How podcasts in Africa are reclaiming queerness and sex
6/12/202654 min
Uganda and Ghana have the harshest laws against LGBTQ+ people in the world. Despite the threats, podcasters in both countries are fighting back by creating a space where people can have sex-positive conversations and gender inclusivity. IDEAS contributor Nana aba Duncan was in Uganda and Ghana to find out how the safety, privacy, and independence of the medium offer a path to understanding, validation and community.
Laws in some African countries make it illegal for anyone to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. What role should the international community play in nudging human rights on the continent. Listen to The unforgivable crime of being queer in Africa.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Nana aba Duncan0:29
[upbeat music] This is a CBC podcast. [upbeat music] It's the first Tuesday of 2026 here at a bar in the township of Makoto in the city of Kampala, Uganda. It's karaoke night. Samantha Aine Mbabazi is owning the stage. She's singing Ye Gwe, a well-loved song in the Luganda language, a classic you hear at weddings. Samantha says the lyrics could pass for vows. She loves the song for its poetry. The lyrics are directed to a woman, and there's a part in the chorus that translates to, "You're the one thing that's persistent in all the things that trouble me."
Samantha Ainembabazi· Guest1:21
And when I do not see you, I feel like I don't have blood. I search for my heart throughout my whole body, and I can't find it.