I'm hoping to hear from people living in countries or communities with traditional/conservative views on LGBTQ+ issues.

If you are openly gay or married, how have you handled coming out and setting boundaries with family, friends, and co-workers?

For those who got married (especially in places like South Africa where it’s legally recognized but societal homophobia still exists), how did your family and friends handle the wedding/marriage? Did you receive support, and how did you navigate any pushback?

I’m looking for practical advice and personal experiences on handling these situations politely while keeping healthy boundaries and safety in mind.

Ifeanyi Menkiti argued in "Person and Community in African Traditional Thought" (1984) that you aren't born a full person. You become one through moral growth within a community. Kwame Gyekye pushed back, arguing this undermines individual rights. I find Menkiti's view surprisingly compelling, but I can't tell if it collapses into "only virtuous people have moral status." Has this debate been developed further, and are there Western thinkers who defend something similar?

I left West Africa for Europe about 4 years ago. When I first arrived, I was freezing all the time. Now I've gotten used to the European climate, and going back home is a completely different experience.

I usually go back to my home country twice a year to see my family, but every time I do, the heat feels unbearable. I honestly feel like I'm suffocating sometimes. It's weird because I used to handle it just fine, and now I keep wondering how I ever lived in that climate in the first place.

Maybe I'd readjust if I stayed longer, but I usually don't spend more than three weeks back home, so I never really get the chance.

I've also noticed that my perspective has changed in other ways. Things like chaotic urban planning, poor sanitation and the general state of public spaces stand out to me much more than they used to. It's not that I never noticed these things before, but they bother me more now.

I'm not trying to bash my home country. It's still home, and I know living abroad has probably changed the way I see things. I'm just curious whether other Africans living abroad have experienced something similar when returning home.

Does your home country feel different after spending a few years abroad? And did you eventually get used to the climate and your surroundings again, or did that feeling never really go away?