The Kenya we have today is a democratic, pluralistic, information-oriented and dynamic society. We all should be both respectful of diverse points of view and approaches to life, and competent in selecting, considering and using information to arrive at responsible decisions. I believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. All leaders and institutions, religious or secular, as it also applies to people should promote tolerance and sensitivity, and be on the forefront in preventing intimidation, harassment and aggression against any person whether because of their known or presumed sexuality.
We need to first deal with internalized homophobia; that is the irrational fear, negative action, perception, attitude or treatment directed toward persons who identifies as anything else other than, heterosexuals. It is a sad belief that everyone is heterosexual, because that is not the case. And worse is equating homosexuals, bisexuals, trans-genders to thieves and rapists. The former reflect diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity, and not deliberate characters or acts undertaken by thugs and rapists. Picture this, gays and lesbians lead very normal lives. You talk to them, work with them, eat with them, think like them, the difference between them and the heterosexuals is that they are not attracted sexually and emotionally to people of the opposite sex! They are attracted to people of their gender and they want to be with them. By appreciating that just there is always a deviation in almost all aspects of humanity, be it color( that have given rise to many races across the world), physical features (having the disabled and the non-disabled), intellect (quick learners and slow learners), temperaments (various personality profiles), so we should not forget that sexuality like other aspects of humanity too have deviation and just like one would place the skin color on a continuum, so can sexuality be placed. Meaning that, naturally, when a child is born, has a probability of ending up to being any of the three forms of sexual orientations (homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual).
Well, acknowledging and appreciating that there is sexual diversity does not mean that you have to approve of it, it means that you are going to look up to people who do not necessarily identify as you do, or do not hold beliefs that are not like yours, as normal human being who are just different. If then homosexuals and bisexuals are evil, thereby justifying homophobia, it then beat logic to say that apartheid is evil, and harassment of people with disabilities is bad! Simple, human rights are all universal, inseparable and indivisible!
Whatever sort of fears heterosexuals have over homosexuals and bisexuals, should be dealt with and faced with realism and soberness. It so bad that most people, and more so, the clergy just act/treat or talk about homosexuals and bisexuals, mis-defining and misrepresenting them all together out of ignorance. No one ever bothers to sit back to get to understand, where they have come from? How come they are where they are? And what does it mean to them to have a partner or a person of their gender. I mean, before you raise your hand or open mouth to say something about the LGBTI people, think again of how much you know about them and more so how factual or real your judgments or actions are based on. On the other access your level of prejudice and misinformation.
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