Two guesses as to who Brian is mmmh yeeeaaah. Oh yeah, he tickles my fancy, still does. This has been my summer of playing catch up on awesome shows I missed in my yesteryears. Well, I stumbled onto Queer as Folk in the local library and was hooked from episode one. I don’t have cable (can you tell?) Not particularly because of Brain Kinney but the awesome chemistry of the cast and the superbly written script. However, I must admit Brian Kinney is the most beautiful man I have seen on TV this summer. I kid you not! Gale Harold became Brian and embodied him in every way. I loved his arrogance, brilliance, wardrobe (in later episodes ahem). As the show evolved, I figured out that he was the protagonist of the show, not needy boyish Michael Novotny. But then again, I am biased, clearly. Was the sex a distraction for me? Nah uh, Babylon was! All the awesome music from Babylon reminded me of my high school senior year and freshman year at college. Woman, if I could dance to electric house music one more time in Klub House ‘aka’ K1, I would be in music heaven.
I may have loved this show for sentimental reasons, the baggy jeans from the 2000’s and boots ‘aka avunjas. Oh lord, have we really come thus far? How I thought that men’s baggy jeans was a cool fashion statement, I will never forgive myself ugh! Everytime Michael Novotny popped on screen my fashion police sense screamed a little bit. But then again hey, I was a victim of fashion in the late 90’s too. What I loved most about the show was its evolution. Queer as Folk wasn’t simply about the sex lives of gay friends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was much more than that. The show evolved to tackle discrimination, homophobia, discrimination, and many atrocious human rights violations of the LGBT community. I was appalled each time an episode and/or season dealt with an issue and I would think ‘OMG that was so long ago’! Only to read the news and realize we haven’t come that far in 12 years.
Why am I going on about the ‘queers’ you may ask? I attribute three reasons to this show being on my mind today: David Guetta‘s Titanium (yes, I do miss Babylon), Sally Ride passing on, and the first ever LGBT activist nominated to the high court in Kenya. It’s a bittersweet victory for me. On one hand, I am super grateful to be a resident of a country that prides itself to be the free world and a melting pot. As much as we are a free world, it seems we are moving 1,000 steps backwards, from treating women as baby carrying vessels with no regard for their life to denying basic health care to the underserved. When did this happen? I keep on asking myself how one can claim to be religious yet use their position of power to persecute the powerless? Is that religion? All religions I am familiar with practice empathy, justice, kindness, love, peace. How does one defend their discrimatory actions and words with religion? I am constantly baffled by such callousness. Surely if God existed religious fanatics would be struck down by lightning or brimstone perharps? Speaking of Brimstone, whatever happened to that show?
Ok moving on. . . . . . .I was sad to learn of the passing of Sally Ride. In my self professed ignorace, I had never heard of her till news of her death hit Twitter. I really don’t care whether she was gay or straight. However, I must point out that she was a woman who achieved the highest possible achievement in every sense of the word. She made it to space. Again I ask, how did her identity and sexuality affect her achievements? This is where I hang my head in shame on behalf of all the bigots who persecute the LGBT community. SHAME ON YOU!!!
Finally, I am super stoked that the words LGBT can be mentioned in Kenya as a local LGBT rights activist was nominated by the president as a high court judge. This is HUGE news! For REALZ! Congratulations Monica Mbaru!! I come from a country where culture and religion dictate everything so much so that we were indoctrinated at a very early age to believe that rock music was the devil’s, Michael Jackson was a devil worshipper, and all gay men wore earrings (Believe me, its a long ridiculous list). We are super conservative and uber religious, treat mean and women of the cloth like semi-gods and blame the devil for everything, including oversleeping. Yup, that’s Kenya for you. We come a close second to Uganda world renowned for torturing and killing LGBT activists. Somehow though (by the grace of Brian Kinney), it seems Kenya has evolved (there is a Brian Kinney after all), and so have I. Yup, my thinking has since evolved with my growth and exposure. I currently work to ensure that underserved commnities (particularly the LGBT community) get the healthcare and socio – economic resources they need. And you know what? I LOVE IT!!! I cannot envision seeing myself working for another cause, as I always say as long as it has to do with sex, you bet I will be passionate about it – think reproductive health rights.
So, please celebrate with me as I dance to Babylon’s beats tonight and ponder over what this appointment means for the Kenyan LGBT community.
We will Survive. . . . .
Peace!
modernmamalogues 