Battling homophobia in the bid to protect East Africa’s sexual minorities: A socio-legal analysis

Recent political and judicial battles over the rights of sexual minorities in East Africa have witnessed the introduction of new constricting legislation, judicial interventions and civil society action both in favour and against the expansion of the ‘right to love.’ In light of these developments, the proposed research takes only one of the sites of contestation and intervention in East Africa’s sexuality politics, viz. the courts, in order to map out and analyze the strengths and weaknesses involved in the pursuit of the battle against homophobia via judicial mechanisms. Through an examination of recent legislation and decided court cases, the study carefully maps out the contours of a battle that has resonance not simply within the context of the contemporary African situation but well beyond.