Promiscuous sexual activities, homosexuals, drug addicts
Last night I watched an interview with Sir Ian McKellen, the celebrated British actor, on Hard Talk, one of the BBC’s most popular programmes. Ian said that he only “came out” when he was 49 because there was so much violence and bigotry surrounding the issue of homosexuality. His advice to young gay people is to come out as soon as possible because being open and honest about who you are will, more often than not, enhance your life.
I was curious about the amount of time the interviewer spent on Ian’s sexuality rather than other aspects of life, like his career, his beliefs and his general experience of the world. Gay people are so much more than their sexual orientation. Why is it that gay people are peppered with questions about their sexual orientation when heterosexuals are not? When did you ever see Meryl Streep being questioned about what made her straight or how being straight impacts on her life?
Just today I got an unsolicited email from an organisation in Zimbabwe selling a product. Their product is a “a publication containing behaviour statistics of a teenage behaviour survey conducted in 2009 in all major towns of Zimbabwe”. The survey was compiled based on ten questions. One of the questions reads as follows:
10. Are there any promiscuous sexual activities, homosexuals, drug addicts amongst the Zimbabwean youths?
I just wrote to the authors of the report saying that I’m a lesbian and that I find it unacceptable that they lump homosexuality with promiscuous sexual activities and drug addiction. Of course I should clarify that I see nothing wrong with safe promiscuous activity and safe drug use. But the agenda behind their inclusion of homosexuality along with addiction and promiscuity, is sinister in my view. Perhaps I’m wrong but I sense a witch hunt of young gay people with a view to fixing them or punishing them.
Yes, some Zimbabwean youth are gay – I was young once! It’s about time that people realised that the expression of sexuality is not confined to heterosexuality. We have an organisation called Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) in Zimbabwe that has a broad and diverse membership of gays and lesbians.
Our communities should be embracing diversity and making it safe for young people to express their true selves.
If you have the time and energy to question the motivation behind surveying homosexual activity please write to them at info@thebehaviourreport.com
Tuesday, February 23rd 2010 at 1:03 pm
I took on Oscar Manduku who is the managing consultant for The Communications Company, 18 Do Couto Court, 102 Central Avenue, Harare, Tel: 04-2918187. I copy his response to me below:
“Dear Chesterfield,
Thank you very much for your response.
I would like to firstly put a disclaimer of the category in question, saying, we are not classifying homosexuality as an addiction, put as a publisher felt that it would best fall in that category. No offense whatsoever in these regards.
Secondly, I would like to inform you that this survey is just an eye opener, as I am sure you would agree that even homosexuality is something that is not talked about in our nation, even continent, therefore, we, as you have, have taken the bold stance to engage our leaders – parental, educational, industrial, and governmental leaders to discuss and act on relational issues amongst the teenagers.
Thirdly, I recommend that you get a copy or subscribe to the website, and get an overall understanding of the publication. Afterwards you are more than welcome to partner with us in developing our agendas further, per se.
Lastly, if you do not mind, I would like to publish your comments as they are very constructive, with your permission?
Looking forward to hearing from you sir.”
I wanted to challenge him on his second Point where he mentions that the subject is not talked about at all in Zimbabwe and the Continent and I wondered if he ever listens to Radio? watches television or reads the paper?
Has he ever listened to Tilda Moyo’s programme on Radio 2 oh sorry it’s now Radio Zimbabwe where homosexuals called in and answered to Tilda’s questions about their lives,
Has he ever listened to the President expressing his personal opinion on gays and lesbians being “worse than pigs and dogs,” or “all have rights except gays “. has he ever read about a men like Chief Fortune Charumbira, Obert Msindo, Rev Noah Pashapa, Nolbert Kunonga, Nelson Chamisa, Paddington Japajapa and David Bahati MP to name but a few.
has he not heard about the Ugandan Bill? events in Rwanda, malawi, Kenya and the lesbian killings in South Africa?
After reading his reponse and having offered to purchase the report which is being sold for $14 and comes on CD,
I was just left powereless to respond to him ……
Wednesday, February 24th 2010 at 7:43 am
It is rather sad that you want acceptance and to promote your homosexuality when it is a fact that homosexuality is not natural but a result of man trying to do the unnatural. You can deny this all you want but the fact remains. Heterosexuals do not go about forming organisations and asking for acceptance. If you are a Christina, you need to read your Bible and give na example of a Biblical homosexual couple. i will rest here and I hope you think about this without going on the defensive and be really honets with yourselves. if not ask your relatives of a history of a homosexual couple that thety know.
Poeple are inventive yes, but on this one, we are so wrong and so immoral
Wednesday, February 24th 2010 at 10:33 am
if its natural and should be accepted, why form an organisation.
Thursday, February 25th 2010 at 2:59 pm
I do not support homosexuality, or any sexual orientation related to it. I think homesexuality is a disease and those guys need psychosocial support and counselling. I believe a lot of young men in Zimbabwe are homosexuals not by will but are being taken advantage and exchange sex/sexuality for a price during times of hardship. Im a 100% supporter of Mugabe’s view that God created Adam and eve not Adam and steve. I have never seen any religion that accepts homosexuality. To me its grossly unacceptable and i can not stand the site of a homosexual individual and fear fro my safety around them.
Monday, December 6th 2010 at 9:04 am
Homosexuals are sick. They should be removed from society at all costs. Man to man….?? Oh lord have mercy.
Wednesday, December 8th 2010 at 11:35 am
Sick? Removed from society at all costs? Why, exactly, Kundai? I’ve just read a summary of philosopher Peter Singer’s views on homosexuals here – http://www.ngopulse.org/article/homosexuality-africa-making-progress – The author raises some important points. “If a form of sexual activity brings satisfaction to those who take part in it, and harms no one, what can be immoral about it?,” Singer argues.