‘Convincing Homophobes the World Isn’t Coming to an End’.

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My most significant coming out experience was defined not by my declaration, but by my mother’s reaction. Instead of the spirited proclamation I dreamed I’d make, I broke down as I whimpered, “I’m gay.”

My mother met me with compassion and love, but understanding would take time. “Please know that I love you very much,” she said. “You’ve had time to accept this and process it, but for me this is the beginning.” What was most important was her reassurance and acceptance that I was loved and that I would be OK. Everything else we could work to figure out together. Our relationship is now stronger because of it.

I cannot imagine the bravery it required for Letsweletse Motshidiemang to come out to his entire country by taking his government to court, challenging the antiquated, colonial-era sections of Botswana’s penal code that criminalize same-sex sexual conduct with a sentence of up to seven years’ imprisonment.

Botswana’s laws “prohibit me from expressing the greatest emotion of love, through the act of enjoying sexual intercourse with another consenting adult,” Motshidiemang asserted. How the court responded would be a defining moment for every LGBTQIA+ Batswana (the plural word for people from Botswana).

Last year, I traveled to Botswana to complete a practicum with LEGABIBO (Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana), the country’s central LGBTQIA+ organization. Since 1998, this amazing group has advocated for the meaningful inclusion, promotion, and protection of the LGBTQIA+ community, and has worked to support the health needs of LGBTQIA+ Batswana. More broadly, they have been working to create a tolerant social environment where diversity is appreciated.

As a graduate student focusing on sexuality and gender in public health and African studies, I was driven to Botswana by a frustration with the Western narrative of what it meant to be “gay in Africa.” I wanted to explore work being done on the continent by African people to improve tolerance and promote equality for LGBTQIA+ people. This idea quickly became my key interest in the field of global health: What can the West learn about advancing LGBTQIA+ rights from the work spearheaded by African activists?

LEGABIBO submitted amicus curiae in Motshidiemang’s case. The organization diligently worked to show how criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct was contrary to public interest and public health. Over a quarter of LGBTQIA+ Batswana report being denied health care because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and more than half report being treated with less respect in a healthcare facility, according to LEGABIBO. The organization reported that these experiences included abusive and derogatory language, breaches of confidentiality, substandard care, conditional access to services, and even outright denial of health care and threats of police reports. For many LGBTQIA+ Batswana, criminalization dissuades them from accessing health services altogether.

A verdict would not come until more than a year later. LEGABIBO waited patiently, demonstrating the utmost composure in tackling the procedural hurdles and delays imposed by the state. They were confident justice would be served.

When the High Court finally announced they were ready to pass judgment, LEGABIBO quickly mobilized the LGBTQIA+ community, filling two courtrooms to hear the ruling. “We wanted to be present in the moment, with a good or bad outcome,” Botho Maruatona, a member of LEGABIBO, told me. “I was an entire ball of nerves,” she said, but “the sense of community we felt was overwhelming.”

On June 11, the High Court of Botswana became the second country in Africa to effect decriminalization through the courts. The judges unanimously ruled sections of the penal code did impair Motshidiemang’s right to dignity, privacy, and liberty, and were discriminatory in effect. The judges affirmed that “sexual orientation is innate to a human being [and] an important attribute of one’s personality and identity.”

“It was beautiful to watch the affirmation,” Maruatona told me. “We have lived our true selves in that courtroom, and the law has seen and acknowledged parts of us that have been denied so publicly for so long.”

LEGABIBO’s CEO, Anna Mmolai-Chalmers, said, “This incredibly life-changing decision… is a step towards restoring our dignity as human beings. Not only does it provide legal affirmation and recognition of the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons, but it allows an important space for addressing public health issues more efficiently and effectively. We can finally start building a more tolerant society. The real work starts now.”

When I asked her what the work ahead entails, she brilliantly said, “Convincing homophobes that the world isn’t coming to an end.”

She knew decriminalization wouldn’t make things instantly better for LGBTQIA+ Batswana. LEGABIBO will now work to protect members of the community from homophobic and transphobic backlash, ensure safe spaces are maintained, and promote inclusion. For LEGABIBO, the long-term goal has always been achieving societal and cultural change.

Batswana champion a cultural value called botho: We, as humans, are all innately interconnected. We share the responsibility to find common ground and to encourage others to be supportive of the rights of all people.

From Botswana to Boston, the way we celebrate who we are and whether or not we embrace one another is deeply interconnected. I learned from Botswana’s brave LGBTQIA+ activists that coming out and speaking openly can be a tool to increase understanding and cooperation. A critical step is respecting those who might not yet accept you. Allies have to be trained and cultivated. Working with them is a long, difficult process, but worth it in the end.

For those who don’t identify as LGBTQIA+, you have an important opportunity to reduce inequities and social marginalization. Coming out elicits both a response and an invitation. First, let people know they belong and are welcomed here, then invite us to teach you and guide you.

Here in the United States, LGBTQIA+ Americans are still fighting for federal legislation to combat the rampant, legal discrimination we face in areas like employment, housing, and education. As our country becomes more divisive, what happens next in Botswana could serve as an example for us to follow.

The High Court of Botswana has made it clear discrimination serves to hold back not only LGBTQIA+ people, but society as a whole: “Societal inclusion is central to ending poverty and fostering shared prosperity,” the judges said in their ruling. “Any discrimination against a member of the society is discrimination against all. To discriminate against another segment of our society pollutes compassion.”

LGBTQIA+ people and allies, let us take action to not only improve our own lives, but to campaign for the right of people everywhere to exist in a more just society. Do as the Batswana do: Approach life humbly knowing your humanity is rooted in the humanity of others.

Thomas Lee Jr. (SPH’19) is an alum and the academic program administrator in the Department of Global Health.