Homophobia

`Do you know how many children rise each morning blithe and gay? This stanza from a hymn by Willem Hey distorts my thinking. True to my dictionary confirmation gay is happy but I am told gay has a stronger meaning `homosexual’ which completely stole and enveloped the first meaning-happy
`You look so gay’ I commented on my friend`s jovial mood but all I got was `what? Why? How? I am not gay .He looked so freaked out by my words. `I meant you look so happy ‘ I said calmly as if to calm down his racing heart beat, but this just confused him more why on earth should I call him gay then tell him he looked happy? My friend is not alone, most of us are homophobia, and reason homosexual bashing is getting worse all over the world.
Gay bashing is a hate crime where the victim is the sinner, reasons crimes against homosexuals go unpunished until someone is found beaten and burned. In our African culture a homosexual is seen more of an outcast. The thought of a daughter/son bringing the same sex person home as a wife/husband to be, can rush many parents to the grave. This notion has worsened the scenario than solving it as many homosexuals hide in marriage skins. The pain of leading two parallel life’s get complicated day by day and when one is caught by the `real’ wife/husband the damaged caused is too bitter to swallow.
With all the pronounced homosexual activities within our eyes, freedom to love is a Christmas gift we can heartedly offer to homosexual community. A great ideal idea is for them to set a day for awareness, like most western countries do. I was privileged to attend one in Sweden recently. The demonstrators were tightly secured with policemen fencing them in all the way to block any form of bashing .They marked their day in all forms of insane celebrations-smoking, hard drinking, nakedness and romanced in full naked eyes of curious spectators. They walked in pairs, grouped according to their professionalism, priests among them also stood tall and strong to shout out their voice of love and freedom to love
`Love is love’ placards and songs filled the air. I stood there in disbelief, with a clear confusion of what people are homophobic for. This `freakish’ behavior or the homosexual act itself. I gazed at them motionlessly speechless. Though is not the kind of awareness I had in mind when I suggested one in our country it was a clear line why they consider themselves a happy community. To them and to many the demonstration was all about merry making –all gay!