I noticed a member of this forum tried comming out of the closet but was met with hostile, rude and vulgar remarks, that was really sad.The reality is that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community (LBGT) has been a core group of scrutiny, fear, and confusion within reports of varied mediums of exposure since time in memorial. In Kenya,Homosexuality is "largely considered to be taboo and abhorrent to cultural values and morality".
This has however not stopped the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) in Kenya to come forward and protect their alleged rights. Despite the Constitution’s more progressive stance, not all Kenyans are able to enjoy the rights guaranteed to them under its provisions. Due to this the LGBT community are now leveraging on social media as a medium for expression, which has encouraged many to ‘come out’ especially on online forums like kenyanlist. The ‘twitter streets’ are now filled with users having the pride flag next to their username in support of the LGBT rights, despite recent rulings on the act remaining illegal in Kenya.
Confiding to close pals, friends and family about their status has now become the LGBT community norm in Kenya. So what happens when someone decides to divulge this sensitive information? Well, here’s what you should and should not do.
Do Listen, let them talk.
Listen and ask them if they want to talk about it. They just confided in you which means they trust you
and consider you a close person in their lives. Ask them if they want to talk about their situation and just
listen to them.
Don’t Say you always knew
They might have kept this from you for a long time, and thought they were successful. Telling them you
always knew will make them paranoid. They’ll then start to wonder who else knows they are a
homosexual.
Don’t Be Awkward
The news might come as a shock and can be uncomfortable. However, you need to make them feel
warm. Do as much as possible try to make them feel they made the right choice confiding in you. Go
with the flow.Do ask appropriate questions
Your questions need to be within boundaries, at least for now. Don’t nudge for details about their sex
life or lack thereof.
Do treat them the same.
Again, this goes back to being awkward. Don’t start treating them differently because of their status.
Staying normal will make them feel like their situation is normal.
Don’t spread the word.
It’s not your story to tell. Respect them enough to at least keep their secret. Besides they told you their
story because they trust you.
