| Continue to next personal story |
You'll see no faces and no names of gay East Africans on this website. It isn't safe! |
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| Personal Story No. 5 |
| Gay and Christian in KENYA, UGANDA, TANZANIA, RWANDA AND BURUNDI |
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| This website was constructed in July of 2007 Visits made to this web page since August 2007 |
| Meet us under the acacia tree. |
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| "I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in also."John 10:16 |
| Other Sheep Websites Other Sheep English Other Sheep Spanish Argentina Other Sheep Foundation Executive Director |
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| Photo at right: Gays telling their stories to one antoher in the Nairobi gated apartment complex where Steve and Jose were staying. |
| Jose Ortiz, Other Sheep Coordinator for Africa |
| Steve Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director |
Above photes:
Top Picture
Jose is leading one of the
many discussion groups
that met in our apartment.
Bottom Picture
Steve is teaching the
power point presentation
on the Bible and
Homosexuality from his
lap top.
Nairobi, Kenya
July, 2007
Top Picture
Jose is leading one of the
many discussion groups
that met in our apartment.
Bottom Picture
Steve is teaching the
power point presentation
on the Bible and
Homosexuality from his
lap top.
Nairobi, Kenya
July, 2007
| Would God make someone and then deny that person to love and be loved? Kenyan Man, Early-Twenties Submitted August 1, 2007 I still plan to marry . . . to change my orientation . . . to make her happy even at my own expense. I may not be able to give her what most striaght men would, but I will try my best to give her something close to that. __________________________________________ |
| Why you'll see no pictures and no names of gay East Africans on this website: |
| "In October 2006, a local newspaper published a list of names of suspected gays and lesbians. The gay rigths group says several people whose names appeared on the list lost jobs and were mistreated by their families." |
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- I am the second born in my family.
Fooled around from age six to age thirteen
- I was about six when I had my first male on male encounter. It
was while we were playing house and I happened to get
chosen to play the mother. We went into the bathroom with
the guy who was to play the father and fooled around a little
and I got one of my first erections. From there, I fooled
around with a number of young people till I reached the age
of 13 when I discovered pornography.
Why I am living a closeted life to this very day
- During this time I had tried to once tell a friend about what I
was going through by mail but one of my parents got a hold
of it and shouted at me for even thinking I was gay. This led
me to a closet life which I am living to date.
My Pentecostal parents "took me through numerous
'deliverance' sessions"
- I was brought up in a Pentecostal household and as per
Pentecostal doctrine everything has a spirit, thus thinking
freely was considered a spirit of rebellion. Homosexuality was
also among the spirits and my parents took me through
numerous "deliverance" sessions to get rid of it. I was so
guilty that for a long time I prayed for God to make me
straight, but after a while I just gave up asking and decided
to just go with it. It was at this time, around the age of 19,
when I stopped going to church.
Kenya is so homophobic: arson, excommunication, castration
- The situation wasn't helped by the fact that Kenya is a
homophobic nation and gay bashing extends as far as
destruction of property e.g. arson, total excommunication
from society and even castration in some cases.
I avoid lasting relationships with men; coming out "would do
more damage than good, but . . ."
- I have had a number of flings but all have ended with me
feeling so guilty (partially due to religion) about what I was
doing that I just run away from the men I slept with, ignoring
their calls and trying generally to avoid them. I have no
intention of coming out of the closet as I think it's too late for
me and it would do more damage than good, but I
encourage all those out there who are struggling, to be true
to themselves and to take care life is too precious to waste
living a lie.
How do I "relate being gay and being a Christian?"
- I still am unsure about how to relate being gay and being a
Christian, but I don't think that God in all his grace would do
something like make someone what they are and deny them
the opportunity to feel and experience love and reciprocate
the feeling.
I still plan to marry . . . to change my orientation . . . to make
her happy even at my own expense
- I still plan to marry, first because it is expected of me by
society and second because I fell in love with a lady and I
love her enough to change my sexual orientation for her. I
would find it hard to break her heart by telling her I'm gay
because as I said I love her and want her to be happy even
at my own expense. I may not be able to give her what most
straight men would but I will try my best to give her
something close to that.