RIGHT OF REPLY: The Nairobian Article on Gays was Ill conceived and equally Derisory.

The weekend was phenomenal. What else does one yearn for after whiling away Friday afternoon at the breathtaking Karuru falls shouting on top of my lungs like I’m experiencing an orgasm and concurring with my friends that if a man proposed here, you’ll be damned for not accepting? I’d bought my copy that same morning as the gaudy gay headline was not something to ignore. 

Speaking of  gay, that Nairobian article on gays was a piece of crap. Okay, that was wide of the mark. Let me rephrase.

In shrink school they’ll teach you two things: Silence is a powerful non verbal cue. I use it not just when the ex calls a day after he drunk dialed me in the middle of a Saturday night but often enough. Just ask our immediate former President. You are also taught that sometimes you have to speak out your mind lest the feelings burn you within. As I was cut off from civilization (a.k.a Twitter, Facebook & extended conversations on phone) for 19 or so hours, I didn’t get to know the reactions it evoked but when I finally did, I was glad my opinions were accordingly shared. I was diffident to do this rejoinder as it’s not my style but after the third read, I was itching with desire…to write!

Over the recent couple of days (particularly last week) the number of times I’ve seen the word gay and/or Homosexual in mainstream media is impressive! I mean from the captions that ran across my screen during prime time News to respectable Newspaper(s) carrying out a story on the community! What more would you ask for especially in a society where minorities seek recognition year in year out? I momentarily pause here and do note that I’m cognizant of the Bible wielding – you should rot in hell – they should be locked up and burned – Kenyan views. It’s even a matter of public record that a Deputy Presidential candidate (as he then was) has in the past labeled gays ‘dogs’. Do pardon my language but there’s something about an opinion. An anus is her immediate sister so by default, everyone is entitled to one! But then, it is equally good to have all this rage against gays spewed online or wherever because it means it’s a debatable issue and people can no longer bury their heads in the sand pretending that it doesn’t exist. Just the same way the media enlightened you on women shooting porn flicks with dogs, two men in separate circumstances getting busy with a dog and a cow respectively etc. It also gave the recent cases of gay bashing some airtime. This emphasizes how the touchy gay topic cannot be watered down. 

It is against this backdrop that I’d wish to set the record straight right on an article The Nairobian carried out in its Friday issue dubbed ‘Rage as gays turn to dirty tricks.’ Fine, I saw quotation marks on ‘dirty tricks’ on page four but unlike the article run by her immediate sister(s) the Crazy Monday dubbed ‘Men who swing both ways’ and Daily Nation through her Saturday Magazine’s June 22^nd main feature, ‘Men who walk on the wild side’, I find sections of the story not only misleading and ill conceived but also in bad taste as it furthers the ignorance already prevalent among the aforementioned Leviticus – wielding Kenyans. 

Sensational as it may be, the Nairobian is not gutter press like some other publications we know. As a subsidiary of a well established business, it was in fact a noble idea with the recent change of guard at The Standard Group as it not only means maximizing sales but also leverage on competition by tapping into the market of Nairobians who generally thrive on grapevine before other serious issues. It has highlighted some very authentic stories that turned out to be quite informative. However, that its obsession with Homosexuals started with its marketing strategy cannot be in doubt. Remember the commercial (complete with recorded laughter) it ran on those two semi – nude men in a sauna when it made an entry into the market? 

Criminalization of Homosexuality validates the stigma, discrimination, attitudes and treatment against homosexuals in Africa. I’ll commend the author for his candid observation on citing the Penal code of 1930 as revised in 2006 and his being alive to the fact that activists (homosexual) have sought refuge in the constitution to challenge the penal code. I’m not a lawyer or even an astute student of Law but a casual glance in my Constitution booklet Article 56 is definitely subject to debate. Maina, one of my online acquaintances does opine that in Kenya Homosexuality is more a question of Morality and not illegality.  He advances his intriguing argument by saying:

 ‘Owing to relativity of morality, I feel we should be very cautious on criminalizing a wrong against morals. Just thinking, if I can’t be charged in a court of law for disobeying my mother, no matter how immoral it looks, then the same parameters should apply in the Homosexuality debate.  Homosexuality is immoral according to whom? And who defines morals for us? Christians? I wish our government could realize how expensive it is to police private conduct of her citizenry. The resources, time and energy used should be channeled to other worthy causes.’ 

 
For purposes of this article, I personally choose to distance myself from passionately commenting on matters of Law. I’m sure Eric Gitari is probably at an advanced stage in consulting and/or drafting a court document. The next exciting thing that should happen at the brown vintage building along City Hall way after the Election Petition is an Advisory Opinion on The Bill of Rights vis-à-vis the Penal Code as regards Homosexual Acts. Oh and while at it we could cite the recent DOMA ruling. No?

That out of the way, I’m now left with matters of fact that are easy to address. I soberly seek to attack (which I hereby do) some key areas that I feel the author misdirected himself on. I will do the same in three or four broad areas.

Homosexuality is a recruit-able habit.

With tremendous respect to the author and/or his moles; where and on what forum was it decided that sexual preference or orientation is recruitable? It is not only a very sad day for me as a gay man but I’m also angst at such a remark. You mean to say that in all the two decades I’ve lived as ‘different’ were because of someone’s scheme? Let me tell you something. Since I was 5, I always looked up to a male figure. I had a father and a stream of uncles around me but I do remember the ‘crush’ I had on the local chemist. He looked educated, well toned and just some sort of hero to me. My father boasted of equally the same and even better qualities than him. But it was different with the chemist. Sadly, I was just another kid to him. So at eight when I finally lost my virginity to an adolescent neighbor (male) twice my age, I never reported it to anyone as I never felt forced. It’s a secret I’ve buried deep to this day to my family. Believe me; I’ve gone through the motions. Prayer and fasting for the cup to be taken away from me, read umpteenth agony aunt columns, I’ve not only harbored thoughts of death but also considered the easy way out many gay men go through: Blame that guy for ‘abusing’ me and embark on a conversion journey etc. Epic Fail it was! See, when I had that first sexual encounter, it felt defining, liberating even. I felt ‘cared for’. I never stopped him. I was different. Come to think of it, I did enjoy it - never looked back.

If being gay was as easy as one would be recruited for a job (The Standard Group does have a rigorous recruitment hiring procedure) then probably I need to sit down my folks and put my cards on the table. Of course there are those cases of men resorting to this lifestyle as a means to an end and embrace it fully; I even know those who fell off the wagon of heterosexuality due to the charm of a gay man (trust me we ooze lots of that) and have never looked back; Vibrant male sex workers abound willing to pay taxes even; then there are the men who swing both ways, some decided to get a girl and wife her in their attempt to kill the strange feelings etc. My point is, the journey of a bonafide gay man or woman ain’t a walk in the park mister and a rigid straight person will never decipher it. Do endeavor to ask around, sit down a gay man over some Nederburg wine, rummage through blogs like this and if the worst comes to the worst bend over for a prick if need be (maybe it will work for you) I don’t know. I pause here and wonder, what happened to the good old days when research was a tenet of good journalism?

‘…aimed at recruiting more Kenyans into the habit, involves contacting people through suggestive text and Facebook messages…soliciting for sex from people known to be gay and sending pro gay messages,’ reads a section of the article. 

Recruitment through social media? Why does Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies at the blue bird company create the report user and block buttons? I strongly believe anyone on social media ain’t a novice. If someone (man or woman) sends me a flirtatious message and I ain’t interested. Isn’t it easy to choose not to reply or if I do, can’t I throw a few insults here and there to show my disapproval and/or permanently get rid of the shady character from communicating further with me? Maybe I’m not so smart but in my view, being a homosexual can’t be an opportunity - like a job - to be recruited, Period. *Flicks Hair*

The Homosexual Chapter in Kenya is a fully fledged ‘army’

Oh, really? The gay community is peculiar in its own way. We have a sense of togetherness but far from it. C’mon we are the ones portrayed as an illegal cult that needs to be gotten rid of. On the strength of that alone, we have no teeth. The best we can do is hide and the few of us who have made it into the spotlight fade as fast as they got there because there’s no backup from the rest of the community. Even our most vocal advocate (GALCK) as mentioned in the said article has seen its fair share of intrigues and challenges in making the community cohesive but guess what? We survive. It’s what makes a Homosexual man or woman. We are discriminated against world over. You know what that leads to? Being defensive. It’s our own way to cope in the cruel society we live in. You have probably interacted with a gay man. Maybe even interacting with one right now. 

I roll down with laughter and without mincing words do say, that author must be joking. A war? Really? Power and Resources to bring down…? Just stop. Honestly he bought that? We can barely organize a meeting without a few hiccups let alone a total war but now that he mentioned it,  I think it reeks of some concern that maybe (just maybe) it’s the Homosexual community’s cue to be more confident as the heterosexuals view them as an army of sorts! With my little grasp of the cold war in historical times, propaganda is created by a few people and you just need numbers to further it. Just like Kenyans who have embraced social media, we rant about our Croissants. Very few gay people are bold enough to further such an agenda. Look, we still put on masks in our so called red umbrella demos; we get little or no publication in mainstream media. What kind of army is that? What war will it win? 

Lydia, I do love you as a sister and fellow homosexual but do beg to differ with you which I hereby do on the averment that business ventures are a way of fighting back. The good author conveniently uses it to impress his bosses. Businesses are not a gay community way of fighting back. They show how a levelheaded Kenyan somewhere has identified a market, raised the requisite capital, gone through the motions of registration etc. and successfully taken advantage of the demand all for a consideration. It’s all the essence of being human. In a country that boasts of obscene unemployment rates among the youth, the author in essence should stop his obsession with the wares of the Pride Shop and laud the business idea behind it as it ensures homosexuals don’t go about recruiting the alleged ‘young people’ into the ‘Habit.’ (Gosh, I hate that word). 

Inadequate sources, shallow content?

 ‘Information obtained from local closed online same-sex forums, multiple interviews and gay rights meetings indicates…’- P.4 Paragraph 2

We talked about opinions earlier. I’ll not repeat my suggestive remarks but do feel the author took us for a ride. He gives us so much hope yet brings out so little.  Two or three sources don’t necessarily represent the opinion on the ground thus the ease in poking holes in an article that would have been incisive unless they are an authority on the subject under discussion and not emotive sycophants that are ready and too willing to fart opinions without a solid basis. Something about us already defensive people is that there is likely to be some chest thumping and sense of pride in small battles. We celebrate when Jason Collins, Frank Ocean and just a few blocks down the road, our very own Leo Mutisya (on Live TV) come out of their closets. 

It’s a milestone to the tough journey a gay man goes through. I’m alive to the fact that Kenya is still an infant to strides such as the DOMA ruling - may even take years - but such developments pave way for the quest for such rights. When the fullness of time comes, they will make our way easier.  One other reason the author should have disregarded his source is: If we do have power and resources to bring down establishments, why is it that in this time and age the homosexual community in Kenya is still battling with the issue of HIV/AIDS? Why does it still go to the streets every year during IDAHOBIT celebrations to inter alia demand for better care and treatment facilities? Get my point?

But on the Flip Side…

I will however agree with the author that to some extent gays have taken their ‘dirty tricks’ so far and probably rubbing their gayness on the faces of the saintly heterosexuals is uncalled for. There are always exceptions in every group and individualism is easily killed in group dynamics. Every reasonable person knows that. That’s why a homosexual can only cause a scene in a club because he knows his friends got his back. Clubs and other joints do occasionally advice against taking it too far and take action when prompted to do so. Personally, I abhor drawing any negative attention to myself therefore I don’t sympathize with those who have been ejected due to the flagrant display of their sexuality in such setups. It just doesn’t cut for me. I’m considering referring the good author to two guys well known to me who were ejected from Tacos (as it then was) as I watched. I felt nothing.

The author by doing such a sensational - creating article did not only do his bosses proud in terms of sales (It’s the first copy I’ve ever bought) but also sparked a conversation. Negative as reactions from heteros usually are after such half baked works, as aforementioned earlier, the gay subject sinks the point in that there are deviant sex ‘predators’ among them and so encourages debate. Remember when our immediate former prime minister ordered the arrest of gays? He had to shed light on what exactly his sentiments meant.

Finally, the author pulls a line that in gay circles is subject to interpretation and on the strength of that vocabulary alone he may almost be forgiven. 

In P.5 Paragraph 10:  ‘…slowly penetrating institutions of governance.’ 

The homosexual community is close knit and a web of almost everyone who knows each other. This one I got to give it to him. If he’d just furthered his research a bit, someone would be surprised how homosexuals have been doing well in different areas of leadership. Penetration into such places is by merit because like everyone else we go to school and seek to climb the corporate ladder. Penetrating also just reminded me that I’ve been celibate for 83 days!!! Outing Kenya, Anyone, who’s got some lube? - Strawberry flavored preferably.

May you live in interesting times!

Cole Mutahi.