WILL GAY RIGHTS IN AFRICA END STIGMATIZATION?

There are men who intrigue me. Those who rush home from work to catch the evening news and those who go straight to a pub to drink three or four beers before they go home. Then there are men who go for circumcision because they believe it is another way to keep their penis clean. And then there are men who have sex with fellow men.

“As Zambians, we declared that we are a Christian nation and there is no way we can allow this un-Zambian culture. I want to urge all Zambians to rise and denounce this vice. Why should someone or institutions want to import this homosexuality and try to influence others to practice it? We can’t allow it, I am calling all citizens to stand firm and reject it.”

The above was spoken by the Zambian Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba about three weeks ago and it was in reaction to the western countries and their promotion of homosexuality in our country, which is both against our cultural values and the Constitution.

“I don’t profess to be an expert – this is a lay person’s opinion – but I don’t think it’s a choice. People are born with a certain makeup. We are all children of God. We don’t make determinations about who we are.” 

This was said by the President of the United States, Barack Obama .

Early last year, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Zambia. His visit to Zambia wouldn't have been known by many ordinary Zambians if he hadn't mentioned homosexuality or gay rights. In fact, many Zambians thought this was his main purpose for coming to Zambia.

“Now you have embarked on a transformation agenda – a process for a new people-driven Constitution that will be a foundation for Zambia’s progress, a Constitution that will stand the test of time. This offers Zambia an opportunity to lead once more by enshrining the highest standards of human rights and protections for all people – regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability.”

Maybe he did not know what many Zambians views on gay rights are because if he knew, he would not have included the words “sexual orientation” in that speech. This roused a lot of debate and anger among many Zambians.  

Like any other society, there are gay people in Zambia too but they do not come out in the open because they know they will be arrested and prosecuted.  In  Kapiri Mposhi, two men were arrested over the weekend of May 5^th, 2013 after a tip off from “concerned members of the public.” The two have been living together as a couple and they have been charged for having sex against the order of nature contrary to the laws of Zambia.  The two men were arrested again today after they were found in the act and their bail has been revoked. The interesting part is that they were apprehended by relatives who found them in the act. Police have slapped additional counts on the two men.

On a popular local radio programme, “let the people talk”, the Minister of Youth and Sport Chishimba Kambwili also said that the government will help the people of Zambia to fight homosexuality with vigour.

“We don’t want Zambia’s children to be taught any vice. We will not tolerate homosexuality. Those who want to promote homosexuality in Zambia are wasting their time. If anything, we are planning to stiffen laws against homosexuality.”

Without any doubt, these are the views of many Zambians. And the handing over of the two Kapiri Mposhi gay men to the police by relatives just shows that it would be very difficult to allow gay rights in Zambia.

“Britain is now one of the premier aid givers in the world. We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to proper human rights, and that includes how people treat gay and lesbian people. British aid should have more strings attached, in terms of do you persecute people for their faith or their Christianity, or do you persecute people for their sexuality? We don’t think that’s acceptable.”

The British Prime Minister David Cameron was speaking at the end of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit in Perth, Western Australia when he said this.

If some countries can respect gay rights, how do they fail to recognise the right of sovereign nations to make their own decisions concerning gay rights? The gay community may be huge in other countries and maybe that is why they need to recognise them but in countries like Zambia, gay people are not very common and many Zambians are against gay rights.

It is also unfair why those countries that do not want to recognise gay rights can be held by ransom by denying them aid. To me this looks like a standoff and it remains to be seen what will happen next.

The bible has its own verdict on homosexuality. “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." (Leviticus 20:13 NIV)

Now, if homosexuality is a right, why does God not recognise it?

The argument that some people put across is that homosexuals do not have a choice because they were born like that. But if God knew that some people are born gay without a choice, why then did he command that they must be killed? It would be unfair to punish someone for something that he or she has no control of. Of course there are people who may not believe in the bible and they have their own opinions.

In Africa, about 38 countries are against gay rights. If these countries decide to grant gays their rights, will that end the stigma which seems to be a natural part of our African society?

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