Posted Friday, December 18, 2009 10:30 AM - While the historical origins of antigay legislation are debatable, antipathy to homosexuality is by now a homegrown phenomenon throughout most of Africa. ABC's Dana Hughes, writing from Nairobi, points out that such opinions on homosexuality are already widespread on the continent. "While American evangelicals are being examined for their role in the origins of the bill in Uganda," she writes, "East Africa, and for that matter Africa as a whole, is decidedly, virulently against homosexuality." In total, 37 countries in Africa have laws on the books criminalizing same-sex relations. Burundi's passed earlier this year, before the Ugandan bill even came before Parliament.