It may sound controversial, but please, I beg you hold your horses and go through the whole content before throwing tantrums. The issue is about the "unholy" talk about gay people (the not-so-straight-people).
Nigeria already has a law in place against this. Uganda nearly joined the list. Many more (African) countries might be closely analyzing the situation with a view to either enhancing penalties against homosexual acts or simply bite the bullet and "permit" homosexuals to mingle freely with the other "good people" in town.
In my view, there is nothing wrong with this. It is within the confines of every sovereign state to steer its citizens in the ways it deems fit.
However, I have some reservations. The speed with which anti-gay laws are passed raises so many questions than answers. It is not "ordinary" for an African parliament to unite in any issue. We are known to haggle and gaggle in everything and anything. Talking is our mainstay. Walking the talk is a "forced" character.
But look, the anti-gay debate has revealed the inner-sanctum of African Parliaments: The anti-gay debates attracted bi-partisan support. There was a semblance of "seriousness" in law making. The media generously publicized the issue. In most cases (for the Ugandan case) the debating chambers were full (there was no/little quorum hitch).
Which beggars the question: could this be applied to say to debates on reduction of maternal and child mortality rates, youth unemployment, national economies or even matters peace in Africa's crying babies -the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan?
Methinks not. I guess there are reasons behind all this (Africa’s contest with waves fronting gay rights).
One. It is the easiest way to appeal to the masses. Publicity is food for any politician. And if anti-gay law will grant you this "gold", why not go for it?
Two. It is the most sell-able "commodity" in town. You want to mint millions? Form gay rights lobby and you will harvest billions of Non-Governmental Organizations (N.G.O) dollars from supporters of your cause. This could be the reason why it is "not catchy" to belong to a lobby group that champions for the rights of say, the suffering masses in war-torn Syria.
Three. It is a manifestation of abundance of “primitive” energy. We have too much time and energy to talk about how to slaughter all gay people than searching for solutions to unemployment and rising crime rates.
Four. It is a cover-up for "lack" of development ideas. You see, it is human to be defensive. I tend to think that our politicians could have noticed this. That the political support base is dwindling for lack of meaningful development. Hence, the push for anti-gay legislation to leverage on public emotions.
No matter how long it will take, Africa and her people will eventually ask hard questions. Young people will rise up to demand their fair share of the cake. Perhaps that is the moment our leaders will understand the art of capitalising on time and resources to yield positive results. God guide your people!
Twitter: @mlemukol
Twitter: @mlemukol
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