What the animated short Aikāne, tells us about the history of queer erasure.
I strongly encourage readers to read this article by Quispe López for a deeper understanding of the filmmaking process and inspiration behind this film.
The discourse around homosexuality and LGBT+ rights is best understood when looking at things from an indigenous ‘queer’ lens. Once you understand that the English terms we use to understand same-gender loving individuals and non-binary/genderfluid folk are rooted in white supremacy and the legacy of Western colonialism, you begin to see things a little clearer.
Take for instance the term, “homosexual”. This word has a complicated history that dates back to a time when same-sex acts/behaviours were widely viewed as ‘unnatural’ and in many instances throughout European history were punishable by death. In much of Christian Europe, homosexuality was an abomination even though centuries earlier ancient civilisations like the ancient Greeks seemed to embrace the idea.
Moving forward to the colonial expansion era, the European powers exported with them what we would call ‘homophobic attitudes’ today and projected them onto the indigenous peoples of Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia (the entire world, go figure). Many of the accounts we have of ‘queerness’ among indigenous peoples worldwide were written from the perspectives of the colonialists.
Now this isn’t to say that Indigenous communities never had negative perceptions of same-sex relationships before the arrival of the Western colonialists. However, much of the language we use today to define queer identities and ways of being (including the term ‘queer’ itself which used to be a slur that the wider LGBT+ community has since reclaimed) originated from the same Western powers who sought to legitimise their rule over indigenous peoples.
These indigenous communities frequently did not see sexuality the same way as the colonialists did. This is proven by terms like ‘aikāne’ used in pre-colonial Hawaii which the animated short tells us means, ‘intimate friend of the same sex’. These aikāne relations were not always necessarily sexual either and they would’ve been widely respected and even celebrated in pre-colonial Hawaii given their popularity among the chiefs.
In this way, Aikāne serves as a reminder that ‘queerness’ can be universal, meaning it’s not about the label or the politics like it is today with the modern LGBTQ+ discourse where even just identifying under the banner could earn you jail time in a country like mine. Instead, Aikāne creates a fictional world drawing from real-world cultures where same-gender relationships are about love and support and ‘queer’ individuals are seen as positive contributors to society at large.
Not like today where ‘homosexuals’ are labelled as 'deviants' and criminals and attention-seekers and… you get the gist. In Aikāne, we see how same-gender loving people are connected to the earth around them. We see how they have a sense of spirituality that heals wounds and scars. We see how their love is powerful enough to ward off evil.
We need more stories like this.
During my freshman year at Arizona State University, I began researching homosexuality and LGBT+ rights in my country, Uganda. My research brought me to a documentary called Call Me Kuchu which follows David Kato and various Ugandan LGBT+ individuals in the struggle against the initial anti-gay bill which was later annulled in 2014.
The film introduced me to the term ‘Kuchu’, a Swahili word colloquially used among Ugandan LGBT+ to refer to each other. It’s like the Ugandan version of ‘queer’ if that makes sense. I was so thrilled when I heard it for the first time because it gave me a way to feel more connected to my indigenous roots as a queer African.
There is another term in my native tongue Luganda that means homosexual, but it’s always carried negative connotations so I’ve never felt comfortable referring to myself that way unironically.
The bottom line is: words have power (this coming from an African whose native history and stories were passed on through oral tradition and have since been largely obliterated due to colonialism) but only you can define your sexuality and/or gender identity and you don’t have to stick to a singular label.
To me, gender expression and sexual orientation are physical extensions of the spiritual self...
I’ve changed my label so many times at this point I just say I’m all of the things. Before I came out to my closest friends as gay, I preferred the term pansexual. And before that, I preferred the term queer. And now I like the term Kuchu, but I always just say I'm gay because it’s easier for others to understand whenever I'm asked in passing.
Labels are just language tools we use to understand ourselves better. To me, gender expression and sexual orientation are physical extensions of the spiritual self and the spiritual self is always transforming and evolving. Don’t make your identity marker a prison (and this applies to people who identify as 'heterosexual' too). Let it be your gateway into your inner being.
Works Cited:
Call Me Kuchu. Directed by Katherine F. Wright, and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, performances by David Kato. Cinedigm Corp, 2012.
Kimuhu, Aileen W. "Fake History, Misunderstanding Colonial Legacies, and the Demonization of Homosexuality in Africa." Democracy in Africa | A Resource for the Study of Democracy in Africa, 22 Mar. 2023, democracyinafrica.org/fake-history-misunderstanding-colonial-legacies-and-the-demonization-of-homosexuality-in-africa/.
"Moe Aikāne." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 8 Dec. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_aik%C4%81ne. Accessed 28 Dec. 2023.
Pickett, Brent. "Homosexuality (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Spring 2021 Edition)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2021/entries/homosexuality/. Accessed 28 Dec. 2023.
Quispe, López. "Watch 'Aikāne,' An Animated Film Inspired By Queer Native Hawaiian Love." Them, 15 Nov. 2023, www.them.us/story/watch-aikane-gay-hawaii-short-film.
"Uganda Court Annuls Anti-homosexuality Law." BBC News, 1 Aug. 2014, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28605400.
*Although not referenced in this post, I encourage readers to check out Neville Hoad's book African Intimacies for a deeper understanding of the homosexuality discourse in Africa. I've found that the book has profoundly influenced the ways I engage with and discuss LGBTQ+ identity as a queer African myself.
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