Heretical Falsification and the Challenge of Theorizing LGBT Politics from the South

This chapter deals with the problem of legislating against non-normative genders and sexualities from the standpoint of postcolonial fear of and resistance to perceived Western encroachment. New technologies have increased anxiety about the future of an African self that some want to keep shackled to the altar of ontological pursuits. The cybersecurity debate in Cameroon shows the ways in which the nation deals with unfamiliar (perceived and real) threats in familiar ways. On the one hand, one applauds parliamentary commitment to protecting human dignity in the cyberspace. On the other hand, exemptions and exceptions are made based on sexual orientation or gender identity as categories deemed ineligible for protection are disappointing. At the intersection of progressive and regressive policy positions on sexuality is anxiety inspired by the emergence of gay rights activism in Cameroon as elsewhere in Africa and standard stories about homosexuality as a colonial Trojan horse. The interlocking of different images and signs, among which Dr. Louis Paul Aujoulat stands out as a sign of queer falsification, is particularly challenging for a theorist from the South devoted to non-binary thinking. Thinking counterfactually and engaging a queer meta-sign in Cameroonian politics yield surprising findings that this chapter presents.

Cyberspace · Dignity · Human sexuality · Normative · Political science · Politics · Queer · Sociology · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · Gender Studies · Law

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