Ebola panic fueling toxic homophobia in Africa. Surprised?

[Jingthing]

American right wing Christian fundamentalists involved as well. (Read linked article for information about that.)

Yes, I am surprised a connection is being made between Ebola and gays in Africa ... but not surprised about the American right wing Christian fundamentalists. That's how they roll.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/10/24/how-ebola-is-fueling-prejudice-against-gays/?hpid=z1

"Since church ministers declared Ebola was a plague sent by God to punish sodomy in Liberia, the violence toward gays has escalated. They're even asking for the death penalty. We're living in fear," LGBT activist Leroy Ponpon told Reuters over the phone from Monrovia. The article elaborates:

Ponpon, an LGBT campaigner in the Liberian capital, says gays have been harassed, physically attacked and a few have had their cars smashed by people blaming them for the hemorrhagic fever, after religious leaders in Liberia said Ebola was a punishment from God for homosexuality.

The Liberian Council of Churches, as my colleague Terrence McCoy noted in August, released a statement saying "God is angry with Liberia, and that Ebola is a plague." It went on:

Liberians have to pray and seek God's forgiveness over the corruption and immoral acts (such as homosexualism, etc.) that continue to penetrate our society. As Christians, we must repent and seek God's forgiveness.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Jingthing

[Scott]

Thanks for the information. How very, very sad. This is persecution, pure and simple.

[thaicurious]

Could just be they got confused...

[Jingthing]

Could just be they got confused...

...

That's just stupid.

[thaicurious]

Could just be they got confused...

...

That's just stupid.

Unprovoked attack much?

[Jingthing]

Unprovoked attack much?

If you don't have anything to say about the topic, suggest saying nothing. Not every topic in the gay forum is an invitation to post inane irrelevant "jokes" about the word gay.

[thaicurious]

Unprovoked attack much?

If you don't have anything to say about the topic, suggest saying nothing. Not every topic in the gay forum is an invitation to post inane irrelevant "jokes" about the word gay.

Or, perhaps you missed that the play was not so much as you said on gay/gay but on ENOLA/EBOLA with regard to "a connection is being made between Ebola and gays".

[Scott]

Let's keep it civil.

There seems to be a huge anti-gay backlash in Africa and any excuse to persecute gays is acceptable. If God hates gays, then Africa should be suffering from nothing because they are certainly at the forefront of victimizing gays.

[kurnell]

Not many ebola cases in Sydney or San Francisco?

Edited October 25, 2014 by kurnell

[isanbirder]

It's not very surprising that gays are being blamed. When there is a panic over an epidemic (or for other reasons), the vulnerable minorities get blamed. How often have Jews been blamed for plagues etc?

[thaicurious]

Let's keep it civil.....

But mommmmm, HE started (kidding). I think maybe Jingthing thought I was bashing gay and if so I should clarify that I am gay and most certainly was not and would not. I like us gay people. Also I tend to a very dry humor, often no change to inflection in person so online probably not always easy to read. I'd use more smilies but that just gives it away too easily; and I worked for years on telling a joke with a str8 face so I'm not about to let the internet ruin that. I get that I might then have to explain myself. Not a problem on this end.

For me it's nearly impossible to even approach this insanity without at least some humor. Our individual lives are hard enough and we've only some control over that. For these types of things we can exert through our governments some pressures but we've even less control than over our own lives which are difficult. So I do not find irreverence inappropriate, neither here, nor practically any time. I've had some of the hardiest laughs at funerals of loved ones. Emotions are imbedded in memory but not necessarily tied directly to experience. We can and sometimes should transcend that.

You can only let the world and its experiences bring you down so far. There is a lot of terrible here. But then you have to rise above that at least within yourself. For me it is completely natural to laugh at the devil. That doesn't mean that I don't empathize with sufferings inflicted.

[Scott]

Somebody should tell those superstitious people in Africa that Ebola is God's plague on them for persecuting gays.

[Jingthing]

Unprovoked attack much?

If you don't have anything to say about the topic, suggest saying nothing. Not every topic in the gay forum is an invitation to post inane irrelevant "jokes" about the word gay.

Or, perhaps you missed that the play was not so much as you said on gay/gay but on ENOLA/EBOLA with regard to "a connection is being made between Ebola and gays".

I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm not always right. Sometimes I'm wrong. I missed it. Moronic of me. It happens. Good one. Enola Gay. Too funny.

[Scott]

Well, JT, it's good of you to admit to being wrong. I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken!

[thaicurious]

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Somebody should tell those superstitious people in Africa that Ebola is God's plague on them for persecuting gays.

The crazy thing is that their thinking really is that crazy. But we have to be careful as to which crazy we use to fight crazy. Yours could work but also it could backfire. You never know how some of that might play until you set it in motion. They might take to thinking that we really are special and start sacrificing us, as, oh, I don't know, a fertility offering? Orrrrrrrr, they might threaten sacrifice to extort favor from God.

I suggest trying it if that's what you think best, only stand clear of the edges of volcanoes or subway platforms.

I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm not always right. Sometimes I'm wrong. I missed it. Moronic of me. It happens. Good one. Enola Gay. Too funny.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you. Typed individually. Not merely copy/pasted.

You have restored my faith in the internetz. Peace, man.

[Scott]

It's true that you never know what kind of crazy is going to work with crazies. Personally, I'd rather try and give a enema to a rabid dog that deal with some of the lunacy in Africa.