Trinidad Happenings: Gays just want equal treatment

As we continue to watch with great interest the Trinidadian developments on same gender rights issues and associated matters the public discourse is certainly quickening as this letter to the seemingly unbiased Trinidad Express which has carried several other comments in a similar vein. The writer refers to the recent historic parliamentary debate in the twin island republic, they may very well become the leaders apart from Cuba who may launch gay unions as early as July 2011 in achieving same gender rights in the Caribbean. No doubt all of these happenings will have an impact locally.

The Letter writer contributed:

PEOPLE who are against minority rights such as gay rights always find some holy verse and apply it selectively to justify their selfish interests.Gays are citizens who pay taxes and participate fully in society, daily toiling for our nation like other citizens. Gays harm nobody, contaminate nobody, kill nobody, steal nothing from anybody, chop nobody and destroy nothing in the enjoyment of their legitimate sexual orientation. They are doctors, nurses, engineers, security guards, policemen, teachers, masons, electricians and business executives who contribute meaningfully to this society. So what's the fuss?

Not everybody is meant for marriage and neither are we all meant to have children. When gays say they want their rights they are not asking for the right to kiss, have sex or prostitute or wine on each other on the street. None of us heterosexuals do that. What this minority group is asking for is mere respect for their full human dignity, respect and non-discrimination. You don't have to agree with what they do, support or encourage them. All they need is to be treated equally like everybody treating everybody fairly, without being aware of their sexuality, not to be fired, segregated, cursed or violated in any way because of their sexual orientation.

The idea by the religions that homosexuality is forbidden is great hypocrisy. Even those who are nowhere near Christian or Muslim are quick to quote the Holy Scriptures and say it is unacceptable. But the same Bible forbids many things which are now everyday habits and many foods which are now everyday delicacies.

Every day we defy what the Bible forbids, from the way we dress, what we eat, and even the way we practice our various professions. The same Bible forbids women from preaching and taking the front role, and to wear veils at church but how many female bishops, pastors and street preachers we see every day defying the Holy Scriptures and nobody has a problem with that? In India, North America, South Africa, Latin America and many other parts of the world gay rights are now recognised. Have their societies vanished and been destroyed?

Gays suffer the most in this world together with other social and ethnic minorities who are discriminated against by the majority and powerful many. Misconstrued Bible interpretations have become an effective way to silence minority rights. Remember slavery? The perpetrators of this heinous act had verses and chapters from the many Holy Scriptures justifying it, but it was still wrong and an unjustifiable act.

ENDS

Here is an interesting comment from a reader:

"Are gays really discriminated against in T&T? This comes as a surprise mainly because they are allowed to exist without being hounded and killed. I lived in Jamaica for a number of years and was horrified by the homophobic nature of 99% of the citizens. Death comes easy for gays over there, you dare not walk down the street as a cross dresser or holding hands with your partner. Don't ever be caught "fastened" it will be your last act. Gays have it good in T&T and should be thankful as a result. It could be life threatening in other countries. Be thankful and walk good.

There was a time in Jamaica when all hardwares ran out of cutlasses, machettes they call then simply because there was supposed to be a gay march, thankfully the march never happened."

Meanwhile a poll is also running on the newspaper's front page, as at this post the figures are running very close.

The poll question which can be found on the lower right hand corner of the main page reads:

Do you support calls for the government to grant equal rights to members of the gay community?

Results as at this post were:

Yes - 1051

No - 947

clearly the gap is close which suggests our Trini friends have varying views on the issue probably just as heated and controversial as us. We know there has been a rubbing off of sorts of Jamaican colourful homophobic rhetoric and culture following on "Boom Bye Bye" and other murder music over the years but the god thing is they have discontinued the public performances in some way of the inciteful lyrics and exposure to such. Let us watch this developing matter and support them where possible.

Peace and tolerance

H