Month: June 2026

Queer Africa – A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Artists from Africa

This show celebrates Pride Month with Queer Africa. I’ll be playing courageous artists who have come out, often at great personal risk, as they speak out against The Persecution of LGBTQ+ Individuals in Africa.

My intention is to bring an awareness of of the music from these creative artists in Africa’s LGBTQ+ community. There were limitations in what I’m able to play on the radio because many of the tunes from these artists are quite graphic with uncompromising language.

In many African countries, same-sex relationships remain criminalized, often under laws inherited from colonial powers. In some places, governments have intensified anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in recent years.

Some examples include:

  • Uganda, which enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in 2023.
  • Nigeria, where same-sex relationships are criminalized and public advocacy can be restricted.
  • Ghana, where anti-LGBTQ legislation has been politically contentious.
  • Senegal and Tanzania, where public attitudes tend to be strongly conservative.

Political leaders sometimes frame LGBTQ rights as a foreign or Western imposition, despite historical evidence that diverse sexualities and gender expressions existed in many African societies long before European colonization.

The courage of LGBTQ recording artists in many African countries goes beyond simply being “out.” For some, making music itself becomes an act of resistance, visibility, and personal risk.

They often face real consequences

Depending on the country, queer artists may encounter:

  • Threats and harassment, both online and in person.
  • Rejection by family, religious communities, or their home communities.
  • Difficulty finding venues, radio play, or record labels.
  • Censorship or cancellation of performances.
  • Risk of arrest or legal scrutiny in countries with anti-LGBTQ laws.
  • Pressure to remain closeted in order to have a successful career.

For these artists, releasing a song about same-sex love or appearing openly queer can be a profoundly courageous act.

To my LGBTQ+ listeners, and to everyone who has ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or outside the expected story, I hope this music has offered not just great songs, but a sense of fellowship. Your experiences, your stories, and your ways of loving and being in the world have always been part of the human story, and they continue to enrich it.