Joel Gustave Nana Ngongang - Colonialism and An African Voice

Colonialism and An African Voice

Although much of his career has been spent in West Africa, Nana's concerns extend to the whole continent of Africa. "As Africans, we feel the vestiges of the long European colonial presence in our continent," he has said. "We feel them when other -- Western, European, 'international' -- LGBT organisations speak on our behalf and we are left unheard. Only Africans can speak for Africans."

On the other hand, Nana also bristles at the oft-cited notion that homosexuality is a foreign, colonial import alien to Africa. In a recent interview with a US-based journalist, Nana noted that "Homosexuality is not a colonial heritage. The ... evil that is part of the colonial heritage is homophobia and hatred."

Nana is a frequent media commentator on LGBT and HIV/AIDS matters, appearing on media outlets ranging from Radio France Internationale (RFI) to Chicago Public Radio.