My Friend Ali is a Kenyan of Asian descent.
He and I like to walk into new houses as they are being constructed. There is a
housing development near where I live, so on Christmas day we walked through
those houses.
You see Ali grants me the access card,
while I give him protection. As an Indian, he does not need to proof a priori of
his ability to buy – it is presumed he has the ability; site managers falls all
over themselves showing him the best house. The situation would be even more
dramatic, if Ali were White. But me on the other hand, as a Kenyan of African
descent, right from the time I step through the gate I have to proof ability to
buy before one of the handymen can show me a near-complete house.
Most Kenyans would know of this experience –
anyone who has gone to a hotel frequented by expatriates or tourists in Nairobi
or any other major town would have a variant story that essentially details the
same experience. What is interesting is that this discriminatory treatment is
perpetrated by fellow Kenyans, who also complain of the same mistreatment while
trying to access services elsewhere.
It does appear to me, that even after 50
years of independence, we are still captives of staircase valuation, the
highest levels still reserved for the racially privileged. Our only novelty is
to push and shove among ourselves, arguing often violently, on who has right to
occupy the “topmost of the lowest stairs.”
Yet when we talk of equality and
non-discrimination, no one listens. Our message is not just about inclusion of
gay and lesbian people, rather it is about a complete paradigm shift in how we
see ourselves and others as human beings; If only we could listen – the true
impact of our message is that all Kenyans can walk into an upmarket restaurant
and be served just like anybody else and the waiter in that upmarket
restaurant, can walk into a movie theater and be served with the same courtesy.
That our politicians can walk through
duty free shops in international airports (since they can now afford), and not
be suspected of shoplifting!
But we first need to believe it, that all
of us, without exception have human dignity essentially because we are human
and not because we have money, education or connections. The way to mainstream
this thinking is by respecting the rights of those at the most extreme of
social margin. An instrumentalist approach offers the easiest and fastest way
of entrenching this paradigm shift – How I wish 2014 will be the year we
understand this simple message!
What about our culture? What about our
religion?
Cultural protectionism is no way to go in a globalized world; it is an exercise in futility. It is even more futile, if
that protectionism is practiced selectively. Yet if we feel we must, then at
least let us spend time and resources to understand all the facets of this
exclusionary policy decision. If we must continue to criminalize gay and
lesbian people, then let us study the full impacts of such policy decision –
including the resultant externalities and spill-overs. That is what we would do
for any policy decision; this one should not be any different.
On religion, it is important to provide for
and protect religious freedom. But we must also protect against religious overreach.
The current Anti-homosexuality Bill in Uganda is an example of such an overreach
– even dictatorship. While the Bill asserts that it wants to protect
traditional family; it defines this protection in negative terms i.e., by
prohibiting same-sex relationships. The real threats to traditional family are
maternal deaths, preventable or curable diseases like malaria and ‘negative’
traditional practices! If the Ugandan government (and those others who may be
tempted to copy the Ugandan poor example), wants to protect traditional family;
then let them provide appropriate social protection schemes for families,
particularly against catastrophic health spending.
Lastly, in a conversation with a catholic
priest last week, he asked me, “If all people became gay, would humanity not
become extinct?” I asked him in return, if all people became catholic priests,
would not humanity become extinct? He only smiled slyly – I am still trying to
figure out what could have been going through his mind…
Happy and Prosperous 2014!
