Angela Philipps, Contributor

I'm so pretty, I'm so pretty, I'm so pretty and witty and gay ..." These are the lyrics of a song from long ago, when the word 'gay' actually meant 'happy'. Somewhere along the line its meaning got changed, and we all stopped singing this tune. Why on earth did we go and do such a silly thing?

Well, for one, most people don't like to be seen as homosexual, least of all those who are 'straight'! Can you picture a bunch of Jamaicans chanting such words on the party stand at Sabina Park? Probably wouldn't go down too well, and it would be a sure way to put a halt to a cricket match. They don't all bat for the same team, if you know what I mean.

But why are we on a whole, as a society, so against same-sex relationships? If I have a right, as a single person, to date, then surely everyone can practise that same privilege. People should have the freedom to do what they want, providing they are not hurting anyone. Contrary to what you might believe, those who are gay do not try to convert those who are not. If I'm out at a nightclub or a bar, it is highly unlikely that a lady will try and pick me up if she feels that I am clearly into men.

I have several gay friends, men and women, who talk about their 'gaydar' (a personal inner radar that tells them people's sexual preferences).

Logical Look

A lot of my male contemporaries have this fear of a bloke fancying them, that it's almost comical. Look at it logically: a heterosexual woman is not awestruck by every man she sees or meets, and she'll hardly throw herself on the guy she does like unless she gets the vibe that he feels the same way. So, why would you suppose that a homosexual man would want to jump another unless there was some connection there as well? For some reason, there is this misconception that gay people are attracted to every member of their own sex. That is just so ridiculous.

I am sure that some of you will want to cite to me what's in the Bible and how it's a sin to be gay. However, in the same breath please remember that there are the Ten Commandments which ought to be adhered to before one can judge another's sexual desires. Plenty of homophobes commit adultery, don't honour their parents, steal, don't keep the Sabbath Day holy, and call the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Need I go on?

To be brutally honest with you, it's none of your business what others decide to do with their lives. Yet we, as Jamaicans, feel that it is. It's hard enough to find happiness with a soulmate as it is, so if a bloke acquires this with another then who are we to get in the way? I've seen enough in the 'news' to sicken and sadden me, because we can't leave the private lives of our fellow citizens alone.

What about the children of a single mother or father? Is it damaging to them if they're brought up in an environment of same-sex partnerships? What if there is a stream of boyfriends coming in to Dad's home? Surely, this is not healthy. Well, a parent having a string of romantic heterosexual relationships is no better. If the kids are well-cared for, and brought up in a loving environment by two people who are 'pretty and witty', then does it really matter that they happen to be gay?

angelaphilippsja@hotmail.com