This article investigates the educative practices of African lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) activists who contest claims that homosexuality is un- African and imported from the West. We situate this work within a theoretical framework about cultural contestation and how NGOs influence cultural change. Using data from interviews with nine NGO activists from eight African countries and a survey of 31 African NGOs, we explore the rhetorical strategies activists use to debunk claims that homosexuality is un-African. Activists cite examples of indigenous homosexuality in Africa and present examples of contemporary homosexual African individuals. These rhetorical strategies reflect a conceptualization of "African cultures" as rigid and unchanging - a conceptualization that differs from common scholarly assertions of the mutability of culture. We demonstrate how activists use this information to educate LGBTI people and their families, religious and community leaders, and the wider public through informal conversations, workshops, radio interviews, and documentaries.