LGBT Issues and the PCV by Samuel B.

Samuel B.
Kirehe District, Eastern Province
(sorry, no picture this time)


This being my first blog for the GAD Committee, I wasn't really sure what to write about, so I decided I write about something that's been on my mind since the Friday following the All-Volunteer Conference. That night some of us attended the LGBT Panel at the Goethe Institute. With the exception of the Scandinavian(?) scientist who felt it necessary to Google a bunch of bullshit statistics on the factors contributing to the likelihood of being “homosexual or lesbian” and present them in poor English, it was a great event. I think what caught my attention the most, well everyone's attention, was the presentation by the Ugandan lawyer who started a coalition for the defense of those Ugandans being prosecuted under the new anti-homosexuality law. I think his, as well as his colleague's, view on the nature of local LGBT issues and the influence of various types of international pressure directly relates to our position as PCVs.


At a certain point in the lawyer's presentation, it was asked how international pressure, such as rescinding aid, was affecting the internal situation. Essentially, the belief was that withdrawing aid only exacerbated the tension, making the LGBT community the scapegoat and doing little to directly affect wealthy politicians. This question led to many more like it, and I started to think about how we, as PCVs, can take a stance on LGBT issues in a productive way. For weeks, I've been wanting to do some sort of controlled lesson, in a GLOW or BE Club setting, on different lifestyles to maybe spur a debate or at least show that I'm someone that students struggling with their personal identities can talk to. But when I heard the lawyer's colleague claim that Museveni only signed the anti-homosexual bill into law after Obama's public statement objecting to the bill, which was particularly popular to the Western audience, I reconsidered my plans. The colleague went on further to discuss how prior to the bill's signing, it had been passed by parliament on several occasions, after which Secretary Clinton was known to call Museveni personally to discuss the matter. After the panel concluded, I approached the speaker and asked his advice on introducing LGBT issues in the classroom or in after-school activities. He suggested only doing so under the umbrella of general human rights issues, allowing the students to take the initiative. He claimed that he and his colleagues have been trying to restrict the debate in Rwanda to politicians only in hopes to prevent wide-spread support for a bill similar to that of Uganda's. “If we were to open the debate up to the general public, 90% of Rwandan's would vote for an anti-homosexual bill,” he said. With that in mind, I realized that as good as my intentions might be, in a country that currently has no law against or for the LGBT community, simply talking about these issues at a grassroots level would in fact be harmful; a grassroots wildfire, as it may.


Maybe his answer was simply common sense, but I hadn't considered before that at the very least my GLOW and BE Club, the students who are supposedly more enlightened on gender-related issues, wouldn't be the appropriate audience for a direct discussion on LGBT issues in Africa. So, if you have also been wondering what you can do to introduce these issues, do so with caution. Don't champion an issue in the hopes of advancing open-mindedness only to leave a bad taste in the mouths of others who aren't ready for it.


I think we sometimes think we have all the right answers. It's hard to remove ourselves from the subconscious superiority we feel as Americans, but we have to remember that we aren't here to force change. We aren't here to perform invasive surgery on the culture and society we're serving. We have to let the change come to us, as painful as the waiting might be. That doesn't mean do nothing; it just means serve softly. I know there are things about my personality and opinions that I won't sacrifice to blend in or integrate, and I think that's fine, but I can choose how I represent those parts of myself, especially if it means a more positive outcome for something I'm passionate about. It's odd to think about how being less democratic might lead to progress, but then again, the LGBT community in Rwanda is a silent minority; so don't do them a disservice by being vocal for the sake of good intentions. Take a step back. I said to my PC recruiter back in August 2012 that I didn't care about changing every life I came into contact with, whether it was 150 students or more than that in the community, I was doing this in the hopes that a handful get it, that the few that need what I can offer receive it. It's not grassroots, it's bean shoots, and that's quite alright.