The Mashoga of Eastern Africa

Homosexuality is both taboo and illegal in various African countries, but this was not always the case.  Same sex activities existed in many traditional African societies, including homosexuality, but these were understood and viewed differently from how they are today.  There are arguments that same sex activities allowed individuals to swap gendered roles as necessary to fulfill social and individual needs within society.  Others claim that homosexuality always existed but was never opening discussed because to do so was disrespectful.  The effects of colonization and globalization have drastically changed the social landscapes of African groups, morphing traditional ideals and values that continue to exist today, albeit in altered forms.  This blog post will explore one such traditional cultural trait that has and continues to exist in Eastern Africa: the role of the mashoga.

 

The term mashoga refers to passive homosexual males who exist within Swahili Muslim communities throughout Eastern Africa, specifically Kenya, Zanzibar, and Tanzania.  They are also referred to as makhanith, misenge, or mahanisi, all of which are reflections of the dialect of Swahili spoken throughout the region.  Mashoga are characterized as effeminate males who take on feminine speech, behaviors, and occupational roles.  Mashoga are able to enter into female dominated spaces that non-mashoga men are excluded from, simply because mashoga occupy both male and feminine roles.  They were traditionally performers and entertainers who would work in weddings or as traditional healers, but today they can be found working in forms of employment deemed more feminine, such as beauticians or interior designers.  Some even work as sex workers, largely due to few economic opportunities available to them.  Mashoga are indirectly open or “out” within their communities, being identified by their specific behaviors and manners of speech.  They will take on feminine behaviors and speech patterns when interacting with cis-gendered men and women.  They will oftentimes wear feminine clothing exclusively or a mixture of men’s and women’s clothing in styles not typically seen among cis-gendered men and women.

 

The mashoga exist in conjunction with their dominant male partners, referred to as mabasha.  These are dominant homosexual men who are viewed as “real men” because they do not take on feminine traits.  They are also often older and richer compared to their mashoga partners.  This also lends itself to their dominance in the relationship.  The biggest defining factor that defines a mashoga from a mabasha is position each takes in anal sexual intercourse.  The mashoga is the receiver (or “bottom”) in the sexual intercourse, whereas the mabasha is the giver (or “top”).  This reinforces the mashoga’s feminine role in the relationship, whether their partnership be short or long term.

 

It is unclear if the mashoga role existed prior to colonization or was an effect of it.  It is believed that the mashoga role may have developed out of financial need among men who could not otherwise financially support themselves, particularly as homosexuality and same sex behaviors were regarded as sinful (taboo) under colonial influence.  Today, while the mashoga exist freely within their communities they are often sanctioned or censured by members of their communities who refuse to interact with them.  Largely, though, many acknowledge the naturalness of homosexuality and let them live their lives as they deem fit.

 

Works Cited

Amory, D. P. (2021.). Mashoga, Mabasha, and Magei: “Homosexuality” on the East African Coast. In S. O. Murray, Boy-Wives and Female Husbands: Studies in African Homosexualities. . Albany: State University of New York Press.

Gathogo, J., & Phiri, I. A. (2011). Iweto, Lelemama, Mashoga and Nguiko: Same-sex Sexuality in Kenya from an African Spirituality and Ethics Perspective. Journal of Gender and Religion in Africa, 143-159.

Ndzovu, H. J. (2019). Islam in Africa South of the Sahara. In H. e. Chiang, The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) History. Farmington Hills, MI: Charles Scribner's Sons.