Inciting Anti-Gay Remarks By Minister

PLEASE allow me some space in your newspaper to air my views and concerns regarding the latest tirade of the deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration, Mrs Theopolina Mushelenga.

It was with horror that I read once again that a senior Government official lashed out against the gay and lesbian individuals in Namibia. I am Namibian, black and HIV positive.I am also gay.I am disappointed that the deputy minister uses her position of power to incite hatred against and marginalise a section of Namibian society she does not understand.With the passing of the Nujoma Government, I was happy to herald a new dispensation where public servants delivered on the promise of egalitarian system of governance and would use the rights-based approach to find solutions to the problems our country is facing.As far as I know, I was issued a birth certificate by the Republic of Namibia and am thus a citizen of this country and not even the desire of the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration can undo this.I was born on this soil and will die here one day.This accords me both civil and human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the republic.My claim to be treated fairly and equally as a gay man is thus valid.We live in a diverse community in Namibia.We have different skin tones, languages, cultures and even sexualities.One is not better than the other and there is no use judging and discriminating against individuals based on any of these attributes.In her speech, Mrs Mushelenga states the following: a) that gay and lesbian people betray the liberation struggle, b) that they are the cause of AIDS and c) that they are a slap in the face of African culture.I have the following to say to her: a) The only reason why gay and lesbian people would be perceived as having betrayed the liberation struggle is because, unlike for the rest of the Namibians, liberation has not yet dawned for us.Gay and lesbian Namibians are still bound in the chains of puritan messages brought to Namibia by evangelists on whose heels the colonialists arrived; The same puritan message that also proclaims that Africans are uncivilised and barbaric.Namibia can only be completely liberated from the colonialist notions if its entire people become free citizens.b) It is extremely shortsighted, if not a little ‘AIDS illiterate’ for the Deputy Minister to claim that gay and lesbian people are the cause of AIDS and to scapegoat innocent people because of her own prejudices.Her actions border on the criminal because they may lead to acts of violence and even murder of innocent people who are perceived as gay, bisexual, lesbian or transgender.As a reminder, I would like to point out to Mrs Mushelenga that in the beginning of the epidemic, not only gay men were blamed but also blacks and Africans in particular.Her sources of information must have forgotten to tell her this.It is dangerous to spread false myth in these days when people have real fears about their lives.Undoubtedly, these myths persist, as evident in the deputy minister’s speech.c) As for African culture, which African culture is the Deputy Minister talking about? Since when have African cultures become homogenous? As a huge continent with diverse tribal and ethnic origins, it would be hard to create a singular African norm.As an African, the culture that I grew up in would say that to wish someone else ill is a slap in the face of African culture.This is exactly what Mrs Mushelenga is doing.Needless to say, in southern Africa we share ideas like the spirit of Ubuntu and so, as an African child, my culture has taught me that I am a ‘Khoin-di-Khoi’ and I was also frequently reminded that with the words: ‘Khoina khoi dibasen’, i.e., I come from an understanding that I am a person among people and that we all belong together.This is the wisdom of my culture.I ask the Deputy Minister to refrain from using official platforms for hate speeches and to spread myth but to use her mandate as an official of the state to uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, under which every Namibian is granted equal, unalterable and indivisible human rights.Due to the irresponsible words of the Deputy Minister, a lot that has been done to prevent new HIV infections may be reversed.The AIDS epidemic in Namibia is mainly heterosexual.Telling people that this is a gay disease will let people think that they do not need take precautions.More so, it will increase the stigma and discrimination that many HIV-positive people are struggling with by coupling it with homophobia.It is also making life harder for law-abiding citizens who may be gay by encouraging and promoting the already rampant acts of discrimination, verbal abuse and physical assault on an already marginalised segment of the community to continue.As a gay man living with HIV, what I hear from the words of Mrs Mushelenga is that it is fine if I am refused employment, abused verbally and physically in public spaces and vilified by my healthcare provider on the basis of my sexual identity.For me this is a frightening world to be in.I am also a person made of flesh and blood and it hurts.It hurts every time I am called names and insulted by virtual strangers.It hurts when someone feels that they can attack me just because I am gay.I feel pain.Please let up.I feel pain just like you do and dream of happiness just like you too.Finally, thank you for printing my letter in your respected newspaper and giving me a chance to share my views with the greater community.Behind the Mask Via e-mail Note: Real name and address provided – EdI am Namibian, black and HIV positive.I am also gay.I am disappointed that the deputy minister uses her position of power to incite hatred against and marginalise a section of Namibian society she does not understand.With the passing of the Nujoma Government, I was happy to herald a new dispensation where public servants delivered on the promise of egalitarian system of governance and would use the rights-based approach to find solutions to the problems our country is facing.As far as I know, I was issued a birth certificate by the Republic of Namibia and am thus a citizen of this country and not even the desire of the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration can undo this.I was born on this soil and will die here one day.This accords me both civil and human rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the republic.My claim to be treated fairly and equally as a gay man is thus valid.We live in a diverse community in Namibia.We have different skin tones, languages, cultures and even sexualities.One is not better than the other and there is no use judging and discriminating against individuals based on any of these attributes.In her speech, Mrs Mushelenga states the following: a) that gay and lesbian people betray the liberation struggle, b) that they are the cause of AIDS and c) that they are a slap in the face of African culture.I have the following to say to her: a) The only reason why gay and lesbian people would be perceived as having betrayed the liberation struggle is because, unlike for the rest of the Namibians, liberation has not yet dawned for us.Gay and lesbian Namibians are still bound in the chains of puritan messages brought to Namibia by evangelists on whose heels the colonialists arrived; The same puritan message that also proclaims that Africans are uncivilised and barbaric.Namibia can only be completely liberated from the colonialist notions if its entire people become free citizens.b) It is extremely shortsighted, if not a little ‘AIDS illiterate’ for the Deputy Minister to claim that gay and lesbian people are the cause of AIDS and to scapegoat innocent people because of her own prejudices.Her actions border on the criminal because they may lead to acts of violence and even murder of innocent people who are perceived as gay, bisexual, lesbian or transgender.As a reminder, I would like to point out to Mrs Mushelenga that in the beginning of the epidemic, not only gay men were blamed but also blacks and Africans in particular.Her sources of information must have forgotten to tell her this
.It is dangerous to spread false myth in these days when people have real fears about their lives.Undoubtedly, these myths persist, as evident in the deputy minister’s speech.c) As for African culture, which African culture is the Deputy Minister talking about? Since when have African cultures become homogenous? As a huge continent with diverse tribal and ethnic origins, it would be hard to create a singular African norm.As an African, the culture that I grew up in would say that to wish someone else ill is a slap in the face of African culture.This is exactly what Mrs Mushelenga is doing.Needless to say, in southern Africa we share ideas like the spirit of Ubuntu and so, as an African child, my culture has taught me that I am a ‘Khoin-di-Khoi’ and I was also frequently reminded that with the words: ‘Khoina khoi dibasen’, i.e., I come from an understanding that I am a person among people and that we all belong together.This is the wisdom of my culture.I ask the Deputy Minister to refrain from using official platforms for hate speeches and to spread myth but to use her mandate as an official of the state to uphold the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, under which every Namibian is granted equal, unalterable and indivisible human rights.Due to the irresponsible words of the Deputy Minister, a lot that has been done to prevent new HIV infections may be reversed.The AIDS epidemic in Namibia is mainly heterosexual.Telling people that this is a gay disease will let people think that they do not need take precautions.More so, it will increase the stigma and discrimination that many HIV-positive people are struggling with by coupling it with homophobia.It is also making life harder for law-abiding citizens who may be gay by encouraging and promoting the already rampant acts of discrimination, verbal abuse and physical assault on an already marginalised segment of the community to continue.As a gay man living with HIV, what I hear from the words of Mrs Mushelenga is that it is fine if I am refused employment, abused verbally and physically in public spaces and vilified by my healthcare provider on the basis of my sexual identity.For me this is a frightening world to be in.I am also a person made of flesh and blood and it hurts.It hurts every time I am called names and insulted by virtual strangers.It hurts when someone feels that they can attack me just because I am gay.I feel pain.Please let up.I feel pain just like you do and dream of happiness just like you too.Finally, thank you for printing my letter in your respected newspaper and giving me a chance to share my views with the greater community.Behind the Mask Via e-mail Note: Real name and address provided – Ed