Not homophobia but plain sanity

Dec 06, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
In response to Stephen Lewis’s (co-director of AIDS free world) speech and comments at the recent workshop, let me highlight a few corrections.
Firstly, there is no where in the bill that it is stated that people living with HIV/AIDS would be persecuted in any form or manner.
Uganda has been and remains the premises champion of HIV/AIDS treatment on the entire African Continent. This is supported by statistics.
For this reason many Africa and European government have sent HIV/Aids dissidents to study and learn methods and the approach that Uganda employed in curbing soaring rates of HIV infection in the early to mid–nineties.
And now to the crux of the matter: yes the “Anti Homosexuality bill” was tabled in parliament, but before one jumps to drawing the sowed, they first have to review world trends, where Ugandans as people sit with this contentious issue and where it is, concerning moral issues.
The Ugandan society is highly religious and African traditional conformist. Therefore, if it’s not the bible, then – African traditions, customs and cultures will as reference points, more often than not inform organisation. One may scream “homophobia”, but to an average African, homosexuality will remain as strange and abnormal as it is. We shall not conform to every western “jingle” played out in our backyard.
That’s why not surprisingly this has divided the catholic faith, with the African congregation breaking away to form their own independent body.
I don’t know whether it is politics, but citing Uganda as “homophobic” towards the gay lot is such a cheap shot, which I am responding to only for the luck of better things to do.
Apart from South Africa and probably Namibia or Botswana, there is no other Africa state – where homosexuality is legal.
Latvia (in Europe) banned gay marriage in 2005. Poland and Lithuania had already done it. During George Bush’s second term” campaign – family values and morality, among other things, dominated his campaign – with millions calling for the return to a better moral stand in society.
This century owes a lot to Africa and indeed our vast cultures and traditions have never been more relevant. Rehab is the only solution.
Homosexuality as a problem should be looked at in the same light as drug addiction, alcohol abuse and other vices, where the suffer needs help to overcome such demanding demons.
We can’t leave homosexuality to choice as the young who are most vulnerable can not appropriately determine what’s good for them in the long term.
With ravaging poverty and desperation in Africa, young boys and girls are an easy target for well off westerners who roam the Continent in search of sexual adventure.
Homosexuality should remain underground as that is its rightful place. The only reason why it has spread faster than HIV/AIDS is because it is a lifestyle of choice for most professionals and drug abusers in the west.
Parental involvement could help change the curse of a confused youth regarding sexual identity. This reminds me of a cousin back home, who was caught in “the act” with a senior male student and suspended from boarding school. He had been bullied and forced into such an act by the imposing, much older and privileged male senior student. Had my cousin been in a western stat – say England and where such acts are encouraged, he would have been a regular at gay pride parades and internet gay social networks. Thanks to family intervention, he is now as straight as his great, great grandfather and a proud father of two.
Male rape is on the rise, and young boys too have not been spared the raving eyes of sex hungry men. “Human with animal intercourse” too is gaining preference as it too is a lifestyle choice by people from the lowest of the highest mix of the western society. This is “future sex”. In fact, not before long little advocacy voices will come out and gather momentum to have their rights protected and advanced.
Thousands of young boys have been sodomized in catholic missions across America. Not without knowledge of the faith’s heads, but also with impenetrable denial and protection from like-minded authorities. And when the closely guarded truth surfaces, trauma, anger, disbelief, disappointment and resentment for the victims and their families take centre stage, to culminate into street demonstrations.
Hence – the church’s dwindling following and influence in most of the west. Push homosexuality back to the underworld.
Samantha

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