Kenyan, Christian, Queer: Religion, LGBT Activism

Religion is often cited as the driving force behind homophobia in Africa, but Adriaan van Klinken presents an alternative narrative that highlights how religion can also be a critical site of LGBT activism. Kenyan, Christian, Queer presents four case studies of grassroots LGBT activism through artistic and creative expressions, demonstrating how Kenyan traditions, black African identities, and Christian beliefs and practices are being navigated, appropriated, and transformed to allow for queer Kenyan Christian imaginations.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2020
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

Popular narratives often attribute homophobia in Africa to religion, portraying Christianity and LGBT expression as inherently incompatible. While acknowledging Christianity's role in perpetuating stigma, discrimination, and exclusion of same-sex-attracted and gender-variant individuals on the continent, Adriaan van Klinken offers an alternative narrative that highlights the ways in which religion can also serve as a critical space for LGBT activism.

Drawing upon the concept of "arts of resistance," Kenyan, Christian, Queer presents four compelling case studies of grassroots LGBT activism through artistic and creative expressions. These include the literary and cultural work of Binyavanga Wainaina, the impactful "Same Love" music video created by gay gospel musician George Barasa, the Stories of Our Lives anthology project, and the LGBT-affirming Cosmopolitan Affirming Church. Through these case studies, van Klinken compellingly demonstrates how Kenyan traditions, black African identities, and Christian beliefs and practices are being navigated, appropriated, and transformed to foster queer Kenyan Christian imaginations.

Kenyan, Christian, Queer is a transdisciplinary work that offers insightful perspectives on the nature and future of the relationship between Christianity and queer activism in Kenya and beyond in Africa. With a poignant intimacy, it opens up critical avenues for reimagining and recalibrating this complex interplay, fostering greater understanding, empathy, and solidarity among diverse communities.

Weight: 360g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271083810