Sunday, December 19, 2010

Don't Ask. Don't Tell.


The day is beautiful here.

Been in bed, holding the man I love. We made beautiful love, and held on afterwards. Left him there, suddenly restless, drawn to the computer, and cyberworld.

It is a blessing, and a craving, a release, and a hunger to satisfy. The need to connect with people far and near, to share my day, and learn of the things that have happened with them.

In the shade of trees, with hard bright, golden sunshine promising a very hot day.... hot by Ugandan standards, not unreasonably unconfortable, I learnt that the odious law, DADT has been repealed.

Seventeen years it held sway.

And, it is down. It is gone. It is history.

Dinosaurs like Senator McCain may feel it is the end of an era, and the beginning of the end. Armageddon unleashed. Their right. It is their country. They are the elected representatives of their people.

But, and a huge but, I join with other American friends in rejoicing over the repeal of this odious, and stupid piece of legislation. To me it is nothing but a symbol. A big one. Of the lack of respect, of the disparagement that other people may have of me, simply because I am gay.


I mean. Look at it this way. Because one is gay, they cannot serve in defence of their country? They cannot do that? Gosh, it was more than a symbol. It was an insult in the face of gay Americans. A calculated, in your face insult that they had to stomach. For 17 years. And, I am ecstatic that this dinosaur act has been repealed.


True. I do live in Uganda. And, in Uganda, our legislators are quite happy to put in place laws which would kill us because we are gay and HIV positive. Or because we make love, like I did this morning with my partner of almost ten years.... we are 'serial offenders'. And, our religious leaders want us exiled on islands so that we die out.


Yes, I do live in a country that has open, rabid contempt for people like me.


But, I will not fail to find it a joy that DADT has been repealed. That Obama has been handed a political victory. That my gay friends in the US have got one of their most dearly sought political victories.


It was, and still is, a symbol of the contempt. That one cannot serve their country, because they are not of the straight sexual orientation.


I feel it everyday when Martin 'eat da poo poo' Ssempa remarks sneeringly that we should get out of our country. Yes, that we should get asylum and leave our country, because the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is going to become law. When Buturo sneers and says, 'Homosexuals have no Human Rights' and he tells us, get out of the country.


It is a symbol. And, it is a victory.


Conglatulations to all our American gay and lesbian brothers and Sisters. It was a long journey, it was a long war. It was well fought. I know, their were victims and casualties. Read somewhere that Lieutenant Choo had a break down. Such are our fights.


But, victory has come.


And, I will pick these inspiring words from Rachel Maddow, Yes, you are my heroine, Rachel.


I will end with them here

"If something is really, honestly indefensible, it can be defeated. The people perpetrating that indefensible thing will want you to think that what they are doing is inevitable. They will want you to think that it cannot possibly be changed or fixed. That it is the way it has to be, that that is the way it's gonna be, they will want you to think those things. And it's not true. An indefensible practice or policy is, in America, vulnerable."

- Rachel Maddow


Have a very lovely Sunday. And, hope the preparations for the big day are going well.


gug

1 comment:

Leonard said...

Happy in Central America too (afterall, I´m Americano). Thanks for the words of celebration.

Leonardo

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