LGBTTQQIAAP+ WHAT?
Imagine every fruit on the planet was an orange! Same colour, same taste, same texture and fragrance even the damn tree, the same — ORANGE. Oh sure it would be heaven for those with some orange fetish but even they would get sick of it after what, 2–3months? This is why students in a high school in Limuru went on strike.
After two weeks of being fed the famous delicacy of many Kenyan highschools “Githeri” — A mixture of beans (brown usually) and maize, boiled together until well done. This mixture is then swagged up by frying with onions and tomatoes. Don’t get me wrong, many households go crazy and make very tasty dishes out of this mixture by combining a variety of spices and veggies. I personally like the tomato, onion, bell-pepper(hoho) and coriander(dhania) version of githeri — yum!
Anyway, back to the point. The githeri made in high school forces you to like and enjoy it. When you have had it for more than three days, it starts becoming torture. Past that is a crisis. And these young men had had enough. So they torched the source of their suffering. Now imagine a whole world pissed off because of oranges!
So I think that differences create beauty. Or do they? The different colours create contrast in the world we live in, different scents enhance how we experience food, different textures create different sensations and so does different temperature, speed, skin colour, weight, materials and every other difference that exists in the universe. But; humans being humans, always find a way of creating drama, thus tribalism, racism, xenophobia etc.
When the subject about different sex and personality reached the shores of Kenya, I heard about it on the telly. I had been hearing about it all along. It just was not “real” yet. It was just rumours -muchene as the Kikuyus call it. I had never really thought it was an issue, let alone a global uprising. It hit me one Friday evening as my two colleagues and I were working overnight surrounded by an atmosphere that screamed “PARTY! PARTY!”
Right outside our open plan office was a team of workers setting up a large tent. In it were event seats dressed in white decor and red ribbons. The blue, red, green and some other colour that I can’t remember — ambience lighting, suggested that it was a high society event. The music echoed that implication and the restaurant hosting them confirmed it. So, the peaks from the window quickly graduated into random walks outside just to understand what was going on.
When the crowd trickled in it became even harder to brainstorm. Everything to do with work went to hell as soon we got wind that the drinks and foods were free of the night. In an instant we were out with glasses of our favourite drink in our hands and trying to mingle. This is where I witnessed a fully dolled up man (From the wig to the make up, down to the 6-inch stilettos). It was at this moment that it dawned on me that the event was for the LGBTQ community — the “IAP” bit of the acronym was not updated yet.
Now conscious of the clear differences that have arisen in the community because of sexual orientation, I am faced with a lot of questions. From the rainbow movement to the effects that arise because of it. Nothing is clear;
1. I mean, is it that now everyone can choose whatever option that is available in the spectrum of sexuality and then add to the letter of this movement?
2. Are straight people really that “evil” that they need to be purged from some state of mind that does not agree with these other sexualities?
3. Now that there are over 5 gender pronouns, does it mean that the school curriculum taught for centuries has to be changed to include these pronouns? And does this mean that grammar will have to change as we know it?(will “They are going to school.” now change to “They is going to school.” or will the same statement have two meanings and still be grammatically correct?)
4. For parents, what amount of explaining will you have to give during “The Talk” so that children understand the correct terms to use?
5. How will the architecture of rooms like the loo and changing rooms have to change? The signs at the door among other things.
6. How does respecting the LBTQ+ community rights look like so that no one has to march on the streets and campaign in various media or even in schools and offices?
There are more questions but maybe these would help people to understand and to get onboard with the idea, so that we can turn these arising differences into something that brings humanity together.
