Pentecostal voices and discourse perspectives to LGBTQ+ narratives in Nigeria

Abstract

The conformist and dissenting religious voices with various social classificatory paradigms on LGBTQ+ issues have further complicated the association between the West and others in sub- Saharan Africa. Religious leaders from the West and those of African extraction seem to already hold divergent opinions on the issue. This paper investigates Pentecostal voices and discourse perspectives of selected foremost pastors on LGBTQ+ narratives within the Nigerian space. Data were retrieved from the online versions of three widely circulated newspapers: Vanguard, The Nation, and Daily Post, focusing on the represented stances and voices of four Nigerian pastors with the largest membership within and outside the Nigerian space. The study employed a systematic approach to collect and analyse news reports, considering factors such as the pastors’ stances, sentiments conveyed, and engagement with LGBTQ-related topics. Nigerian Pentecostal pastors align their stances with foundational religious principles and embrace belief systems that shape human existence. Pentecostal pastors’ rhetoric condemns LGBTQ identities and relationships, framing them as a threat to traditional values, natural order and God’s will, which are perceived as being undermined by modern, Western influences.