ABSTRACT
this chapter argues the homophobic violence and prejudice in contemporary Cte dIvoire are symptoms of and yet simultaneously exceptional to a global pattern of aggression against LGBTI people, particularly in Africa. Ivoirian homophobia reflects the country attempts to please competing interest groups France, the West, other international investors, and diverse, domestic, political constituencies in an uncertain, post-conflict situation. The split centred on the intent of the newly formed United Methodist Church of Cte dIvoire (EMUCI) to join the General Conference of the United Methodist Church of the United States. In February 2014, the president of the EPMCI, Jonas Adou echoing the Catholic bishops condemned the EMUCIs stance on LGBTI concerns, claiming that the EMUCI tolerates homosexuality, transgenderedness, gay marriage, and transsexualism. The South African Constitution, for instance, protects LGBTI persons from discrimination, and South Africa 2006 Civil Union Act guarantees common-law marriages for same-gendered partners.
