Jacob Rukweza raises an important question on the broader issue concerning democratic freedom and sexuality. In asking whether homosexuality is un-African, Rukweza asks us to consider the centrality of sexuality to our ideas of citizenship and political allegiance. He rightly points out that ignoring African homosexuals means denying our shared humanity.

At the same time, I would have liked to see his article address the ways African homosexuality might be different from western versions. Are there specific ways of living, histories, and cultural practices that make African homosexuals unique? Is it possible that a struggle for sexual rights in Africa will look quite different from similar struggles in the West? What can we learn from the West? And, what can the West learn from us?

With Rukweza, I believe sexual rights to be central to human rights and democratic practice. I applaud his article, and Pambazuka, for initiating what I hope will be an ongoing conversation.