Not surprisingly enough, this is a hot potato topic, particularly around straight men who don't want to know if you're gay, know someone who is or even work with one. As always, lesbians rock. One of the major networks ran a documentary late one night last week and the gay couple they interviewed were talking about how difficult it was to remain in the closet in Kenya. Phil, (not sure what his real name is) had gone to one of the major newspapers wanting to run an ad about his new website www.gaykenya.com, to provide a forum for other gays in the community. The paper ranted and raved about it being a family institution and homosexuality is against the law (it really is, since the sixties) So the poor man had to get his site registered in the US and cannot advertise it anywhere in Kenya.
I went to yet another dinner last night and the topic came up. The men were pissed about that documentary because they sat up all night watching it and waiting for the lesbians to come on and that didn't happen. Lol, they are loveable idiots. So I've been asking some of my friends what their opinions were on homosexuality. The men were ovewhelmingly against it. My friend Patrick wouldn't even let me finish the sentence, "I have gay friends...." He just didn't want to know I had friends in that "sick lifestyle." I tried to broach the subject about homosexuality not being a choice but he cut me off and said it was not a matter to be discussed. All the men were against gay men, one member of the party even said he would not do business them and he runs quite a succesful tech. firm. He said he had met one and his introduction to an effiminate "pansy" put him off so much that he has no desire to know or work with them. They talked about it being unnatural as sex involved penetration and that was just "sick". When it comes to lesbians,it's apparently okay because there's no penetration involved (how little they know) but find me a man that opposes girl-on-girl action and I'll quit happy hour. Ok, that's a stretch but you get the gist of it.
The ignorance, I would expect from the men but the women were surprisingly just as discriminatory of the "lifestyle" if not worse. They cringed, virtually spat in disgust at the thought of gay men and not so much at lesbians. I can't wait to go down to the coast. I think there, it is an issue that is frowned upon but not met with so much animosity as it has been going on for ages. Especially with gay tourists finding an abundance of gorgeous young men (prostitutes? Hey, what are male pros called?).
I've mostly listened with a small smile as they discuss this as I'm so curious about misperceptions and understandings about not just homosexuality but other things. It has been very educational but the challenge will be to try and change people's minds about their severe lack of information. The one good thing I haven't heard is tying HIV/AIDS to homosexuality and the general knowledge is that anyone can get exposed, not just a group.
Just wait until I blog dating in Kenya and why I'm going to be celibate and single for a long time to come.
On a personal note, I'm trudging along. Have an interview this Friday with an investment firm, (yes, me the girl with no savings) and another one next week. I'm still gunning for the beach hotel. They have a nudist area....he he he.
No comments:
Post a Comment