Forget the Homosexuals – I am the Real Criminal
The most important five words in Section 53 of the laws of Belize are “against the order of nature”.
Those words form the foundation for the argument presented by religious
fundamentalists, and others, who believe their own interpretation of
biblical scripture, their own particular brand of faith, and their own
definitions of what is “normal” and “natural” should dictate how, why
and (most importantly) to whom our laws are applied.
“Against the order of nature”
does not specifically single out men who have sex with men or women who
have sex with women, nor any particular sexual activity practiced
exclusively by gays or lesbians. Yet many people who lobby in favour of
the continued criminalization of homosexuality in Belize defend their
position by quoting scripture, declaring that “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve”,
and pointing out the biologically accurate fact that two men alone (or
two women alone) can not create a baby. Therefore, the fundamentalists
insist, it is perfectly clear what God intends for all of us. Man
should be with woman and the result shall be children. Go against the
natural order of things and the law and/or God shall deal with you!
The
constitution of Belize grants every person the right to believe exactly
what he or she wants to believe. If you choose to believe that there
is a divine order to everything that is your right. If you believe that
homosexuality is a sin, that too is your right. But you have to accept
that the same constitution that protects your right to religious
freedom, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression also protects
everyone else. Including the people who disagree with you.
In
the past several months I have also heard many people defend their
intolerance for homosexuality with wild claims of concern for the
continued propagation of the Belizean population. Many of these
anti-gay crusaders – who dismiss the LGBT population as being so
insignificantly small in numbers that their rights are not even worthy
of consideration – are very concerned that gays and lesbians will not do
their part to keep the population growing. The Mayor of Belmopan even
went so far as to suggest Belize would become “extinct” if we allow
homosexuals to live freely in our society!
So what does any of this have to do with me, other than the fact I am a Belizean who believes in equal rights for all? Well, I am a much bigger sinner and a much greater threat to the survival of our population than any gay or lesbian in Belize.
I am a heterosexual man and I am childless!
Oh
my God, it is true. I have sex with women (albeit monogamously) just
like many Christians believe God intends for me to do. But I have never
had sex for the purpose of creating a life. I’ve never “left it up to
God” to decide if His plan is for me to have a child or not. In fact
I’ve been very deliberate (and responsible) about avoiding pregnancy my
entire sexually active life. Yes, you are free to believe that I thumb
my nose at God every time I have sex. Go right ahead and be concerned
that I am putting the future of Belize in peril for not adding a few
more children to our growing population. I am certainly not “normal” by
societal standards because not only do I not have children with my
partner, I don’t have any “outside pikni” either. In fact I don’t even
have a “sweetheart”. I’m the strange one, I know.
Clearly I conduct my private sexual life “against the order of nature”
and contrary to the social norms of Belize. So why are these same
people, who are so concerned with homosexuals, not also threatened by
me? Why do they not fret about seeing ME holding hands with my partner
and having to explain to their kids that sometimes men and women love
each other without making babies? Why are they not paranoid that people
like ME are plotting to infiltrate the schools in order to indoctrinate
children with our evil D.I.N.K. (double income no kids) agenda? How
come MY lack of offspring is not considered evidence that I must hate
God or a sign that I am working to destroy the church? Why do none of
these “family values” Christians tell ME to start having kids or get the
hell out of Belize? Why has no one ever suggested that I may enjoy my
childless relationship in secret but publicly I must pretend to be a
parent?
But most importantly, why are they not suggesting that S.53 should be used to put ME in prison for 10 years?
Oh
that’s right, the anti-gay crusaders say the law is never used to lock
anyone up, but we must keep it in tact just to remind everyone that
homosexuality is not “normal”. You know, like how in earlier times a
severed head would be publicly displayed to serve as warning to others.
They say they don’t actually want to punish homosexuals; they just want
them to feel intimidated.
So OK then, why won’t
these culture warriors at least hold the threat of S.53 over MY head to
remind ME that I too am deviating from God’s plan and society’s
expectations?
Is it because I am allowed to make my own
choices on how, why and with whom I am sexually intimate? Is it because
I am free to decide what God wants for me and if I am wrong He will
deal with me Himself? Is it because I have the right to privacy? Or is
it because (as long as we are not harming anyone) my partner and I have
the right our own sexuality?
The answer to all of the above is, YES.
But
ONLY because I am physically intimate with a person of the opposite sex
am I exempt from S.53 while others are not. That’s why this law is
unconstitutional. That’s why it is abhorrent for anyone to defend this
law on the basis moral and spiritual values or societal norms.
Once
you selectively apply any law to a specific segment of society while
exempting another you are violating the constitutional and fundamental
human rights of the persecuted party. So until the churches and other
anti-gay crusaders come after ME and demand that I be charged under
Section 53 they have no right to call for the continued criminalization
of the consensual sexual activity of anyone.
So to people
like Scott Stirm, Louis Wade, Dorick Wright, Eugene Crawford, Paul
Rodriguez, etc. I say feel free to pray for me and ask God to bless me
with the children I’ve deliberately avoided creating for all these
years. I welcome you to take to the airwaves and the newspapers to tell
me about YOUR definition of family as intended by OUR creator. Share
with anyone who wants to listen to the select scriptures that support
your intolerant point of view. By all means continue to consider
yourself the moral arbiter on who should have sex with whom, under what
circumstances and in what manner. Please continue to believe that
anyone who lives his or her life in any way that is contrary to your
personal belief system (even if they cause you no harm) is evil and will
be punished by God. That is your right.
But until you start advocating for the criminalization of people like me, and every other person who does not think, act, and copulate exactly as you deem natural and normal, I will continue to call you a hypocrite, a homophobe, and a bigot.