'Elvis Died and I was Born': Black African Men Negotiating Same-Sex Desire in London

This article reports on the first study of gay/bisexual men in the African diaspora. It is based on a focus group and in-depth individual interviews with eight men living in London. The main focus of the study was on the development of the men's sexual identity in their African countries of origin and the ways in which these identities and practices were reshaped and renegotiated by the move to London. The central themes to emerge were the tensions for these individuals between being African and being gay and between their same-sex preferences and mainstream religious beliefs and practices. The article demonstrates the need for further research on similar groups in different parts of the world as well as highlighting the need for reflexive methodologies that can accurately represent the complex realities of these men's lives.