The War Against Gays

I WRITE to alert the readers of this newspaper to an ongoing abuse of human rights, a low-level war being waged against a section of Namibian society.

The abuse I refer to is the abuse of gays, lesbians and others whose sexuality is different from the majority. You may think I am over-dramatising the issue; I am not.Every week, if you have your ear to the ground, you hear stories of gays and lesbians being beaten, of lesbians being raped because of their status, of young people being turned out of their homes into the streets.Some people have even been killed because of their sexuality.The issue was brought to my doorstep recently when a gay friend of mine was beaten up with a broom handle.I ask myself, is this the tolerant society we sought to build at Independence? I can scarcely stand to speak about it.The Gospels tell you to take the plank out of your own eye before criticising the speck of dust in your brother or sister’s eye.Thus, let me tell you about how I took the plank out of my own eye.I am, and will always remain, straight.I used to think homosexuality was disgusting, and that gay people deserved any beatings they got.Things changed when I went to study; at university I got to speak with some homosexuals, and found them, to my horror, to be normal people.These people assured me they couldn’t stop being homosexual any more than they could stop being black.I began to question myself further.I investigated the Bible and discovered that most scholars think the Hebrew and Greek words there translated as ‘homosexuality’ and ‘sexual immorality’ refer to pagan religious practices that included gay sex and prostitution.Clearly they don’t mean gay marriages or other monogamous relationships.I began to investigate African history, and found that, before the white missionaries came to indoctrinate us, many tribes not only accepted homosexuals but viewed them as especially spiritual people.I cannot yet say I’m cured of my homophobia, but I’m getting there.Other Namibians should follow my example and stop this discrimination.The Government and Police should come down strongly against any violence meted out to homosexuals.Whatever we think of people we disagree with, violence is never acceptable.The media should give voices of gay people equal space to those of gay-bashers.Prominent gay people in society, which I happen to know include several directors of public and private companies, must tell the nation what they are and why it’s OK to be what they are.Let’s stop this nonsense, let’s do it as a nation, and let’s do it today.Hugh Ellis WindhoekYou may think I am over-dramatising the issue; I am not.Every week, if you have your ear to the ground, you hear stories of gays and lesbians being beaten, of lesbians being raped because of their status, of young people being turned out of their homes into the streets.Some people have even been killed because of their sexuality.The issue was brought to my doorstep recently when a gay friend of mine was beaten up with a broom handle.I ask myself, is this the tolerant society we sought to build at Independence? I can scarcely stand to speak about it.The Gospels tell you to take the plank out of your own eye before criticising the speck of dust in your brother or sister’s eye.Thus, let me tell you about how I took the plank out of my own eye.I am, and will always remain, straight.I used to think homosexuality was disgusting, and that gay people deserved any beatings they got.Things changed when I went to study; at university I got to speak with some homosexuals, and found them, to my horror, to be normal people.These people assured me they couldn’t stop being homosexual any more than they could stop being black.I began to question myself further.I investigated the Bible and discovered that most scholars think the Hebrew and Greek words there translated as ‘homosexuality’ and ‘sexual immorality’ refer to pagan religious practices that included gay sex and prostitution.Clearly they don’t mean gay marriages or other monogamous relationships.I began to investigate African history, and found that, before the white missionaries came to indoctrinate us, many tribes not only accepted homosexuals but viewed them as especially spiritual people.I cannot yet say I’m cured of my homophobia, but I’m getting there.Other Namibians should follow my example and stop this discrimination.The Government and Police should come down strongly against any violence meted out to homosexuals.Whatever we think of people we disagree with, violence is never acceptable.The media should give voices of gay people equal space to those of gay-bashers.Prominent gay people in society, which I happen to know include several directors of public and private companies, must tell the nation what they are and why it’s OK to be what they are.Let’s stop this nonsense, let’s do it as a nation, and let’s do it today.Hugh Ellis Windhoek

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