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UK Civil Partnerships: A source of
Joy and Sadness for Gay Africans
- editorial comment from Africanveil
27 Dec 2005 - Weddings, civil
partnerships and all the legalisation that’s coming up is all well
appreciated in western countries. It’s all a nice feeling to have a chance
of getting an opportunity in the United Kingdom of marriage for the
same-sex couples, being able to have security in pensions and inheritance
and having the same partnership laws as the heterosexuals.
To be honest, I’m gay and I’m so happy that the campaign that started
years back for civil partnership has come to pass. As an African and
Zambian, looking at the occasion of the so-called weddings or the unity of
two men or two women, I’m happy that some same-sex partners are starting
to live a dream.
Sadly enough I could not go on watching the ceremonies on TV in that it
kept on reminding me the pain of gays and lesbians in Africa. Apart from
South Africa which now has 11 months remaining to legalise civil
partnership, how many years would it take us in Africa come to this stage
of civil partnership?
I know its not just Africa, there are countries in Europe that are still
struggling with the acceptance of civil partnership, but I speak on behalf
of Zambia and Africa as a continent. If we cannot sort out corruption
within the governments and NGOs not welcoming gay issues, how positive
minds are we having towards same-sex couples and homosexuality? It’s not
that easy for most African countries to get to a level of recognising gays
and lesbians.
Elton John and his partner’s ceremony was worth watching but I could not
go on instead I switched off the television all because I could not bear
the pain Africa is having regarding homosexuality. Of course there are
thousands of Africans living in western countries, but how happy would
they be when it comes to this stage.
We all have roots, and those roots if you are an African, they haunt you
because most of the African parent that you would want to be part of the
ceremony don’t welcome the idea of homosexuality, so you actually lose
part of your family even if you decide to go along with it out here. Deep
down in our heart we would miss the family, and that is all because of the
sexuality issue.
It will take so many years for other African countries to recognise
homosexuality, its not every one that wants to go down to South Africa to
just go and make your life living for because someone you are comfortable
with. Many gays in Africa will go all the way to South Africa just to have
your sexuality recognised, but that means giving up a lot, your job,
career, family and trying to adjust to a different environment all because
you want to be comfortable with your sexuality.
In Zambia you can be gay or lesbian but that’s just about it, you can’t
trust that issue with anyone, even just to make friends otherwise you are
doomed. We all love our countries, but it’s the discrimination that makes
us want to flee our mother lands. On the other hand its not easy to become
an asylum seeker because of your sexuality. But even if we succeed, how
happy are we when we are in foreign lands?
Congratulations to the UK for the civil partnerships it has now started
recognizing.
As for Africa we
hope its an example no matter how long it will take to accept these kind
of rights, one way or another we will never stop campaigning for gay and
lesbian rights or recognition. As for South Africa it’s the only African
country that has recognized these rights and its sets an example to other
African countries even if they are outspoken against South Africa because
of it. But in time they will hopefully see that South Africa is not
collapsing because of gay rights and the forthcoming recognition of gay
and lesbian relationships either, and that exposure may in time reduce the
fear that drives the hate.
Ndanji
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