Is it time we listened to gay people?

Toxicity around same sex relationships has ended up in blackmail, risky sexual behavior, depression and denial of essential services available to others [Courtesy]

My first homosexual experience happened with a male friend at the age of nineteen. We came across an older man lying on the ground, bleeding and crying profusely. We helped him to his feet while he explained through tears that he had meant no harm. He had simply made a pass at another man and that man’s response was to beat him almost to a pulp. Reflecting back on that incident in the context of the current case before High Court, I cannot express how far we have come as a country.

A few years back, an opinion poll noted that 86 per cent of Kenyans were okay living next to neighbours of a different ethnicity, religion or who had HIV/Aids. By contrast, only 14 per cent would be comfortable living next to people who were gay or lesbian. Stigma and persecution of gay communities makes it impossible to estimate the size of the community. They are one of our most invisible communities.