Nine days after Britain's PM David Cameron threatened to cut funds to antigay nations, Botswana's former president Festus Mogae told BBC correspondent Letlhogile Lucas that homosexuality should be decriminalized, in order to help fight the spread of HIV. He said:
"I don’t understand it [homosexuality]. I am a heterosexual. I look at women. I don’t look at other men. But there are men who look at other men. These are citizens. To protect them and their clients from being infected [with HIV], you have to assist them to protect themselves. I don’t think by arresting them you help them."
The former president saying this now is like Bill Clinton's support for gay marriage only after he was safely out of office and powerless to undo the antigay bigotry he signed into law.
It's more relevant to hear from incumbents, like Zimbabwe's PM Morgan Tsvangirai. Last year Tsvangirai said "I totally agree with the president," referring to notorious homophobe Robert Mugabe's fierce opposition to LGBT protection in the new constitution. Yesterday, in a total reversal, Tsvangirai told the BBC's Gavin Esler, "My attitude is that I hope the constitution will come out with freedom of sexual orientation." He added,"To me, it's a human right."
Notice these sudden conversions come in chats with the BBC. It would be more meaningful to see the same remarks made at home to their own political parties and constituents.
Of course, many believe conservative Cameron's newfound gay support itself hovers between insincere lip service and sheer cynicism. Speaking of which, the photo of Festus and Julianne Moore at a 2009 "private, pre-Oscar dinner celebrating diamonds in Africa" is by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.
They first need to help them with health, than take care of antigay policies.
Posted by: Steps | December 07, 2011 at 04:51 AM