Blaming the gay for Ebola…?

Because it makes perfect sense…

AOG, Madrid

A few days ago the entire planet (or at least that part of it which is wired to the media) has gone into crisis mode with the story about the ebola virus outbreak which has, unfortunately, taken several lives already in West Africa. At last count, at least 961 people.

In fact, it is so serious an outbreak that the World Health Organization, has declared it “an international health emergency”.

And according to the WHO, it will take about six months to control this outbreak which, in fact, started back in February.

According to several experts, in many African communities there is an added problem since people have to be persuaded to “abandon their traditional rituals when people have died, which involves washing the body and kissing the corpse immediately after death, which is when it is most infectious.”

That is unfortunate, but people don’t know any better and need to be educated so as to stop the spread of this virus.

Now, what I find amazing about all this, is not so much the ignorance surrounding the outbreak –if you don’t know any better, you do things as you have always done them– but rather the opportunistic attitude of several people to spread some good, home-grown, heavens-to-bits, homophobia.

GOD IS ANGRY

The bigger problem is when people -who in theory have been educated, start to do things like blame other people for what is just a part of life on this planet.

Blame other people? I am referring, of course, to this trend from the religious communities to blame homosexuality for the outbreak by saying things like it was sent as a punishment from God.

For example, in countries such as Liberia, where the Liberian Council of Churches has decided all on its own to frame the outbreak in Biblical terms, blaming Ebola on “immoral acts” such as “homosexualism.”

“God is angry with Liberia. Ebola is a plague. Liberians have to pray and seek God’s forgiveness over the corruption and immoral acts (such as homosexualism, etc.) that continue to penetrate our society. As Christians we must repent and seek God’s forgiveness,” the council said in a statement.

Really?

Of course, this would not be so bad (though it is bad enough) if this was just the attitude of ignorant people living in a third world country.

Unfortunately, it is also the attitude of ignorant people living in the first world.

AND HE IS PISSED AT THE U.S. TOO

In the United States, Christian conservative Rick Wiles has echoed these people’s ignorant and prejudiced views.

According to Wiles, ebola, which he also called a plague, “may be the great attitude adjustment that I believe is coming. Ebola could solve America’s problems with atheism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, pornography and abortion.”

Is this not just divinely-inspired genocide?

What exactly are America’s problems with atheism? What is the problem? That not everyone in America believes in the Christian God? How is that a problem?

What is America’s problem with homosexuality? That it is a part of American life and has been from the start?

That, increasingly, people are starting to realize that it is NOT ok to hate and discriminate against LGBT people? Yes, certainly that is the problem.

What of pornography? It exists. And abortion? It too is a part of life.

But Wiles is not alone. Several other ignorant religious leaders have taken up the ‘blame the gays’ torch, and they are holding it high up.

Pastor James David Manning of the Atlah Worldwide Church in Harlem, New York, has released a video in which he curses gay rights supporters with the deadly virus Ebola.

In the nearly six minute video titled Ebola Versus Sodomy, Manning says he agrees with Christian leaders in Liberia who have blamed the epidemic on “homosexualism.”

In the video itself, he says that: “All the world needs to know that sodomy and homosexuality is more deadly than the Ebola virus that is spreading all over the world… Everybody who stands up and embraces sodomy, be thou cursed with Ebola! Cursed be ye for embracing this!”

So basically, this fool is ‘cursing’ (whatever that means) people for supporting basic human rights. In other words, he is hoping that they die from Ebola for daring to challenge HIS personal views on life.

And, as always, LGBT people are being blamed for something, just like Jews used to be blamed for plagues, and different nationalities have often been blamed for diseases: Spanish flu, French flu, German measles, etc.

And what would Jesus do? Well, according to Mr. Manning, who made headlines earlier this year, “Jesus would stone homos.” Super.

I will leave the religious posit about people speaking on behalf of divine beings aside (but lets not forget Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), who recently suggested that God will punish Sears for supporting gay marriage) and concentrate instead on the very real persecution LGBT people still face.

COMING OUT 2014

A few days ago, a friend of mine called me and inquired about how best to handle a family ‘situation’.

As I listened to the situation at hand, I was surprised at the fact that this is still happening. That it hasn’t gone away and will probably never really disappear from our culture.

Someone in my friend’s close circle has a child who has only just recently came out… to my friend’s son. And no one else.

The child in question is undergoing counseling for depression and is on medication. Why? Because of his sexuality.

Because he (I am guessing) is probably feeling apprehensive about telling his parents about it. And from what my friend told me, he is afraid with good reason.

His parents, whilst being what you would call ‘well educated’, and, in theory, having no issues with gay people, do seem to have a double standard. Gay friends, no problem. But my own child? Or so my friend told me.

Of course, I don’t want to prejudge anybody. It could be that this boy’s parents are perfectly ok with their son being gay. But the fact that he is undergoing treatment for this issue (or so it seems), tells me that he probably is not feeling too confident about telling them. That he probably has continuously heard the types of negative and homophobic throwaway comments adults make which refer exclusively to him. To people like us.

Its all part of speech, you see.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

A few weeks ago I was having a drink in Madrid with a very good friend of mine and his gay son who was visiting from the UK. My friend is the sort of person who has never had an issue with gay people. Who has friends who might be gay, or straight, or ‘other’, and does not bat an eyelash about it. Much like me.

We were talking about life and his son’s childhood when, at one point, my friend’s son corrected and reminded his father about a certain homophobic comment he once made. My friend was really surprised. Really taken aback. He could not, for the life of him, remember the incident.

Yet his son remembered the incident very well. He recalled the day, the location, what they were doing. Basically, everything. He was over it now, except, of course, he wasn’t. One never is.

And if your father, who is 100% A-OK with you being gay, can make hurtful comments about you, how about a father who may not be 100% there? No wonder this boy is having a hard time.

AND THE FUTURE?

My friend, when on the phone, was surprised that this was still an issue. That coming out was still such a big deal in 2014.

My friend, who is also 100% A-OK with people being gay (funny that we never ask if gay people are 100% A-OK with people being straight), was surprised to hear that LGBT people are still struggling with this issue.

With the fact that it is still an issue at all.

And although I felt the urge, as I often do when this comes up, to start listing the number of times I have been made to feel different, or strange, or wrong, or whatever, for being gay, I thought it best to just nod and move the conversation along. To just try and find a solution to this guy’s problematic coming-out situation. To offer what little advice I could, knowing that only he can make the right choice.

And I wonder when the next time will be when I hear about one of these ‘situations’.

For now I take heart in the fact that when I posted the news on facebook the unanimous response my friends had was pretty much spot on.

My favorite comment?

“God is angry at your country because some people support gays? Don’t you think he is angry at your country because you continue to persecute us?”

And that, really, says it all.