Saturday Nation
Date: 27.08.2016
Page 7
Article size: 299 cm2
ColumnCM: 66.44
AVE: 136211.11
No one chooses to become gay, it
depends on how one was created
For reasons unknown,
Kenyan media ignored
the controversy generated
by Sebastian Coe, president
of the International Associa­
tion of Athletics Federations
(IAAF), who declared he would
appeal the ruling by the Court
of Arbitration for Sport, which
decided against testosterone
monitoring of female athletes.
The poster child for this
controversy is South African
runner Caster Semenya, who
Berlin Athletics Champion­
ships. Chalk it up to misplaced
patriotism and profound disap­
pointment that the 'Eldoret
Express' did not win the an­
ticipated gold medal, but I was
dreadfully wrong.
For while Semenya may have
higher than "normal" levels of
everyone will end up gay! And
it is not a "Western" trait. If
anything, it is homophobia that
is Western, albeit from 19th
century Europe!
There was an interesting
story carried by the Standard
this week, discussing how
thousands of LGBTI Kenyans
are forced to marry to avoid the
testosterone, this is who she
is, as natural as God made her.
shame and embarrassment that
She does not dope. She trains
hard and long. And few athletes
in modern times have been sub­
won the women's 800 metres at
jected to such humiliation and
the Rio Olympics. Semenya has
hyperandrogenism, meaning
she has higher than "normal"
abuse. That she has come back
testament to her character.
levels of testosterone. The
British media have stoked this
then Usain Bolt should also be
for those who think
matter considerably, adding
Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi
and Margaret Wambui of Kenya
— who won silver and bronze,
respectively — into the mix.
scrutinised because his height
and leg stride gives him a huge
advantage over other sprint­
ers. But then again, he did not
choose his height and no one
that being LGBTI is a
choice, ask yourselves
why anyone would
The unkind remarks of British
doubts his work ethic or com­
marginalised and
runner Lynsey Sharp, who was
sixth in the race, veered closely
to being racist.
This debate brings out mat­
petitive edge.
Similarly, there is no doubt
ostracised
ters that need frank discussion.
The accusation is that with her
higher levels of testosterone,
Semenya has an advantage over
other female athletes. Testo­
sterone is a natural hormone
occurring in both men and
women, but which is responsi­
ble for "masculine" traits like
beards, lower voice, and aggres­
sion.
I was one of Semenya's
stronger, faster and sawier is
But if we take this further,
her shrugging off our own
Janeth Jepkosgei at the 2009
"conversion
•jfr therapy" works. And
choose to be so reviled,
that some male athletes have
higher than "normal" testo­
sterone levels that should give
them advantage in their events.
Yet, no one has raised these
issues.
The salient issue from this
saga is how we determine what
is "normal" or "natural". And
this is especially relevant when
dealing with matters affecting
LGBTI, more so in a country
where our homophobia is mas­
sive.
doubters when I first watched
No amount of
But like hyperandrogenism,
no one chooses to be Lesbian,
Gay, Bi­sexual, Transgender or
comes with being gay or les­
bian in Kenya and the pain that
causes them and their spouses.
I am minded of a story told
by one of Kenya's leading re­
searchers on HIV/Aids a few
years back. Researchers dis­
covered that one of the leading
causes of HIV transmission was
married men who were having
sex with other men who would
then put their wives at risk. So
they decided to call a meeting
of married men who were also
closeted gay. They expected
about 50 or so men at the
meeting but instead, hundreds
turned out as the word got
around about the meeting!
Intersex. It is just how some
To their credit, neither Presi­
are created.
No amount of "conversion
dent Uhuru Kenyatta nor Cord
leader Raila Odinga could be
said to be publicly homophobic.
therapy" works. And for those
who think that being LGBTI is
a choice, ask yourselves why
anyone would choose to be so
reviled, marginalised and os­
tracised.
No, accepting LGBTI will not
lead to a reduction in our popu­
lation! The LGBTI community
is a minority, just as women
with hyperandrogenism. And
accepting it will not mean that
If we believe that we are made
in God's image — all of us, gay
and non­gay — then maybe we
will come to the point when our
leaders will participate in Pride
Parades just as Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau of Canada did a
few weeks back in Montreal.
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