
For me personally, the idea of doing anything sexual with a man is completely unappealing. No amount of promotion of homosexuality can change that. But I would have to be a self-centered prick to want to ban it in society, thus preventing homosexuals from doing what floats their boat in the privacy of their homes or at gay clubs or something.