Night Life and Prostitution in Lusaka

Night revelers take to the stage at a night club in Lusaka

In my previous articles on “Night Life and Prostitution in Lusaka” I have written and highlighted what goes on when boy meets girl. During my book project on prostitution, I have come to learn a lot. My eyes and mind have been opened to many new things. More recently, I have run into people who are homosexuals. As Zambia commemorates World Aids Day today, it is important to acknowledge this marginalized group of our society.

Unlike in the west, where the issue of homosexuality is a sensitive one and it’s treated with delicacy, here in Zambia it is outright condemned. In fact, it is even illegal and one can be imprisoned for this just like the Malawian case showed us several months ago. Do homosexuals have a place in our society? How should we respond to people who openly or secretly say they are homosexuals? And by we, I mean us the friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles, cousins, workmates, etc. Do we also need to jump in the bandwagon and stone these people to death?

I am not sure this is a topic I will explore further in my book. However, my interest has been to find out and get to know the people who are homosexuals here in Zambia. How they are able to cope up with a society like ours that is so conservative on the issue. When was it that they first learned that they are homosexuals? I have personally been able to talk to several who are homosexuals. Some of these are men while others are women. However, I have been recounted to many stories about homosexuals in Lusaka by some of the girls in my book.

The few people I talked to are normal people like everyone else. They come from families and they have brothers and sisters. They say that they have never been attracted to the people of the opposite sex. For instance, one of the guys was girlish with fancy hairdos, painted nails, and a feminine voice. Others have no outstanding features and not public about their sexual orientation for obvious reasons. They are not apologetic, though, about their orientation. They wished homosexuality was not criminalized in Zambia then more and more people will come in the open. Interestingly, they say that it is easy to find homosexual partners because they are always looking for their own kind. Therefore, when you go out to a nightclub you are able to identify them.

When I talk to people about what they think of homosexuality they have very strong words for them. They are called sinners, pagans, and even Satanists. They need deliverance or they are possessed by demons. I have not been able to find a single person with different views about homosexuality in Zambia except for the same people I talked to. Even politicians, the clergy and other leaders ostracize homosexuals. They seem to rate it higher on the sin index than stealing millions of dollars.

My views about homosexuals changed completely when I worked with them. Many times, I found people who were critical of homosexuals to be very hypocritical. I found many homosexuals to be friendlier. They never judged me by my skin color. They never stubbed me on my back. Meanwhile, the so called “Christians” were full of jealous, backbiting, and unfriendly. This is exactly what is happening in our country. We are quick to speak and judge. We have actually taken over God’s job.

It is very important for us to understand the issue of homosexuality very well. Many homosexuals will claim that the feelings for the people of the same gender are natural. They have no control over them. On the other hand, the opponents say that it is a learned behavior and that’s why this is unacceptable in our African culture. They also argue that it is unbiblical and should therefore be condemned.

Whatever the case maybe, we have an obligation to take care of our brothers and sisters. Even Jesus did not condemn. He lived and dined with all kinds of people from all walks of life. Homosexuals deserve to be respected just like everyone else. Many people change their views on homosexuals when it hits home—when one of their own turns out to be homosexual. Remember the former vice president of the United States Dick Cheney? His views quickly changed when his daughter came out of the closet and said she was a homosexual.

World Aids Day will not mean much if the country continues to have discriminatory policy on how it is fighting HIV/AIDS. Zambia needs to address issues of homosexuality and fight HIV/AIDS in our prisons. It is important for our leaders to join hands and put more resources in this fight against HIV/AIDS. This means that everyone infected or affected irrespective of their gender or sexual orientation needs to be treated equally and given all the necessary help.