Social equity and LGBTQ populations in African public administration: A macro‐ and micro‐approach

• Published date: 01 January 2023
• Author: Seth J. Meyer
• Date: 01 January 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13554

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Social equity and LGBTQ populations in African public

administration: A macro- and micro-approach

Seth J. Meyer

Department of Political Science, Bridgewater

State University, Bridgewater,

Massachusetts, USA

Correspondence

Seth J. Meyer, Department of Political Science,

Bridgewater State University, Clifford House,

Room 102, 180 Summer Street, Bridgewater,

MA 02325, USA.

Email: s2meyer@bridgew.edu

Abstract

How do public administrators understand social equity toward lesbian, gay, and

bisexual (LGB) individuals and communities? To better understand social equity,

this study uses data on the views of public and nonprofit administrators in

33 countries in Africa on LGB people. Based on these responses, we gain a better

understanding of homophobia in public administrators. Furthermore, this data

helps public administrators to explore how social equity might look differently to

public and nonprofit administrators in different countries. Building on this

foundation, this study proposes understanding social equity from both a Micro

(individual) and a Macro (cultural)-perspective. Bringing in this micro- and

macro-perspective can help public administrators and researchers to discuss

how individuals and organizations identify “vulnerable”populations and

appropriate ways to support vulnerable groups.

Evidence for Practice

•Definitions of social equity differ at an individual (micro) and a cultural/country

(macro) level. This may impact how individuals receive services and supports

from nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and government organizations and

front-line employees.

•One way to understand social equity is through a micro- (individual understand-

ings of who is marginalized) and macro (larger cultural forces)-perspective.

•NGO employees were more welcoming of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals

than the general population. This difference was not seen in government

employees, suggesting differences between government and NGO employees.

INTRODUCTION

How do front-line public administrators understand social

equity? More specifically, how do public servants, such as

those who work in public and nongovernmental organi-

zations (NGO),

1

identify vulnerable populations? These

questions are central to understanding how social equity

is enacted in public administration. As previous research

has shown, stereotypes and prejudices impact how front-

line workers provide services to vulnerable populations

(e.g., Jos, 2016). To explore these themes, this study uses

data from the Afrobarometer to explore how NGO and

government employees in Africa perceive lesbian, gay,

and bisexual (LGB)

2

individuals.

Individuals within Africa have varying perspectives of

gay rights, from those who advocate to make same-sex

activities illegal to those who fight to support the LGBTQ

community. Many of the precolonial cultures in Africa rec-

ognized some sort of homosexual relationship (Morgan &

Wieringa, 2005; Msibi, 2011; Murray & Roscoe, 1998).

There are external and internal pressures which have led

to anti-LGBTQ laws around the world. In Africa, some of

these anti-LGBTQ laws have colonial origins

(Ireland, 2013; Msibi, 2011). The contemporary expansion

of anti-LGBTQ laws can be traced to many different ori-

gins, including the prioritization of religious-based organi-

zations by George W. Bush for the President’s Emergency

Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR; Gevisser, 2015). Another

impetus for this expansion comes as religious

[Correction added on 19 October 2022, after first online publication: in the

Abstract section, ‘macro- (individual)’and ‘micro(cultural)’have been changed to

‘Micro (individual)’and ‘Macro (cultural)’, respectively, in this version.]

Received: 24 January 2021 Revised: 14 July 2022 Accepted: 31 July 2022

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13554

Public Admin Rev. 2023;83:181–194. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/puar © 2022 American Society for Public Administration. 181