I was born and raised in Kenya. I am a teacher, a voter, your neighbor, a student, a doctor, a parent, a police officer, an entrepreneur, a friend, a lawyer, a judge, a policymaker, just to mention a few. I am a law-abiding citizen and I always pay my taxes on time. I participate in nation-building activities but still, you choose to hate me because of my sexuality. I breathe in the same air that you breathe, if you cut my hand you will see blood and not water coming out. I have a heart and feelings too just like you but you choose to treat me like an outcast. I am not human in your eyes.
You use religion to justify your actions towards me. You humiliate me by calling me names, you attack me, you lock me up behind bars in the name of religion but isn’t it ironic? Your religion advocates for peace, love, and unity and yet you do the opposite. You claim that I am a sinner and you cannot associate with me but didn’t Jesus associate with sinners in the Bible? Didn’t He show them love and compassion? Are you better than Jesus? It is unfair to call me evil and yet I have never violated your rights. There are plenty of evil people around you such as thieves, rapists, murderers, and corrupt officials but you turn a blind eye to them and only see me as a threat. Why judge me based on my sexuality?
The Pope was here last year and I remember he said we should never judge people for we are not God. You say I am embracing the western culture and interfering with African culture but my question is if you claim to value the African culture, why then are you dressing like the westerners, listening to their music, using their language to communicate, and driving their cars? You have copied everything from the westerners but you are quick to judge me. I was born this way and it is not my fault. You have to understand that we all have different sexual preferences. My sexual preference might not be appealing to you but you have to respect it. I deserve to be treated with respect and dignity at all times. I am human and I get hurt when my rights are violated. Please stop all the hate you have towards me. I should not be judged based on my sexuality. The moment you do that you miss the good side of us. Please understand that my sexuality is not a disease. You cannot catch it when you are next to me or when you talk to me. I might have a different sexual preference but on the inside, I am not different from you. I am human. Show some love and kindness to all the LGBQ in Kenya.
