Kapya John Kaoma is a Zambian, US-educated scholar, pastor and human rights activist who is most noted for his pro-LGBTQ+ activism in the face of repressive anti-gay legislation in Africa, and his work for uncovering organizational ties between American anti-gay hate groups and a notable increase in homophobia in African politics. The Reverend Kapya John Kaoma is currently the Rector at Christ Episcopal Church in Waltham, Massachusetts. Education and honors After having received a 1st class Bachelor of Theology at the Theological College of Central Africa in 1997, he went on to receive a Master of Arts at Trinity College, University of Bristol in 1998 and a Doctor of Theology at Boston University in 2010, where he also serves at Visiting Researcher. Kaoma has received several honors and scholarships, including the 2014 International Human Rights Award of the Lesbian and Gay Association Mexico City. Activism Kapya Kaoma was the first scholar to expose ties between fundamentalist anti-gay Christian groups from the US and the recent increase of postcolonial anti-gay legislation in Africa. His two publications "Globalizing the Culture Wars" and "Colonizing African values" have been influential in understanding anti-LGBTQ politics in Africa and beyond. Examples include Scott Lively, whose "Abiding Truth Ministries" has had extensive media coverage and political attention in Uganda, shortly after which Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni signed into law an anti-gay bill deemed to be one of the most repressive in current history. Since 2009, Kaoma has published widely on the issues of cultural neo-colonialism, with particular attention on how conservative religious anti-LGBTQ+ ideology is increasingly taking root in many African societies-leading to militant opposition to sexual minorities. Kaoma spoke at The United Nations in 2009 and 2014 respectively on the plight of the LGBTI community in Africa. In 2010, Kaoma testified before the United States Congress' Tom Lantos-Human Rights Commission on Uganda's anti-homosexuality Bill. Kaoma was Senior Research Analyst for Political Research Associates, a national think tank based in Somerville, Massachusetts. Kaoma has written for the Huffington Post, Religion Dispatches, Los Angeles Times, and the Zambian news outlet Lusaka Times. In addition to providing commentary on anti-LGBTQ+ ideology in Africa, Kaoma's works have been highly cited by many media outlets including The New York Times, The Economist Magazine, Time, The Associated Press and Mother Jones. Kaoma's research played a critical role in a historic lawsuit filled by Sexual Minorities Uganda against Scott Lively in the U.S.