Last week I passed a group of young boys somewhere, I can’t remember. I must have had my vehicle windows down, or perhaps I was riding my bike, I can’t remember. They were in the range of 9, 10 years old. I heard one of them say to another something like, “Yu no yer den se da skin disease?” And I got the impression that they were talking about the late Michael Jackson.
As I continued on my way, I thought of how many, many hours of exposure to Michael Jackson images had taken place for Belize’s boys as they watched cable television since Jackson passed a few weeks ago. And I wondered about the effect of these images on all those young and malleable male minds. How many of them had to have gotten the impression that this was how a really famous, wealthy and “successful” black man had behaved? How many would perhaps have been tempted to wear a white glove on one hand, “geri-curl” their hair and speak in a squeaky voice? Psychologists call it the power of suggestion.
The question of sexual identity has become a confusing one in the modern world. About thirty or forty years ago, there was a homosexual singing group out of New York City called “The Village People.” They were very popular and made a lot of money. They didn’t look or behave like classic sissies, but their message was gay. At least, that’s what the experts said.
The homosexual lobby in the United States has grown more and more subliminal in their approach. They sneak their gay message across in television commercials, for example, so skillfully that you have to marvel at their ingenuity. Whenever it is a commercial with just two males, or even with more than two, you have to watch for inappropriate touches and interactions which the video creators are using to suggest that gay behavior is acceptable. Their intent is to “soften” the minds of young boys and men.
Those who have studied UBAD, especially the women activists, have remarked on the fact that there were few women in UBAD’s leadership structure. They should be informed that 1969 (the year of UBAD’s foundation) was a year when we Belizean young men felt that a sissy culture had become powerful in Belize, and our generation of 1969 was reacting against it. Remember also, that the nature of our country’s socio-political posture towards Guatemala in 1969 was extremely soft, yielding, almost one of surrender. This went against the grain of UBAD leaders. We rebelled against that.
Since I have been in public life these forty years, I have had to mingle with people in business, politics, and society as a whole, who are outright or closet homosexuals. UBAD, I would say, was homophobic, as they say, but it is really impossible to operate in Belize if you are extreme in your hostility to gays. It goes further than that. You will meet gays who speak and behave in a more masculine fashion than you do, so how will you be sure you are touching all the bases where your discrimination game is concerned?
I do not consider myself a “supermacho.” I played piano for seven years as a child. Piano is considered soft. I am a writer, and made my living as a journalist. There are many homosexuals in the media profession. In fact, I am less macho than the environment where I work. There are a couple gays who have been forced out of Kremandala because our street surroundings made it difficult for them to operate. But I myself have learned to be tolerant towards people who are homosexuals and lesbians. What consenting adults do, I do not consider my business.
But, for some reason, adults, both straights and gays, are often targeting children. This is an abomination, and Jesus Christ spoke specifically in condemnation of the scandalizing of children. He called for pedophiles to receive the most severe of punishments. As a people, we have this serious responsibility to protect the innocence of our children until they can make mature decisions for themselves.
The question of manhood extends beyond sexuality. I have seen men that I believe to be men where their sexual lives are concerned, who are behaving in ways which are unworthy of a man. But who am I to judge? The issue is larger than myself.
When I was a young boy, I wanted to be a grown man. I wished for that with all my being. I wanted to be like my maternal grandfather, who died in 1957 when I was 10 years old. I feel that if he were to return to earth today, I would wish for him to accept me as the man that he had been.
I never wanted to be like Michael Jackson. Michael wanted to remain a child all his life, and he became very wealthy behaving as he did. Our young boys in Belize have been bombarded with Michael Jackson images every day for weeks. It is excessive.
The Kremandala people are proud to re-introduce our summer karate program this week. I don’t want to bring pressure on him, but our instructor, Mark Welch, has been a humble, oustanding role model in our community for decades. The black man has always been under attack, ever since white supremacy was introduced into our world five centuries ago. Respect, Mark Welch. You are doing valuable work in helping our boys prepare to be men.
Power to the people.