LGBT – MinBane

Opinion: Chappelle was just being real

The ones who has issues with Comedian Dave Chappelle after his Netflix special ‘the Closer’ that premiered on the 5^th October 2021. It has caused an outcry and sparked controversy. While watching it… I only saw the same real comedian that I gotten know over all the years. The stories, the tales and the reality he describes seems “legit”. So, why this issue now?

Yes, there is always a need to address minorities and their rights. There is a need to viable and be direct about it. Discussions and talks, where people have to in the end, agree to disagree and still be cordial. However, with the comedy special have gotten twisted into something else.

Yes, Chappelle is direct and doesn’t spare any of his words. He knows his craft and has a capacity to blow someone’s mind. The jokes he had was poignant and blasphemous in the woke crowds of the internet. Nevertheless, these folks cannot take a joke or live in our reality. As they want everything to be “correct” and not without consequences. That’s why it’s easy to target the stand-up comedian for telling his story.

Not like Chappelle would change legislation or give more power to you. No, he is just addressing the double standards, the way the LGBTQ have vast power, but no checks or balances on it. Yes, they still have grievances, but who doesn’t right? They are not alone in society and they have come really far. That’s why any sort of Marvel and DC hero is becoming LGBTQ while there is nobody writing stories, which challenges your mind or entertains you for long. Therefore, the group should think about the focus and losing strike to assault Chappelle.

Chappelle even stated that he was tarnished by the group wrongly and been labelled by them. While he never had any real grudges. Heck, he even helped a Trans-Woman to become a better comedian. If he had issues with their “tribe” wouldn’t he had shunned her? Not talked and respected her? Well, he did… so the ones going after him. Don’t like that someone with a huge platform addresses the matter.

The same proof of hypocrisy is stated in the joke on the situation earlier this year of the rapper DaBaby. Who spoke his mind and tried to damage control it afterwards. He was homophobic and speaking ill of it. Alas, that was more damaging to his career, as Dua Lipa and others distances themselves from him. While nobody had any issues with him… because he killed someone at Wall Mart before his career popped-off. Therefore, you can quickly question the morality and the value of their believes.

This is why Chappelle’s Comedy Special is important. Because, it proves the reality. You might not agree with it or accept it. However, if you want things to move forward and understand the questions of our time. There is a need for pieces like these. You cannot have a Political Correct skit or jokes. Nobody will laugh at that and it will be a direct-to-DVD failure of a project. Nobody will watch it or care about it. It is dead on arrival and there was nothing to salvage. Only the pay-checks paid by the producers and the companies involved. The general public will not feel it or even bother.

That’s why Chappelle and such needs to speak their mind. They open an conversation. He proves it and explains the matters with fine detail. He takes responsibility, but also humility. Chappelle isn’t policing, but reacting to the pushbacks, which isn’t fair to him. Since they don’t really know him or his kind. They had labelled him before he went up on stage. Why do you think he should bother to be peaceful and ignorant?

Chappelle is now controversial for good. He drops the bag and everyone can see it. The ones who is displeased cannot mange the reality we live in. They cannot manage their expectations or what is really going on. There are things missing and people who feels touched, feels betrayed and questioned by this. However, have they seen any of other pieces? It is not like he haven’t used this sort of humour before… and they should have been prepared.

Chappelle is bold. He doesn’t pack himself in correctness or badging himself in what is right at the time. Chappelle just spoke his mind and explained a discrepancy in society. However, trying to cancel him is a lost cause. He will just grow stronger. If you have issues with what he said. Try to get legislators to work on legislation and just laws. Make sure the government institutions and everyone else follows these ideals. Not expect a comedian to dance to your tune. That’s not happening. Because, if he did? He wouldn’t be funny. Period. Peace.

Opinion: If Sen. Graham is gay, then he has lived a life of hypocrisy in Office

“Like maybe I’m having a clandestine affair with Ricky Martin, I know it’s really gonna upset a lot of gay men — I’m sure hundreds of ’em are gonna be jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge — but I ain’t available. I ain’t gay. Sorry” – Lindsey Graham (07.07.2010).

The South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has allegedly been outed as gay. That he has ordered male escorts (sex-workers) to his home and gotten them to sign non-disclosure agreements. There is on story on Medium, where one comes out as one of them. His nickname is also “Lady G”. Though I don’t know if the G is for the G-Spot, Gangsta, Grudge or Groin. There are so many things it could mean but that`s up for the Senator to reveal when he is ready.

However, the allegation isn’t new for this man. Greg Hambrick wrote the piece called “Is Lindsey Graham gay?” published on the 12^th September 2007 in the Charleston City Paper. Where Greg stated:

“ In a post on who’s next out of the closet following Craig’s arrest, blogger Michael Signorile (www.signorile.com) first points a questioning finger at Graham. “Let’s have a real investigation of the rumors about South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who … has been rumored to be gay for years,” Signorile says. “Like Larry Craig, Graham has voted antigay — including for the federal marriage amendment — while people in South Carolina and Washington have discussed what some say is an open secret for a long, long time.”” (Hambrick, 2007).

Because, if Lindsey is a gay-man, he surely haven’t furthered their (LGBT) interests in office. Because he has to work like a Christian-Conservative and hence wouldn’t be expecting/acting as gay person would do. That is just a reality, that Graham cannot hide away from.

Maybe, that’s why he has done those years in office: In 1998 voted YES to ban adaption for same-sex couples in D.C. In 2006 voted YES in a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage. In 2008, he supported an Constitutional Amendment banning Same-Sex Marriage. He has accepted in 2016 the verdict of Supreme Court not allowing Same-Sex Marriage.

This is just some of it. For me, its fine if he lives life as a gay and also be a proud “Lady G”. Lindsey can live his convictions and his conscience. Graham can love whoever he wants and I am not the one to judge that.

However, what is striking is the hypocrisy here. “If ” he is indeed Lady G, why would he has made life harder for LGBT or the LGBTQ community in the United States? As he has worked hard and have been directly involved in legislation and policies making life harder for them. Surely, he has done this for his own political gains and to show his stature as a conservative right?

Alas, there is where the problem lays now. As the backlash is coming towards Senator Graham. These speculations have been going on for years. Now articles from escort services are coming out too. This is clearly unleashing a backdrop, where the Senator cannot escape at this point.

So they say “the cat is out of the bag” : Senator Graham cannot just dismiss this as speculations, alleged affairs and such anymore. Especially, when the Medium Article goes viral. That is why his nickname is out and his other persona is viraly known. People like voters and most especially the opposing side will wonder what more dirty laundries his hiding.

Phillip Huang wrote this: “In November of 2013, Lindsey Graham hired me as an escort. We met at the Westmore Hotel in Baltimore. I did not know, of course, that it was Senator Graham (he used the name ‘Brad’ in his texts) until I opened the door. If I was surprised, I didn’t show it. I excused myself and went in the bathroom, where I googled his image, just to be sure. Yep. It’s Senator Graham, all right” (Huang – ‘Lindsey Graham Hired Me As An Escort’, 06.06.2020)

Graham can live with his own conscience and with his own life-style as he pleases. However, his policing and politicking into other people’s personal life over the years in office makes it really hard for us not to see the hypocrisy. All his past political bickering against the LGBT community is like his way of playing the “Great Pretender” if this is all true. Peace.

Chapter Four: Uganda Police Disrupt and Shut Downs Event Organised to Celebrate International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) – (17.05.2019)

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The West is a bit late: Kicking and Screaming about President Magufuli’s actions!

I wish there was more worried voices, when the President John Pombe Magufuli censored radio stations. When he used time and efforts to silence journalists and newspapers. I wish there was more voices when he got bloggers and social media personalities to stop and pay higher taxes. I wish there was more worried voices when the opposition and activists was behind bars. These has all happen within a year time. Still, that haven’t catched much flack or buzz. Nearly nothing has scratched the surface.

This proves the government and the totalitarian ways of Magufuli and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi. Magufuli (CCM) wants all the love and no criticism. That is just the way that man is, he is certainly not getting a big enough boost at home, so he has to build his confidence at the public office. That seems to be the thing.

You know that this government is going overboard, when big-stars and musicians are getting their songs blocked from being played on the radio. One celebrity was unlucky and got her sex-tape leaked. In other countries that would have been PR Boast and ratings special, but in Tanzania. She got a meeting with the law. Therefore, this state is already unfair. As the person was a victim of a personal files and tapes being leaked. Not that she was starting a personal porn-hub.

That is why I am bit mad today. I have a deja vu’. Had the same feeling when the Anti-Gay Bill was ushered in Uganda a few years back. Instead of looking at the systemic reasons for the default law, the oppression and the acts of impunity against the public from the NRM. The public outcry and from foreign donors was against that one simple bill. Even if the bill is spiteful and morally bankrupt. The ones crying out loud, should enforce their vision to whole society and the whole system built around the President. Instead of looking at one minority, they should wonder and look at all the people looked up for their political activism. However, that train has never arrived and still isn’t.

That is why I know today’s plea, is a fart in the wind. But let’s be clear. The Anti Gay Monitoring Unit of Tanzania isn’t a policy. It is a bad idea, but so is everything else I have mentioned. It is only a fresh day or two, since the ACT Wazalendo Chairman Zitto Kabwe was freed from prison. Another political suspect and been detained a lot lately has been Tindu Lissu. So, it is not like there is free space and freedom in the first place.

Even on the 26^th April 2018, on the Union Day, as the Opposition planned rallies. The cities and towns was under a military siege. As the President didn’t want anyone to be dissidents. However, the rallies didn’t happen and was more of ghost-towns. Therefore, the President didn’t get any rallies against him, but neither get a noble celebration of the Union of the Republic.

That the EU and USA are reviewing their relationship with Tanzania now is a bit bitter to me. Why didn’t it matter, that opposition and MPs got into trouble with the law? Why didn’t it matter that the media houses was closed and lost license for while? Why didn’t the rights matter, when bloggers and social media personalities lost their freedom and space?

But now the LGBT is in trouble, then your start screaming and shouting. You see how dumb it looks? You didn’t even flinch when the same government suspended girls who got pregnant, therefore, all girls are getting twice a year checked by the school. To ensure that they are not. Therefore, teenage girls are in trouble if they are pregnant before their ending schooling.

That is why I have trouble with the scrutiny today. Not that is deserved, as the supposed crackdown on the LGBT community in Tanzania is bad, but you should have seen it coming with all the other measures done by the Magufuli regime and his ways. Where he is acting as the lovely kingpin, who can even tell how woman are supposed to dress. That is why this was coming to you, but you didn’t mind the other things he did. But you start bitching when he goes after the LGBT.

You should have cared much sooner, now your late. These reforms was a slow-train coming. It was bound to happen. He gotten away with much bad in the past and now took it to another level. You accepted the others. But didn’t review it over the suspensions and closing of media houses. Off arresting MPs and Opposition leaders, you didn’t stop him from enforcing strict laws and levying high taxes on publications, social media and such. No, just let him be, without fearing his actions. However, now that he went for a group of this stature. Your reacting!

Sorry, but your late. Time to take actions for all, not just the LGBT. That is if, if you care about the human rights. Because you didn’t care, when one fell, but now they fall. You are kicking and screaming. Peace.