Friday, November 20, 2009

Un-African Human Rights.

Just read this article.

Concerns me, of course, and, I felt I needed to share it. I mean, at the moment, my country-mates are busy discussing a bill to become law. That bill would make all people of my sexual orientation prosecutable. And, the penalty they would give me is either life in prison. Or death.

Funny isnt it?

Comes from the concept that, people of my sexual orientation cannot be African. People of my race cannot have my sexual orientation. Anyway, I cannot deny being African. And, I cannot deny being gay. Bite me.

PS;
Frequently, I pick and choose and post articles from sites that seem to contradict my stand. What I am. I mean, I know the battle lines are clearly defined between gays, ex gays, anti-gays, etc, for example.
Me, I retain my bloody independence!

Well, I would not like to be shackled by any particular ideal.... I am free, for the time being. If that doesnt continue, so be it. But for now, I will accept no shackles. What I post, the words, they mean exactly what they mean. No imputation about the source....

Here is the article




Nations from all over the world—including the Mother Land—conceived and signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. They understood that all human beings have inherent worth and are deserving of protection by the governments of their respective nations. 

However, many Africans believe that some human beings should not be permitted certain inalienable rights. Perhaps foremost among such human beings are Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans-gendered persons (LGBTs). Indeed, many Africans maintain that homosexuality is un-African, and therefore, not to be tolerated in African societies.

This raises the question: Does a supposedly static African culture and tradition take precedence over mutually-agreed-upon and universally recognized basic human rights? Put another way: is it acceptable that human rights be sacrificed on the altars of culture, tradition and religion?

Essentialism is always problematic. Do all Africans think alike? More importantly, would that constitute real thinking? A wise man once said, “where everyone thinks alike, no one thinks very much.” What person or group decides which thoughts and practices are authentically African? More importantly, if a practice is deemed un-African, does that mean the law should prohibit it and punish those that embrace it?

Most people do not engage in sexual relations with members of the same sex. However, homosexuality is not only African, but it is human. Further still, according to the June 16, 2009 issue of Trends in Ecology and Evolution, a yearlong study finished at the University of California at Riverside found that same-sex behavior occurs in practically all animal species.

Still, there are those that argue that such behavior is alien to Africa. However, Leo Igwe of the Center for Inquiry/Nigeria wrote an excellent article titled “Tradition of same gender marriage in Igboland” in the June 19, 2009 issue of the Nigerian Tribune (http://www.tribune.com.ng/19062009/opinion.html). Igwe wrote of married women living together and raising families, a practice dating before the Christian era. Certainly, regardless of what one thinks of such an arrangement, no one could argue that these women were brainwashed by the cultural imperialists of the West. Love it or hate it, if Africans have been doing it for centuries, is it not African?

It has been said that “tradition is the dead hand of human progress.” While this is not always the case, it all too often is. Why are so many Africans reluctant to change? Today Blacks are just as likely to engage in kinds of “unnatural,” “perverted,” and “un-African” acts as are Whites. And who’s trying to stop them?



continued....


Does raise questions, doesnt it? Time to think, countrymates, those of my race who are so damned ready to lynch me for what I am.

I am gay. I am Ugandan. I am African


gug

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