It's War!

Life is filled with trends, fashion and there seems to be the next big thing around every corner. It’s all very confusing trying to keep up and often time it’s frivolous and expensive. Now being green and hyper aware of your carbon foot print seems to be the next "in thing". If you’re not green you are slowly destroying the planet and taking the whole world with you thereby making you a selfish bitch. This led me to wonder how green am I and am I a bitch.
I have to admit being aware of our impact on our environment is very important and not something to take lightly. After all we don’t want to live in a messy junk filled waterless sauna one day. Even though hubby and I don’t plan on having children any time soon (if ever) and the concern of what we are going to leave behind for them is not a pressing concern, we do have a social conscience. For one I would like to leave this planet having made it a slightly better place. In doing so I have come to realize that small things does count.
Having recently moved into our new house and for the first time in many years having a garden again we had to make some decisions. Would we have a lush and beautiful garden that could make it onto the cover of any designer garden fashion magazine? Or would we have a garden that’s environmentally friendly, water wise and low maintenance? The decisions was a simple one, we opted for the low maintenance. We decided to only plant succulent and indigenous plants that would still be esthetically beautiful, water wise and resilient under any weather conditions. In addition we would also have a small organic vegetable garden. All good and well in my head but when it came to practical application it proved challenging.
Every weekend for the last two month these two eager queers have been slaving away, digging holes, fertilizing soil and replanting very stubborn and prickly bitches. Both my hands and that of my husband took turns growing blisters, both of us have been wounded and spilled blood. Hard labor has never been so unappealing! I have learned the hard way that planting any plants with thorns is a skill one must acquire before attempting it, if not your hands and arms will be stabbed, sliced and scratched leaving you looking like a self mutilator. After weeks and the loss of blood most of our plants, some of which I still look at with some degree of resentment, have found their stations in the garden and are flourishing. With all the hard work completed the vegetable garden was next.
Planting vegetables and growing them from seeds I thought would be less labor intensive and I was right. However, this posed a whole new set of unique challenges. You see birds, insects and snails would become my new nemesis. After planting our vegetables and herbs all seemed to be going well then one morning I arrived to find a battle had occurred and half our harvest had been devastated. The previous night and early that morning all the insects, snails and birds of the neighborhood discovered our vegetable garden. Half our crop was destroyed and the devastation enraged me. This was war!
Our cats were lectured about the food chain and threatened not to be fed again if they did not do their natural duty and chase away any bird no matter their size. Being green I knew when it came to insects I could not use conventional pesticide, but I desperately wanted them dead!. After some research I found a recipe for an organic pesticide that consisted of garlic, chilies, vegetable oil, dishwashing liquid and water. All the ingredients were put in the blender, mixed together and then the deadly juices strained into a spray bottle. Armed with my secret weapon I marched onto the battle field an unleashed my fury. I did learn one important battle lesson - never stand downwind from the vapor; the wind will blow it back into your face and when it gets into your eyes you are painfully reminded that there are chilies in your organic poison. I finished the whole spray bottle in the back garden and with the poignant smell of garlic in the air I saw my enemies scatter and die. I couldn’t help but think of all the families I destroyed but the fleeing of guilt soon passed as I realized my vegetables and herbs were safe for now.

Being green is important to safe our planet and all of us should at least try to make an effort no matter how big or small. However, something people don’t tell you is that it takes some effort and a lot of dedication. We have a water wise garden that’s environmentally friendly but we still have to kill and chase away unwanted visitors. We recycle and use electricity sparingly, some days it’s inconvenient and too much of a hassle. Small sacrifices will be well worth it one day. This rock we life on should be respected and nurtured if we want to survive.

Till next time.

Going Green: Supernews

The Funny Side of Sex

Top 10 Quotes

(1.) Sex: the thing that takes up the least amount of time and causes the most amount of trouble.

(2.) Bisexuality doubles your chances of a date on a Saturday night.

(3.) I'm glad I'm not bisexual. I couldn't stand being rejected by men as well as women.

(4.) It isn`t premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married.

(5.) Don't knock masturbation, it's sex with someone you love.

(6.) Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent.

(7.) If you smoke after sex, you're doing it too fast.

(8.) Sex is not the answer. Sex is the question. Yes is the answer.

(9.) Sex is like art. Most of it is pretty bad, and the good stuff is out of your price range.

(10.) Having sex is like playing bridge. If you don’t have a good partner, you’d better have a good hand.

Joan Rivers

We may be fruits but we are no fucking peaches!

It’s only March 2010 and already I have gone through two major changes this year; one voluntary and the other semi voluntary. For those who know me well are aware that I don’t take well to change. Much like my cats I become irritated, neurotic and territorial. However the changes I have been experiencing is not all bad and both have their pros and cons. Much like the metamorphosis of caterpillar to a butterfly once the transformation is set motion there is little more to do than accept it.

During January I went through the stress of moving house and with simulations renovations the venture was abundantly eventful. Firstly nesting for homosexuals is an elaborate operation. Hubby and I could not just be content with slapping on a fresh coat of paint and call the new place home. No, if our budget permitted we would have come damn close to tearing the whole place down and rebuilding it from the ground up. Instead walls were painted, certain structures demolished and transformed, plants uprooted, walls raised, light fittings and kitchen appliances replaced and with our budget horrendously depleted we are now forced to take a small hiatus halfway through to regroup and replenish our finances. This forced pause perhaps came at the best of times as hubby and I had numerous decorating spats. The last of which was regarding the paint color of our outside walls.
You see I am not color blind but I do not have an eye for color. So when I and thee contractors stood outside trying to match the color of the exiting wall with color charts we all thought the one we had picked matched perfectly. So the next day they arrived, I went to work and later returned to a shocker. I came home to peach walls! Retreating to my happy place I calmly confronted to foreman about this obvious blunder and he had a thousand excuses. So I did what my mother use to do and said “Well, just wait until my husband gets home!”

Hubby did arrive home an hour later visibly pissed off. He walked up to the foreman with me bracing myself for a violent altercation between them; the only words that came out of his mouth were “Do we look like peaches to you? We may be fruits but we are no fucking peaches!” Hubby then turned to me and said “Four men and hundreds of color charts and neither one of you could get it right?” He sighed, pulled back his shoulders and minced into house. Later that evening standing in the pink glow of our peach walls as it reflected the moon’s light I turned to my husband and said “That should teach us – never send three men to do one woman’s job”. He didn’t find this funny.

With the renovations now temporarily on hold I face my second big change, changing jobs. My government decided to be close down the organization I had been working for the last two years ; the reasoning behind this decision is too complicated and controversial for me to discuss here. However, the dismantling of the organization have been a long and painful process and as that ship was sinking much like the Titanic I vowed to stay until the very end or at least close to it. That end came last Friday. My departure was uneventful but sad. I had to say good bye to some people I have grown quite fond off and to some others I was not. Well wishes were exchanged and I ventured onto a new adventure.

Today was my first day at my new job and what a day it has been. I arrived bright and early dressed up appropriately according to their dress code. With a tie (or rather corporate noose) nicely fitted around my neck, neatly polished shoes and a positive attitude there was no doubt that I was the new kid on the block. I commanded some interested stares and was overwhelmed with many cordial introductions and I promise I will not remember even half of their names tomorrow.

As all first days go the most important places to find is the toilets, smoking area, the offices you should avoid, your assigned parking space and the cafeteria. Luckily for me everyone I will work with seems exceptionally friendly, so friendly that at one point I thought I was caught up in an episode of the twilight zone. Whether they are on drugs or just genuinely happy, I guess I will find out in the weeks to come. The happy butch lesbian might go nuclear on someone, the chubby fitness fanatic might become anorexic, and the very controlled psychologist I share an office with may just have a psychotic episode. Only time will tell.

The metamorphoses of change have been set in motion and there is no way of stopping it. I am already settled into my new home and in the process of adapting to my new career. The caterpillar is in the process of breaking free and whether our home and my new career will emerge with the fresh beauty of butterfly remains to be seen. One wing has already emerged with peach colors and a tentacle with a jovial exuberance.

Till next time.

Al Roker Face by Nadya Ginsburg

Perfect World

I spent the last three days drowning in my own bodily fluids courtesy of the not so delightful flu. Being semi bedridden I had a lot of time to think in between wheezing and sneezing on my way to recovery. I realized we do not live in a perfect world. Not an earth shattering epiphany I know, but who have ever thought what their perfect world would be like?
In a perfect world leaders and politicians would have honor and integrity. In the world we live today we are lied to by the powers that be, people who can’t keep their zippers up and say one thing and then do the complete opposite. Politicians and religious leaders seem to be drunk on power, out of touch with the people they serve and the only interest they advocate are their own and that of their close benefactors. I have come to realize that if your basic civil rights have no financial or political gain for politicians you are guaranteed to either lose it or to never gain it. In a perfect world leaders and politicians would have been human beings with their own emotions paid for by themselves, empathy that is genuine and the power of logical thinking and problem solving skills that exceed that of a ten year old and that of a mindless puppet.
In a perfect world there would be no divides along racial, political, gender, religious and sexual lines. People would be free to live as they choose, love who they love and believe in whatever they feel most comfortable with. People would not be discriminated against or killed because they don’t believe in the most popular God of the day, love someone of the same sex or is in a relationship with person of a different race or religion. Society would be tolerant and accepting of the differences that make us human. In a perfect world there would be no religious wars, no advocates for injustice and no hate crimes.
In a perfect world there would be no self inflicted poverty. I would not have to drive past six beggars on my way to work every day. Five of which have nothing wrong with them or have any impediment apart from the fact that it’s easier for them to stand at the traffic light every morning for a couple of hours and beg instead of actually working for their money. In a perfect world I would not be made to feel guilty for not giving my hard earned cash to these beggars but instead giving it to newspaper salesman standing next to them who actually is trying to earn a living. In a perfect world people would try to take pride in their own lives and overcome the obstacles of life and not give up and end up next to the road at the traffic light.
In a perfect world I would see where my tax money is going and it would be a positive experience. In a perfect world my tax money would fix the pothole ridden roads I am forced to endanger my life on every day. We would not be paying for our politicians to live in mansions and our money rather would have been used to build houses for the poor or educate the underprivileged. In a perfect world our tax money would not be used to fight frivolous wars about oil or boarders but rather used for research and development of renewable and clean energy sources.
In a perfect world everyone would have been an icon. People would be selfless and humanitarians who cared about their fellow human beings. There would be world peace because people would have realized they are not the only ones on this planet and our planet is not the centre of the universe. We would have come to understand we are but a grain of sand on a very large beach and we are quite insignificant in the bigger scheme of things. We would know that we all need to survive and take care of each other if we and the generations to come have any chance of a future.

We do not live in this perfect world and chances are we never will, but it sure is nice to dream. Our politicians and religious leaders will still disappoint us, discrimination and intolerance still surrounds us, the reminders of why we get out of bed and go to work still stands at the traffic lights, my tax money still disappears into the black hole of the government’s coffers and people still can’t take the time to be kind to each other. We do not live in a perfect world and it’s nobody’s fault except our own.

Till next time.

Lady Gaga - Telephone ft. Beyoncé

Laws Should Not Prohibit Love

On December 28, 2009, police officers arrested Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, at their home, charging them under Sections 153 and 156 of the Malawian penal code for "unnatural offences" and "indecent practices between males." These arrests occurred two days after Steven and Tiwonge conducted a traditional engagement ceremony attended by family and friends in Chileka, Blantyre, an event that was widely reported in the Malawian press.

On January 6, 2010, they were taken to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, where Tiwonge was forced to undergo a medical examination, including an anal exam, to confirm the sodomy charges. IGLHRC sees this as a violation of the rights to dignity and privacy in the Malawian Constitution and such exams have been shown to have no forensic value. The following day, both Steven and Tiwonge were subjected to psychiatric evaluation.

They are now being held in Chichiri Prison in Blantyre and bail has repeatedly been denied. Despite critical constitutional and other legal issues raised by their lawyers in the High Court and appeals to the Chief Justice to have the case heard as a Constitutional Court issue, the criminal trial continues. If found guilty, they face imprisonment for up to 14 years with hard labor.

Their arrest, mistreatment and continued detention violate Malawian constitutional guarantees to equality and freedoms of association, conscience, opinion and expression as well as regional and international non-discrimination and privacy provisions. Malawi's Constitution specifically prohibits, and guarantees equal and effective protection from, discrimination on a number of grounds including "race, sex....or other status." Despite these various protections, the two remain incarcerated in Chichiri Prison in Blantyre where they await judgement scheduled for March 22, 2010. (International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Comission)

Join the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in sending cards and letters to Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, who have been imprisoned in Malawi on criminal charges of "unnatural offenses" and "indecent practices between males" after their traditional engagement ceremony. They are awaiting judgment in their case on March 22, 2010. These cards will show Steven and Tiwonge—and relevant authorities—that the international community is watching and stands in solidarity with them.

Contact Information:

Tiwonge Chimbalanga, Chichiri Prison, P.O. Box 30117, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi
Steven Monjeza, Chichiri Prison, P.O. Box 30117, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi

Hate Mail

I said I'll publish my hate mail. Here is my latest:

u dirty faggit gay who likes cock in his mouth

Sort ur fuckin life out god made adam and eve not adam and steve u fucking queer go back to quire club and suck the holy kids off u dirty cock sucking cunt. u take it up the rear like ur mum. fucking scum like u go kill urself u fat ugly queer u look well ugly in ur profile pics no wonder u like men u fag. get some decent clothes and look like a normal person then change ur fucking sexuality u homosexual wankstain. go shag ur mum at least because shes a girl u fag UR NOT NORMAL KILL URSELF U FUCKING GAY FAGGIT.

James Thompson

THE BIG FAT GAY COLLAB

O'Conner & Jesus Will Burn Down the Vatican

Sinead O'Conner is outraged at the Catholic Church as Irish bishop Denis Brennan asked parishioners for money to compensate children who were sexually abused by priests. Here is Sinead O'Conner's letter.

PLEASE allow me to express my astonishment upon reading the statement made on the evening of March 1 by the Bishop of Ferns, Denis Brennan.

His statement attempts to dictate to us -- in the same way the Inquisition did -- how Christians should behave. It says directly that it would be anti-Christian of us to feel that the church should pay its own bills for its own abuse with its own billions that it throttled from our grandparents, whom it also abused, physically, emotionally, psychologically and sexually.

Evidence of sexual abuse by clergy, according to the Murphy report, can be traced as far back as 320 AD and the first treatment centres for paedophile priests were created in 1940, named Servants of the Paraclete.

These centres were opened all over the world.

I would like to know exactly whose idea this latest plan was and from where were issued the instructions or permission for Bishop Brennan to make such a statement.

The statement and its attempted manipulation of good Catholic people could be described as unbelievable and stupid.

But in my opinion, the only word that does it justice is 'evil'.

How long do they expect us to restrain ourselves? We have put up with this bull dung for hundreds of years.

A true Christian is someone who, in any given situation, is supposed to ask themselves what would Jesus do, then try to do that.

How an organisation which has acted, decade after decade, only to protect its business interests above the interests of children can feel it has the right to dictate to us what Christians should do is beyond belief.

From the Pope on down, through the Vatican and therefore through the lower echelons, the whole organisation, in my belief, is utterly anti-Christian and evil, as proven by centuries of torture, bloodshed, burnings, terrorism, and coverings-up of "the worst crime" known to man.

And if Jesus Christ is to be seen in the vulnerable of this world, then all the church has done is crucify the man over and over and over again.

If Christ was here, he would be burning down the Vatican. And I for one would be helping him.

Sinead O'Connor

BRAY, CO WICKLOW

Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares To You

The Lies People Tell

All of us have told a lie. Whether we weren’t completely honest about how our better half’s ass looked in that tight jeans, insincerely complimented a best friend on their hideous new hairstyle; we all know lies comes in all shapes and sizes. For some telling a lie is as effortless as braking wind in public, however as all farts go the fowl odour soon will permeate the air around them and for some reason this inconsiderate social aromatic gesture is always blamed on someone else. We have all told a lie and most of us have been lied to but when does a little white lie turn into something with serious consequences?
I have read somewhere that children are born honest and only learn to fib later in life. My first recollection of telling a lie was roughly around the age of four. You see my sister and I didn’t like each other much during our early years and frequently got into terrible fights. She being older than I was she had both the tactical and strategic advantage both in size and experience. On this particular day she was practicing on the piano and I wanted to play with her. After reaching her zenith of frustration she responded in the only way she thought would get through to me – violence! She scratched me across my cheek. As blood started trickling from the four straight lines on my face her initial satisfaction turned into panic: Our mom was on her way home and she would be in trouble, being the astute strategist she was she took the only recourse she could see fit- blackmail.
My sister told me if I tell my mom what had happened she would tell on me. Being four years old I didn’t really have that many bodies buried in the back yard but honestly believed that my sister had some serious dirt on me that I may have forgotten about. So when my mom walked into the house I tried to avoid her covering my gashing wound with a bathroom towel not realizing this act of concealment would draw attention. My mom saw the towel and asked me to remove it. At this point I saw my sister’s blond pony tails hastily disappearing out of the front door. My mom asked what happened and like a fart I blamed the dog. Knowing our tumultuous history my sister was called and with a frightened caution she returned to the house and we were both forced to spill the beans. Consequently, both of us were punished - I for lying and my sister for attempted homicide, she did however receive clemency for the blackmail.
Some lies are not as innocent and the deception malicious. During the last couple of weeks my husband and I learned this the hard way. We moved out of our old apartment into a new property. As the old place was on the market to be sold and not having received any offers from perspective buyers yet we decided to rent it out. Neither one of us wanted to deal with the administrative side of leasing out the property so we enlisted to services of a real estate agency. A week after we moved out I received a phone call from a very enthusiastic agent informing us she had found us the perfect tenants. The only catch was they wanted to move in the very next day. Naturally, we being cautious she was bombarded with questions and she addressed most of our concerns. It all sounded too good to be true, but being optimistic we decided to agree and the new tenants would moved in.
The next day hubby went to sign the lease agreement and briefly met (or rather saw) the tenants. “They looked like white trash” was hubby’s exact words that evening. . Three weeks later I receive a message on Facebook from a friend asking if we evicted our tenants as they had moved out. Shocked, and after I threw up a little in my mouth, I phoned the estate agent who confirmed this unwelcome surprise trying to convince me that my husband had given permission for the lease agreement to be terminated. Knowing this to be untrue, unless I was caught up in some parallel dimension, a frantic phone call to my husband exposed the agent’s lie. He was at the hairdresser at the time and threw a hissy fit the likes our hairdresser and friend had never seen before and I was sure he was gobsmacked. We were both enraged and these two queens was gearing up for a full on bitch fight!
Complaints were laid at the Agency’s head office and after days passed of receiving no satisfactory response, I went to the Agency to fetch the apartment’s keys. There I found myself entrapped by the agent and her supervisor who were waiting for me. A heated discussion ensued and after being slandered by her and the supervisor I was livid. However, this would not be my only ordeal for the day. I left to inspect the aftermath that was left of our once beautiful apartment and was disturbed by what I found. The apartment was in a state of disarray! Our tenants were indeed white trash and now I needed to clean up after them. It was disgusting and on completion of this dreadful task I felt like I needed an antiseptic bath! No queer should ever have to clean up shit (literally) after other people – the experience left me utterly traumatized!
On further investigation it was discovered that the agent intentionally deceived us. We were blatantly lied to as neither the tenants nor the agent had any intention of honouring our lease agreement. You see they were friends and the tenants urgently needed a place to spread their germs and filth for a month, a little technical piece of information that was purposefully omitted. This is not where the deception stopped but as we decided to sue the agent and the real estate agency she works for further details may become Sub Judice and compromise the future success of our case. In this instance the lies we were told proofed to have serious consequences for us but now especially for the agent and her employer.
Yes we all tell lies and we all have been lied to. Sometimes the little white lie is to spare someone’s feelings, to keep the peace or just done to stay out of trouble with your parents. However, we don’t stay children forever and we grow up. In the big grown up world we all know the difference between right and wrong and lies no matter how innocent (even to help a friend) could have serious consequences.

Till next time.

The Importance of Truth

Uganda: Rights Not Repression

Gay Ugandans may be sentenced to death if legislation being debated right now passes.

High level international condemnation has just pushed the President to send the bill for review, but Ugandan allies say only a worldwide outcry could tip Parliamentarians away from discrimination, alarming them with global isolation.

There are just a few days left - please sign the petition to oppose Uganda's anti-gay law and send it on to friends and family and it will be delivered to Uganda's politicians, donors and embassies around the world.

To sign the petition please click HERE!

Porn Star or Ambassador?

The South African Charl van der Berg won the World Wide Mr. Gay in Norway last week amidst controversy of his porno past. A restaurant manager from Cape Town he now holds this coveted title and will be the ambassador of the gay community for the next year. Also known as “Chad” in the local porn industry, apart from his tiara, he also boasts crown jewels of 8 inches, uncut and is a top and likes masturbating in front of the camera for your viewing pleasure. The director of Mr. Gay World zealously defended their position for choosing van der Berg as their winner, painting van der Berg as another casualty of the exploitative porn industry. This led me to ask, can one really be a helpless victim if you knowingly expose yourself to the dodgy world of adult entertainment?

In a statement Mr. Gay World was quoted as saying “Porn is an integral part of the gay lifestyle - it's just that most guys don't have the guts to do what I did.” This is true, porn does feature significantly in the gay community and very few gay men can deny possessing or having watched pornography (well the honest ones at least). However, actually starring in one is a whole different “ball game”. Apart from the odd amateur home movies (that are not meant for mass release) I honestly don’t have any friends or acquaintances that have starred in an adult film. Whether my social circle lacks the guts to bare it all on camera is open to debate but I do suspect that this has less to do with actual guts and more to do with repercussions.

As we have seen with beauty pageants across the world naughty pictures and videotapes have an ominous tendency to surface at the most inconvenient of times. For some embarrassing photos will end their pageant careers and for others it will lead them to new paths of success. Either way, once it reaches the newsstands the damage is done, explanations and excuses are abundant always begging the question what the hell were they thinking? Some have teary confessions and explain how they were young and naive, others how they were broke and needed to eat. Very few ever thought those images would be made public, very few thought they would ever be in a position where people, apart from their parents, would care...

Stripping down for the camera, playing with yourself or gaining “carnal knowledge” of another person(s) for money may seem like a good idea at the time and even a secret fantasy for others but, what is the true reality for a porn star? Not being a porn star myself I can only speculate. Personally, I would be concerned about the people who would be slobbering over my porn performances and excreting God knows what bodily fluids at my expense. More frightening would be if someone recognizes you in public, especially if they were a devoted fan, screaming “Is that you? Are you that guy from Everybody Does Raymond?” The worst would be at a family gathering and one of your straight cousin’s new boyfriend’s pulls you aside and in a hushed voice tell you how he enjoyed your new film and eagerly asks if you do private performances accompanied with a psychotic wink.

On the plus side I suspect that porn actors do not have many lines to rehearse and no complicated method acting skills are required. Direction should also be easy to follow as “OK, so you suck him and grab his balls, then you lick his crack then you pound his ass first doggy style then missionary, then you cum and you’re done!” could not be that hard to screw up. The only true challenges would be where they position those cameras and lights and avoiding light bulb burns and contracting some sexually transmitted disease.

Coming back to Mr. Gay World and his porno past, apparently he made one jerk off movie and there may also be photos floating around on the web. But do the making of one video and a few pictures actually make Charl van der Berg a veteran porn star? I think not! Sure he may have had a lapse of judgment, but then again everyone makes mistakes. The fact that he stood up and faced the music in a respectable manner says plenty about his character. So do I think he’s a suitable ambassador for the international gay community, yes I do. The GLBT community is not without our flaws and neither is South Africa. Having our own president embroiled in sex scandals with bastard children popping up with what seems to be everywhere, why can’t we be proud of our own homegrown Mr. Gay World even if he had made one dirty little film.

Till next time.

Hal the Misinterpretive Porn Star

Are you prepared to die for what you are?

Being Gay and African have for long been considered taboo in many African countries. Even in present day emotions runs high when it comes to homosexuality and in the past week attempts on the lives of homosexuals in Africa have been reported yet again. Having travelled to some of these intolerant countries I must say I enjoyed the diversity of people, cultures and stunning fauna and flora but in the same breath found the festering fear, hatred and concealed homophobia disturbing. I have always researched the country I am to visit stance on homosexuality to prepare myself for any potential problems I may encounter - an essential task for any gay traveler. Anyone planning on visiting Africa here is a brief breakdown of homophobia on the continent and also asks the question: Are you prepared to die because of what you are?
First with the good news, African countries where homosexuality is legal for both Gays and Lesbians are South Africa, Rwanda (for now), Réunion, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Côte dl’voire, Cape Verde and Benin. Queerly, in some African countries homosexuality between two men are illegal but lesbianism is not. Therefore, for all our dykes out there it’s safe to visit Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. Evidently two women engaging in sexual acts are far less “unnatural” and more palatable in these countries which led me to infer that these laws were drafted by chauvinistic heterosexual bigots harboring sexual fantasies about threesomes with a lesbian couples and repressing their own flaming homosexual desires.
In some African countries homosexuality is illegal but not strictly enforced. In these countries being gay is unlawful but would not necessarily see you end up in jail or fined. Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Seychelles, Mauritius, Comoros, Angola and Mali are such countries. Even though these countries don’t strictly enforce these laws it by no means suggest that gay travelers should take unnecessary chances or risks, best be cautious and discreet. In other African countries these laws are enforced and the penalties are less harsh, in a few the maximum prison sentences are up to 3 years. These countries include Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Guinea, Liberia, Burundi and Botswana.
African countries best to avoid on your travels where the prison sentences are more than 5 years are Libya (up to 5 years), Gambia (up to 14 years), Nigeria (up to 14 years), Senegal (up to 5 years), Cameroon (up to 5 years), Djibouti (up to 12 years), Eritrea (up to 10 years), Ethiopia (up to 5 years), Kenya (up to 14 years), Zambia (up to 15 years) and Zimbabwe (up to 10 years). In these countries the reality of imprisonment are very real especially for their citizens. How these nations believe that homosexuals will be rehabilitated of their sexual preference in prison boggles the mind. Yet each year homosexuals go to jail and each year the fear grows.
Life imprisonment and the death penalty for the “crime” of homosexuality are still enforced in Africa. It’s frightening that the sentence of life imprisonment is still upheld in Tanzania and Uganda. Even more horrifying is the fact that in Sudan, Mauritania and Somalia the death penalty for homosexuality are still a legitimate sentence and enforced. These 5 African countries must be the worst offenders of human rights abuses towards homosexuals in Africa. However, Uganda tops my top 10 list of worst offenders. Not only is life imprisonment not enough now they also want to enforce the death penalty. As many know Uganda has an Anti-Homosexuality Bill which they hope to pass in their parliament. This bill has also been called the Genocide Bill as effectively it calls for the eradication of all homosexuals and HIV+ people in Uganda. Should this bill pass the consequences are dire and many people will die because they are gay.
Africa still has a long road ahead moving from a dark continent of intolerance and homophobia to a continent of peace and unity; Slowly but surely countries are enlightened and its people’s eyes are opened to new possibilities and a brighter futures. Luckily, I live in one such country on the southernmost tip of Africa. Being a South African I can’t honestly say I am proud of our neighboring fellow Africans. I don’t approve of their ancient laws and practices victimizing and persecuting my fellow gay brothers and sisters. I don’t condone the silence of the international community when human rights abuses occur in Mother Africa. Change does not happen overnight and neither can it succeed in silence. So there you have a breakdown of homophobia on the African continent. Should you be travelling to any of these countries be safe and be warned.

Till next time.

Homosexuality in Uganda

Don't Ask Don't Tell

Every now and again I receive an e-mail from one of my readers that intrigues me. This week I received a gem from Michael Anthony in which he explains how a real veteran view "Don't Ask Don't Tell".

My name is Michael Anthony, I am an Iraq war veteran and having spent six years in the Army, at the age of twenty-three, I have spent more than a quarter of my life in service to this country. I have four older brothers and an older sister, all of whom have been in the military: Air Force, Marines and Army. My father and both my grandfathers were in the military.

Hailing originally for a small sheltered town just south of Boston Massachusetts, I say this in all earnestness: the only gay people I know have all been in the military. This is not a joke or some talking point, it’s literal. Generals, Commanders and Civilians can talk all they want, but the fact of the matter is, the only gay friends I've had have all been in the military, in fact, my only experience of gay people (outside of the military) is when I once watched and episode of the TV show Will and Grace (it was kind of funny).

For the policy known as Dont' Ask Don't Tell (DADT), there is one thing people often forget. People forget that the policy doesn’t preclude gay people from entering the military it just precludes them from talking about their homosexuality. In short, someone can be gay in the military; they just can’t talk about being gay in the military.

If people are already in the military and gay — from my former unit alone I know close to a dozen — what is it that people are afraid will happen with the repeal of DADT? Are people afraid that the day after DADT is rescinded; gay soldiers are going to walk in wearing a feather boa and buttless fatigues? The uniform policy will still be in effect so we can cross that option out. Are people afraid that it’s going to hurt troop morale? The Military suicide rate is at a thirty year high having consistently risen for the past five years, with eighteen veterans killing themselves everyday (according to the VA) so it seems like it can’t get any worse.

With everything said, there is a negative aspect to repealing DADT. Having been in the military all my adult years, my peer group is filled with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Several of these war veterans having done two or three tours, have sworn that they will never go back to Iraq or Afghanistan. Upon further questioning on how they plan to get out deployment if called, their answer is simple: “don’t ask, don’t tell,” expounding further, they say that if they’re called up, they will simply kiss a member of the same sex — in front of their commander. So how is repealing DADT going to affect the military? The answer is simple…my friends who jokingly suggested using DADT as a way to get out of a deployment are now stuck going to Iraq or Afghanistan.

And please don’t even get me started on the escapades that go on overseas. But hey, what happens in Iraq stays in Iraq…ahh not quite.

Michael Anthony is the author of MASS CASUALTIES: A Young Medic’s True Story of Death, Deception and Dishonor in Iraq (Adams Media, October 2009).

The book is drawn from the personal journals of Anthony during the 1st year he spent serving in Iraq. It is a non-partisan look at some of the escapades that go on behind the scenes in Iraq.

Shattered Glass of Pope Benedict XVI

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones but I guess this exclude those whose glass houses are bullet proof and sheltered by faith. His holiness Pope Benedict XVI seems to be one such individual. Being the spiritual leader and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church his holiness is safely nestled away in his Apostolic Palace within Vatican City and appears to be a radical traditionalist and a bigot. Having been quoted in 2008 as saying “Saving the world from Homosexual acts is as important as saving the rain forest” and recently stating that British gay equality legislation violates 'natural law' he is fast becoming unpopular not only amongst gay rights groups but the general public as well. The Roman Catholic Church has not been without its own transgressions and scandals and this led me to ask: Should we take moral direction from a religious group that can’t even keep their own morals and integrity in check?
It is no secret that I don’t approve of organized religion. My personal experience with Churches has been filled with hypocrisy. Being gay in organized religion (much like the fashion industry), one day you’re in and the next day you are out! It’s all horribly confusing but the Catholic Church has stayed the course when it comes to homophobia and their stance is unwavering. Quite interesting when one takes into account that Vatican City has an estimated population of 826, the majority of which are males wearing dresses. Not to mention the homoerotic nuances of religious ceremonies with altar boys helping the priests prepare and then there is the Pope with his rather attractive male personal secretary- the hunky Monsignor Georg Gänswein. This could be any elderly gay man’s ultimate fantasy having a young good looking man at your beg-and-call 24/7. But I digress...
Through the years the Catholic Church have been battered with a number of sex scandals and indiscretions. For years the abuse of children and the predatory Priests and other members of the Catholic religious order who violates children have been shuffed under the rug and the extent of the molestations kept secret. However, these odious acts became less of a secret when the media first started to report on them in Canada, Ireland and in the United States (to mention but a few countries). Still the Church fell short of admitting it had a problem and still it hasn’t changed how they treat allegations of child abuse by its clergy and not to mention the lack of any forthcoming apology. Yet, the Church preaches good moral values and depicts homosexuality as violating natural law.
Another bizarre statement by the Pope “The scourge [of AIDS] cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem” I find extraordinarily harmful. Does the Church not understand the extent of the HIV pandemic? If they can’t even keep their own clergy from abstaining from sex how do they think the rest of the world would fare adopting a responsible and moral attitude towards sex? Claiming that the Roman Catholic Church is on the forefront of fighting HIV and AIDS, his statement made me seriously doubt the efficiency of their weaponry in this battle. The archaic stance on condoms is a reflection of an institution yet to truly understand the reality most of its followers face, but some within the Catholic Church are divided on this issue as those who work with AIDS patients see this disease’s devastation first hand.
Persisting chauvinistic theories in the Catholic Church also still appear to dominate most of their policies and functions. Woman still are excluded from positions of authority in the Church and the proverbial glass ceiling seems to be tempered and will not shattered anytime soon. The Vatican has shown little sign of making provisions for gender equality within its ranks and all appear docile and silent on the subject matter. The “good Catholic wives and mothers” are ignored and have to be content with their status; all the nuns who have a desire and calling to be priests will not have their desires met. There seems to be no conscience on this issue in Rome, not even an inkling of an episcopal conscience about the potential harm this inequality may cause the Church in the future.
After all is said and done, one can’t contest the power and the reach the Roman Catholic Church has with Pope Benedict XVI now firmly at its helm. Homosexuality is still viewed as against natural law, ancient attitudes about modern phenomena still prevails, the Church is still a chauvinistic dominated machine and scandals and indiscretion amongst clergy still occurs and are concealed. For many they still will draw strength and gain moral direction from the Roman Catholic Church and their faith will remain strong. Others will lose trust in the Church and seek spiritual guidance elsewhere. One thing is certain, no human being is perfect and no religious group is either. Proclaiming perfection is unattainable even for Pope Benedict XVI. Where you choose to gain moral guidance is up to you but best make sure you choose wisely and that your glass house stay strong. I wish his holiness Pope Benedict XVI well with his upcoming visit to the United Kingdom later this year, and hope his holiness will be more open to the changing times, throw no more rocks and leave behind less shattered glass.

Till next time

Kathy Griffin on Catholics

Gay Marriage: Just Like Katrina Only Worse!

The apocalyptic consequences of two gay people in a loving relationship and wanting to get married. This is how Gay Marriage will destroy the world!

Parody of NOM's "Gathering Storm"

Scared Heteroseparatists

Every now and again I get sent YouTube Videos or links to articles by my friends and blog readers; and every so often a couple of these videos and articles gets my blood boiling. This past week was no different: I was sent an advertisement by a group of people opposed to gay marriage and referred to a blog post by a “heteroseparatist” both claiming that gay marriage threatens society. After rolling my eyes several times, sighing out of pure frustration and my mind meandering through strange crevices trying to understand their flawed logic I was left with one question, why are these people so petrified of gay marriage?
Being blessed to live in South Africa (a country where homosexuality and gay marriage is legal), we have pretty much proven that since gay marriage was legalized, just over 3 years ago, the sky hasn’t fallen. My marriage is yet to destroy society and the recession and natural disasters of late had nothing to do with my marital status or that of my fellow queers’ marital bliss. The only threat to the sanctity of marriage could be the fact that gays have now put the “Happy” back into marriage and God forbid our marriages outlast those of our heterosexual counterparts. Apart from the fact that our marriage is of the same gender and natural procreation have to be assisted with modern technology there is no real difference between my marriage and that of my neighbor. To my knowledge, since I legally wedded my husband, my marriage has not directly caused the divorce of any heterosexuals, affected their marriages and gay marriage was not cited as the root cause of any marriage being dissolved in Divorce Court.
Gay marriage rightfully could be seen as challenging traditions in society. Traditions that is outdated. Traditionally, if a woman gets knocked up the child’s father have to marry her. Not the case amongst us queers as I am yet to hear of a knocked up gay guy! We get married because we want to not because we have to. Traditionally, when you are married eventually there will be children (planned or unplanned). With homosexuals there are no unplanned pregnancies and it is choice to start a family and this is often times very much considered. Traditionally, one partner in a marriage will be the breadwinner and the other the caregiver and homemaker. In gay marriage this is not always the case as there often times are 2 breadwinners and the duty of care giving and homemaking is a mutually shared responsibility. Many more chauvinistic and archaic traditions are challenged not only by gay marriage but also by feminists and modern society. Anti-gay marriage advocates seems intimidated by the level of control gay people and society in general can now exert over their own marriages, they may fear that a more liberal and empowering example of the traditional family and family values will replace their old world views. They fear change!
Playing the religion card to condemn gay marriage is getting old and uninteresting. They say “read the Bible with an open mind” yet they can’t follow their own advice. They make it sound like Armageddon is imminent by saying “There is a storm gathering, the clouds are dark, the winds are strong and they are scared”. At first I thought they were referring to Global Warming as this is a true threat, but no they fear gay marriage even more. They say gay marriage will take away their rights, make them lose their jobs, government will punish them, change the way they live and they will have no choice. Honestly, I never knew homosexuals were that powerful that the union of two gay people who love each other could cause so much loss to people they don’t even know. I never knew that gay people not being able to marry was the fiber that kept certain societies together. I never knew that gay marriage was a greater social concern far outranking important issues like poverty, unemployment, homelessness, starving children and war.
Gay marriage is legal in South Africa, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom and all of these countries are still standing and all these societies still functioning. Therefore, I find it particularly queer that a country such as the United States of America, one of the most powerful countries in the world, is battling giving equal rights to homosexuals and so dreadfully and unashamedly fearful of gay marriage. The bigots and ignoramuses need to wake up to the realities of the world and accept society is changing and modernizing. They can either adapt and accept it or keep on fighting it and lose.

Till next time.

The National Organization for Marriage - Gathering Storm

Weathering the Storm (Response to NOM Gathering Storm)