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Sir,

We cannot ignore the fact that in this society there is the increased culture of homosexuality that emerged several years ago. Pretending that it doesn’t exist will not help us as a nation, nor will it make it disappear.

The right to choose to marry is one instance where there remains clear and systematic discrimination in that a civil institution of immense legal, economic, cultural and symbolic power is maintained solely for the protection and benefit of one group in society – heterosexuals.

Traditional, heterosexual relationships have been shown to offer men a better, longer and healthier life with greater freedom and more power, while it has the opposite effect on women; limiting, impoverishing and in many cases providing a context that leaves them vulnerable to spousal violence and abuse.

Measured

It prioritises couple relationships and heterosexuality and sets them up as the criteria for the attribution of social status; it makes these the norms against which all other relationship forms are measured, and in addition it has been the privileged context for reproduction and childrearing. Interestingly, society continues to rebuke and humiliate someone who is brave enough to say, “Hey look, I understand you are heterosexual and I respect you. But I’m gay, so respect that.”

If one’s argument against same-sex relationships mainly focuses on the oppression of heterosexual women, then that weakens the argument completely, this is because that is based on the gender hierarchy of traditional marriage. It is not necessary to say that homosexuality is a social good: Equality is a social good towards which they are working.

If there is something we should learn from homosexuals, it is the courage they show when standing out. That if we want to see the world change for the better, then stand up for what you believe in, even if you are standing alone.

Nomsa M