C'est dommage que l'auteur de ces lignes n'ait pas trouv utile de signer cette rflexion, fort pertinente d'ailleurs. Est ce de peur d'tre qualifi pro ou anti homosexualit ?

1. Although this article appears very thoughtful at first glance, the undisguised homophobic bigotry of the author becomes clear after a second of thought.

2. (NB: I don't have to put up with homophobic comments to be tolerant, anymore than a black person has to put up with racist comments to be tolerant; the author of the above letter is a bigot; homophobia refers to any words, phrases, articles, claims, laws and actions that discriminate against gay people solely because they are gay, in the same way anti-semitism refers to similar discrimination towards people with Jewish ancestry).

3. His suggestion that discussing the issues facing gay people, young and old, could lead young people to mistakenly think they are gay would be mildly amusing if it wasn't tragic. He suggests that attractions to members of the same sex is transitory, apparently speaking from his personal experience. If he has successfully hidden and repressed his feelings, he should not expect others to do so.

4. The current education system allows teachers to tell their students that gay people are mentally ill. My French language teacher told me, this, when I was 17, which didn't help at all, exacerbating the depression I lived through since I was twelve. Decriminalising homosexuality and talking about it means that youngsters won't have to go through the living hell I lived during my teenage years.

5. The homophobic author believes that acting on gay thoughts can fix this state of mind. In the real world, sexual orientation is a fixed part of the person. Heterosexual people want to have sex with members of the opposite sex, and gay people want to be intimate with people of the same sex. Having sex, whether with a male or female, will not change this.

6. (NB: A number of "ex-gay" organisations exist, but the most honest of their leaders will admit freely that they are NOT heterosexual, but merely manage to repress themselves by spiritual means). Other unscrupulous monsters claim otherwise, including "doctors" who have carried out horrible experiments to change the sexual orientation of others. They not only fail consistently, but some of the most viciously homophobic people (or those who claim to have been "cured") have been caught with male prostitutes.

7. The homophobic bigot thinks that gay people have nothing to fear in Mauritius. I refer this stupid idiot to the case of Gemma and Ravinee (http://www.goo.gl/6nZlw).

8. The homophobic bigotted moron also claims that the meaning of Marriage cannot be updated. He forgets that interracial marriage was banned in the US until 1967, and that the same bogus excuses were used. The definition of civil marriage should be two persons who commit to looking after each other whether or not they want to raise a family together. In fact, gay people can and do marry and adopt in more culturally advanced societies, like Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden. In others, like France and UK, there is an apartheid-style "civil partnership" which is legally equivalent to marriage, and gay couples can adopt. Reproduction is not a prerequisite of marriage - infertile couples are not made to relinquish their civil rights, nor are old couples whose children have moved on from the parental home.

9. The homophobic idiot also claims that demanding the same civil rights for gay couples could lead to a backlash. Well, so what? Black people had to deal with a backlash when they got their civil rights in the US. Gay parade is not meant to please homophobes. Gay parades are the peaceful manifestation of the claim for equal civil rights for gay men, women and couples. The other option is riots, similar to the Stonewall Inn riots that kicked off the Gay Liberation Front throughout the civilised world. I do not recommend violence, but Gay Pride is the protest and the peaceful request that we please be granted our civil rights.

Nawal Husnoo

Je suis d'accord avec Eric. C'est dommage que l'auteur n'a pas sign un si bon article et pertinent. Je suis ouvert au respect de droit des Homosexuels car j'ai aussi des amis gay. MAis j'ai toujours refus la notion du marriage entre 2 hommes ou 2 femmes. Bravo pour l'article.

Just in case my previous post was too long for this comments system, I have written a blog article rebutting each and every one of the points made here. Absolutely all of these arguments stem from Jacqueline's personal stupidity or her personal arrogance. I would like to direct the intelligent reader to this link: http://husnoo.com/blog/jacqueline_le_blanc, where they can find my full reply.

To the two people having agreed with her so far, please consider engaging with reality.

@Nawall Husnoo: You response gave the impression of someone who have a lot of suffering to expose to the world!! This is a discussion here. In history "Marriage" is by definition between a man and a woman. If we want to talk about 2 persons of the same sex then I would prefer to use a different word. As I said I have friends who are gays and they live in couple. I have no issue with that. They are so lovely people. I will defend them as long as I can. If we start talking about "Marriage" obviously this be unacceptable by MAuritian society. Europe and US took a lot lme before granting the right of gay marriage and yet not fully supported though acceptable! The next step would be adopting kids! I would agree that a gay couple can be lovely parents compared to some rascal heterosexual couple,but we have to create the right environment for those kids. Hope I have clarified my position. I am very opened for discussion on this topic. But as Voltaire said" Even if I don't agree completely with you, I will fight so that you can express your views".

1. Samy, I am fine now, never been better, thanks. It wasn't thanks to people like Jacqueline nor you though, that I broke out of my decade long depression - people like you have to answer for the thousands that suffer from homophobia everyday, because people like you are keen to keep gay people as second class citizens. ---- 2. Sorry, I think you need to engage with the real world: marriage means different things for different people. Some believe it is one man and several women. In the US before "Loving vs Virginia", marriage was between one man and one woman OF THE SAME RACE. And guess what: absolutely the same exact bogus arguments were used: http://www.goo.gl/RxLbU. So your historical definition is completely irrelevant to THIS discussion. --- 3. Calling it something else is totally unacceptable. When you travel to another country, a civil partnership or PACS is less useful than toilet paper: toilet paper would feel less uncomfortable. When you travel to a more civilised country like Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain or Sweden, they don't recognise a civil partnership nor a PACS, because they refuse to support discriminatory systems. For those that don't travel, bigots like Jacqueline or yourself will be keen to point out it is not the same as marriage, and will be only too happy to refuse goods and services because of personal beliefs- numerous cases like this have been to the UK Supreme Court. --- 4. I am happy to have a discussion on your civil rights. Mines are not debatable.--- 5. Yes we need to create the right enviroment for the kids. It starts with the LAW. It takes generations to change people's opinions. --- 6. With a friend like you, your gay "friends" don't need enemies. --- 7. As Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me; religion and education will have to do that. But if it keeps him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important also.

To NAWAL : As Samy rightly pointed out your expos is largely tainted by heinous hints such as your "Stonewall Inn riots that kicked off the Gay Liberation Front throughout the civilised world". I believe if you have recourse for these kind of arguments your struggle is bound to doomsday in advance and is far from having any chance to reach any shinny shore.
Homosexuality is probably as old as the world itself and due ton Hightech communication lobbying and the Media has come or been brought to the forefront. Now Homosexuals do not content themselves with their choice of life and having sex with someone of the same sex but they want more with marriage and children. How God can it emerge from a sterile union children and life ?
As Samy put it right again I do also have marvelous Homos friends too but they are realistic enough to understand that their union and choice of living cannot cope with pregnancy and children. Children must in the best options be brought up by a mother and a father, not less but certainly not more.
So please Nawal don't take your fantasies for reality. Just live your life peacefully even though you may have suffered from dirty 'bigots" or whatever like but please heterosexuals may also have the right to live a more conventional life without SODOMY (which for me is an improper way of having sex - the RECTUM being naturally a place for excrements thus viruses only not to welcome someone else's sex).
Thank you.

1. Eric, let me put it in simpler terms, maybe you will understand this time. My reference to the Stonewall Riots was to explain to Samy that Gay Pride Parades are not a party, but a PEACEFUL protest. It is the PEACEFUL ALTERNATIVE, which I favour. --- 2. Homosexuality is NOT a choice. The only choice is between living as free men and women in loving, fulfilling relationships or living a lonely and depressed life in the closet hiding like a petty criminal. --- 3. Yes, we want FULL EQUALITY. This may be a very hard concept for your small, bigotted mind, but it can and will happen. It has happened in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden, as well as Washington DC, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire. You need to face the real world. --- 4. Reproduction is not a legal prequisite for civil marriage. Your gay "friends" have no hope of a better, fulfilling life, because of monsters like yourself that have brainwashed them into believing they are not good enough, that they are second class citizens. In fact, it is only in your fantasy that they cannot be good parents - in the real world, gay parents are just as good as heterosexual parents, and in fact, lesbian parents are BETTER. --- 5. Children need two loving parents. Single parents struggle on their own, but I hope you are not saying that their children should be taken away from them, because in your fantasy world, a man and a woman who don't love each other are better than two parents of the same sex because you are obsessed with what they do in bed. --- 6. If you want to pretend to be heterosexual and live a "more conventional life" as you say, go ahead, I am not stopping you. In fact, the most vicious homophobes tend to have a fixation for anal sex, as your post demonstrates. Here's a newsflash for your brain cell: Not all gay couples engage in anal sex. Here's another news flash, but save it for later (your brain cell won't cope): Lesbians CANNOT have anal sex. --- 7. I certainly do live my life peacefully. I just need my civil rights now, for the same reason slaves did not want to live peacefully in a life of servitude. I don't see the point of paying taxes to fund your heterosexual lifestyle if you will stop the STATE from recognising my civil rights. -- 8. Just like Samy's "friends", your gay "friends" have no need for enemies, if you will keep telling them they are second class citizens.

Nawal If you want to make a point and explain in such an insulting way, how do you expect peopel in Mauritius to accept homosexuality as the norm? I think you guys (though I fully understand your point) have problems already to come to terms to who you are! Accept yourself first as a normal person and you will see others will accept you. Problem in Mauritius and in a lot of people's mind in whatever country you want, homosexuality is associated with sex. You have to explain to people that it is about Love. You are not a victim. I respect anyone as a person. SO please stop with that insulting tone and languages!

1. Samy, respect is a mutual business. If you can deny me my civil rights based on your bigoted homophobic views, I have no respect for you - in fact, I think you must be particularly dim if you cannot comprehend this. -- 2. What makes you think I haven't accepted myself? I assure you, I have. In fact, accepting myself hasn't helped at all with my civil rights. All I have been told by people like Jacqueline, Eric and you, is to shut up and stop asking for my rights because it bothers your fragile self-esteem. -- 3. I now DEMAND my civil rights in MY country. You have no business telling me that I have to be nice to idiots that have no respect for reality. -- 4. I don't see why people have to think of anal sex (I'm looking at Eric here), when I mention I'm in love with a man and I want my country to recognise this commitment in the same way it recognises shotgun heterosexual marriages and serial heterosexual bridegrooms. In fact, people who are comfortable with who they are, don't actually think of sex as much as Eric or you do. -- 5. Yes I am a victim. As are the thousands of single gay men and women as well as the few gay couples here and there that manage to stay together under overwhelming pressure to marry somebody of the opposite sex - and resign themselves to a life of what is effectively consensual rape, loneliness and depression. -- 6. I will treat you as a mature adult the day you are mature enough to recognise my civil rights are not dependent on your insecurities and whims. I don't want to please you - I just want to make sure it is clear to the intelligent reader that your points are completely immature and invalid.

A l'auteur anonyme: article archi nul. Ayez au moins le courage de signer vos reflexions. Vous refuseriez alors le mariage aux personnes (htro) ne souhaitant pas d'enfants? Maurice a encore une fois de plus dmontr qu'elle a 50 ans de retard dans ce domaine. En passant, je vous recommande de lire le nouveau programme de SVT en France concernant la thorie de genre et qui est enseign en Terminale. Pfff

The author of this of this article has made the classic mistake many straight people unfamiliar with gay people make, and that is that people can be "encouraged" to be gay. It is accepted as fact that human sexuality cannot be changed by another person, either a relative, doctor or journalist, and this fact nullifies everything written in this article. By trying to "minimise" homosexuality, all you are doing is making gay people feel ashamed of something that cannot change and shouldn't have to change, just as black people shouldn't be "discouraged" from being black.

The perversion of homosexuality is as old as the problem of prostitution and that of paedophilia. Many people think that they have every right under the sun. Even some religious books promise that their pious men will get a lot of beautiful women in paradise plus a lot of beautiful lads to satisfy both their peadophilia and their homosexualphilia, supposedly after their being purified in their hell for some duration to become supposedly enough qualified for their promised paradise of sex and wine. In the days of Lot, the men of Sodom even thought that they had the right to sodomise these angels of God which were sent to save Lots family from destruction. When these angels struck that city, Lots wife turned back to see what was happening, and being so surprised at the lot of punishment of God upon Sodom, she became a lot of salt. ( Genesis 19). The hole made by the lot of fire from heaven produced the deepest lake on earth, the Dead Sea, which is 7 times more salty than sea water. Please be advised that God is only 3 times Holy, and will not permit any sexual perversion or drunkard in His Heaven. Only Satan deceitfully promises such filthy things, to bring as much people as he can to hell with him. A lot is following that devil, and will reap lots of trouble, not only on this earth, but also eternally in hell.

Everyone should enjoy the same rights under the law of the land, but when it comes to sexual deviation,marriage and adoption, then it is a matter for the government, the church and the nation to have a say. This is not how it was meant to be. Is it a medical problem? or is it a way of life that some of us chose to follow. Sexual satisfaction can be acheived in many ways, but then do we accept it as normal? Sooner or later a peadophile will have a case to argue on the human rights principle, How far down the road can this go?
I am yet to hear the religious opinion on this issue. Does the church accept marriage between two people of the same sex? if they do then the whole scripture needs to be revised.
Adoption is another no go area for me. You cannot substitute the maternal love between a child and the mother. Thats how a child is born and nurtured in the early days. There is the special bond betwwen them, even in later life. Where is the rights of the child to be thrown in the laps of two men. They can be more loving and able to provide every material needs but they do not qualify as parents

1. Shah and Kris, The Repulblic of Maurtius is a SECULAR STATE (look it up, you buffoons), so please keep your religious arguments out of my civil rights, and I'll keep my religious beliefs out of yours. --- 2. Kris, homosexuality is not a perversion nor a medical condition any more that left-handness is a perversion. It is a natural variation in Nature. Gay couples don't cause any harm to anyone as opposed to murderers and thieves (Sorry, given the level of stupidity I'm up against, I have to state this clearly.) --- 3. You seem to be particularly stupid, so let me clear this up for your tiny brain cell once and for all: a peadophile HURTS somebody, namely a child that is unable to give consent. A consensual gay couple getting intimate does not involve a victim. --- 4. Could you please at least engage with the real world when dealing with other people's civil rights? Children need two loving parents. Single parents struggle on their own, but I hope you are not saying that their children should be taken away from them, because in your fantasy world, a man and a woman who don't love each other are better than two parents of the same sex because you are obsessed with what they do in bed. In the real world, gay parents have been shown to be just as good as heterosexual parents, and lesbian parents are BETTER than heterosexual parents. Homophobic and misogynist bigots like you, Kris, tend to just think of men when we mention equal civil rights, but women can be gay too, and want the same civil rights.

Gay in Mauritius are looked down upon, let us all support collectif arc en ciel and be gay pride

Go on, Nawal Husnoo! You are doing a fine job putting these interfering busybodies in their places. I simply cannot understand the sheer arrogance of the individuals you rightly consider as idiots and buffoons to decide what is a disease, a perversion, the norm, etc. And then to resort to the ultimate resort of the smug coward and inveterate hypocrite by invoking God as their witness?? Who are those people? Why does the private, personal, and consensual behaviour of a substantial proportion of our citizens provoke such hostility verging on violence? What right do they have to poke their noses, if not their tiny, insular little brains,into the lifestyles of other individuals? Is it a desperate fight on their part to combat for socio religious reasons the latent, subconscious homosexuality that they themselves experience? I bet these are the same people who incidentally find nothing wrong in screaming 'Ramgoolam mari Berenger' or 'Berenger mari Ramgoolam' as proof of the moral and political superiority of their male idols whilst happily endorsing the sexual connotations of those stupid slogans. As for God, if he does indeed exist, i am sure he has far better things to do than to imitate the behaviour of these sad individuals who have nothing better to do than to hide behind people's bedroom curtains and froth at the mouth(perhaps more out of excitement than anger....)at the behaviour within. Regarding Sodom and Gomorrah, hell, or paradise, I would love to actually hear the direct evidence of someone who has actually been there, rather than read the illiterate ramblings of some idiot who accepts everything written in books deemed 'religious' as the literal truth. Isn't it simply amazing that these same individuals turn a complete blind eye to the other truisms in all religious books that incidentally have a far more direct impact on all our lives than homosexuality? You know, little things like 'love thy neighbour', 'let who is without sin cast the first stone', and all the various homilies about helping the poor, etc. No, these individuals find nothing wrong in coexisting with large segments of our population living in dire poverty; apparently that is ok as long as they continue to have sex with the opposite gender! I mean, Good God people, why can't you just mind your own business and let people who exhibit a different type of passion and love for other people lead their own lives? As for the self appointed 'doctors' and 'psychiatrists' who have diagnosed homosexuality as a 'disease' and a 'perversion', please wake up and smell the coffee: this is the 21st century, not the Dark Ages and it is high time for you to lay those sickly prejudices to bed.

If one listens to Nawal or Paultheoctopus, one might construe their hue and cry on civil rights or whatever like those from people deprived from any single fundamental rights such right to vote or of expression. But there is nothing such in Mauritius despite our country is a dire dictatorship or dynasty lead by some 'fils papa' (Duval/Jugnauth/Ramgoolam/Boolell/Mohamed/ and Berenger as their Servant in chief). Some (a minority) GAYS and Homos are daily complaining as if they were a vast suffering majority. But in reality the GAYS are pressuring up this society just like religious zealots do elsewhere in the free world to get control of the system and convert our children to their will & whims : paint everything in pink and set up Gay Pride festivals to replace Christmas for example !
Let me reassure you my friends, I have nothing against people having ANAL SEX so long they don't pretend to our young men and children that it's safe, normal and clean sex as it's everything but that.
I really don't care about HOMOS doing privately what they fancy to each other so long they do it peacefully without pointing at the Society as if we were MONSTERS and responsible for their abnormality.
GENDER at school in France is just another rubbish delivered by some thinkers (an american lady I believe who dreamt about something in 1990 like there should be no difference at all between a boy and a girl !) RUBBISH !
People having sex with the same sex (HOMOS) and who want more - even by means of VIOLENCE like suggested by Nawal - are just to be viewed as EXTREMISTS or TERRORISTS.
Mauritius has much better to look at like the advent of a real democracy . Whilst you're talking about your so called civil rights (marriage - who's going to be the wife ? - and adoption (who is going to feed the baby ?) - a lot of people are striving for just a miserable salary ! Who cares ?

Mr Nawal HUSNOO. It is not smart to call the commentators by the words buffoons, as this means that you do not give to others the respect that you are asking for the homosexuals. Your comments are not strong enough to match those of Shah and Kris, in spite of all those years that you have given to promote the Gay Pride Movement. I am very glad to see that you are a physicist like me. Please pick up your telescope and find out from where the fire came down to strike Sodom to make it become a lake of salt. Because 1 pound of that salt costs 100 Mauritian Rupees, and people worldwide use it for wellness bath and for treating skin disorders. If you bring your Gay Pride Movement to Mauritius, surely God will strike Mauritius too and make it an exporter of salt instead of exporting the sugar that causes diabetes. Then the University of Mauritius will award you another PhD.

Shah, it is not smart to deny somebody their civil rights based on personal arrogance and prejudice but then expect to be treated as a mature intelligent adult. You have to be terribly stupid to expect your views to be taken seriously. Please keep your religious beliefs to yourself, Mauritius is a SECULAR STATE. Again, please look it up, you BUFFOON. The Dead Sea is a geological formation from about two million years ago. Once again, you can call yourself a physicist, but you must be utterly daft to expect to be taken seriously if you can't engage with reality.

Note to the intelligent reader: If anyone else agrees with me that Eric has serious issues, please feel free to leave a message here :) --
1. Eric, you idiot, please repeat after me: "Gay Pride Parade is a PEACEFUL PROTEST." Once again, it will sink in: "Gay Pride Parade is a PEACEFUL PROTEST." Give it some time, it might make sense to your little mind...no? nothing? -- 2. The right to love the person you want, the right to protect your relationship and your partner with the institution of CIVIL marriage, the right to family life is a fundamental Human Right. (cf: Article 12 and 16 from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Yes, this is denied to gay men, women and couples, as they are pressured by homophobic jerks like yourself into a life of self-hatred, loneliness and depression. We don't need to be a majority to deserve equal human rights. Yes, you are one of the MONSTERS that keep gay people in servitude. You expect them to pay taxes to fund your repressed, self-hating homophobic pretend-heterosexual lifestyle. -- 3. Your preoccupation with anal sex is very disturbing. As I said before, NOT ALL GAYS HAVE ANAL SEX. Many heterosexual couples engage in anal sex. LESBIANS CANNOT HAVE ANAL SEX. (Apoligies for the ALL CAPS shouting, but Eris'c mind is fixated on anal sex.) -- 4. Your sick mind cannot possibly comprehend the concept of equality in a household. My partner and I are both men, and there is no question of a wife. The one getting adopted is the homeless child that HETEROSEXUAL parents decided to abandon.

Que vous soyez pour ou contre l'homosexualite, il reste toujours le fait qu'une personne ne peut etre persecuter a cause de sa difference. Dans cette optique il est le devoir de chaque gouvernement de proteger ses citoyens. Il ne peut pas avoir exceptions pour cela, qu'on soit gaucher, handicape physiquement ou mentalement, ou bien homosexuel. Alors quel mal il ya t'il a implemente des lois punissant les homophobes? Il faut qu'il y ait une structure legale definissant l'homophobie aussi ainsi protegeant nos freres et soeurs. Ce n'est pas du tout encourager l'homosexulalite mais proteger une personne contre la persecution. Aucune personne n'a le droit de se croire etant Dieu pour juger et punir une autre personne. La question des DROITS des homosexuels c'est une autre chose. Cela depend principalement si la societe mauricienne vie bien avec son temps: c'est a dire qu'elle na aucun mal a concilier ses valeurs traditionelles/religieuses tout en vivant a l'ere moderne. A mon avis on est bien loin de ca: parler du sexe c'est un tabou, l'education sexuelle il n'y en a pas, l'education des genres la majorite des gens ne connaissent pas. Ce n'est pas encore temps d'y penser aux DROITS des homosexuels.

Abdullah, Freedom of Speech comes with the freedom to ridicule yourself in public. I don't care what her religious beliefs are as long as she does not impose it on CIVIL law in a SECULAR SOCIETY. --- She has freedom to speak her mind, but she has absolutely no freedom from being challenged for her homophobic views. --- Absolutely all arguments for denying gay men, women and couples their civil rights are based on ignorance and prejudice. I have explained exactly how Jacqueline, the original author is wrong, in this blog post: http://husnoo.com/blog/jacqueline_le_blanc. You cannot opress a minority then cry foul when they stand up for their rights. You cannot demean and demonise a minority and then get all offended when you are insulted.

Mauricienne, I agree with everything you said, except the last sentence. Society WAS NOT READY to end slavery. Society WAS NOT READY to allow interracial marriage in the US. Society WAS NOT READY for allowing women to vote. If you wait for society to change before acting, then the society will not change - Mauritius is currently 50 years late in terms of cultural maturity, behind Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden, as well as Washington DC, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The way Human Rights are advanced is by changing the law first, and letting the people catch up. It needs to be clear on the international level that Mauritius is not living up to its promises on Human Rights.

See, one is never too old to learn. I didnt know that the Dead Sea was a by product of Gods wrath. I thank the learned gentleman for the tip. Come to think of it, here, God has form; remember the time he cracked it and killed everyone but spared Noah and his clan. Not quite a misanthrope, but sometimes I wish hed gone the whole hog. Anyway, thats another story. Lets prioritize: forget the slaughter in Sri Lanka; lets focus on the ins and outs of sodomy. Okay, some like women, some like men, some like blow-up dolls, hell, some even like sheep. For me its a no brainer, each to their own, a little tolerance and everyones happy. Too simple. Unfortunately, heres the stumbling block: every troglodyte has a world view, and often the most virulent among them, the self-righteous religious nutters, want their myopic views enacted into law and jammed down everybody elses throats. I dont mean to proffer facile solutions to supposedly complex problems, but hey, I am one of Navins semi-intellectuals, and I can but think in simple terms. And here I was thinking that an all-knowing God would have had to have known that Lots missus was going to turn around for a quick peek, and so I suspect it was old Lot being punished for poo-jabbing the old girl, eh. But if that be true, then Octopuss would have surely read about it in incontrovertible black and white in genesis. Nah, naaah. Earlier, someone rightly pointed out that on the subject of sexual deviation, we should not dither but seek the expert opinion of the Church. I agree; they would know. But if by chance some choose the counsel of Bhai Aboo for their spiritual edification, thats good too. Its called free choice. Before I go, riddle me this: would you rather live in a world free of Nawals or free of idiots?

Nawal or Nawab ..i do not care to defend one rights even as you say ridicule myself in public...lets people like you be obsessed of gay pride rights ,,I did not see any high criminal case involving heterosexual against homo..I take my rights to protect my kins against such habits ,you must respect me for that as I must respect you for your beliefs,,,,that's all ,,,I wish not do indulge in long long speech with you ,,,,I just said what I think and THAT'S ALL ......

I was merely pointing out that ALL the arguments used to deny gay people their civil rights are based on ignorance and arrogance. I can see you are an intelligent person, so I expect you can be convinced, through reasoning and evidence, that gay people deserve ALL the same civil rights as heterosexuals. Furthermore, one of your own children may turn out to be gay - 5-10% of any human population is bisexual/gay. It is a natural variation just like blue eyes or left handedness. Trying to suppress it means the person's life becomes a living hell, and they live in loneliness, despair and depression. Gay men, women and couples can and do live freely in more culturally advanced soceities, and gay couples can provide a much needed home for kids abandoned by heterosexual parents. I respect your beliefs as long as you limit it to your own civil rights, but when it denies me mine, I cannot respect it. Sorry, but respect is earned.

Chers lecteurs et animateurs de cette plateforme, je souhaite tres humblement commenter, non pas sur le contenu de l'article, mais sur certaines impressions qui s'ensuivent. L'homosexualite est traitee comme une maladie pour certains... il en va dire que les giraffes sont toutes malades, ainsi que les dauphins, etc... et que ces animaux n'existent pas par definition...puisque leurs pratiques sexuelles sont dites "pas naturelles". Pourtant, les giraffes broutent toujours...et sont tres loin de l'instinction. Neanmoins nous ne sommes pas des giraffes, ni des dauphins...n'empeche que biologiquement, tout homme normalement constitue est muni d'une prostate...dont l'acces (et la stimuilation ecstatique) implique une violation de certains concepts sociaux. Tout cela pour venir au point: nos corps, comme le naturel ou le moins naturel, sont soumis a certaines pulsions mysterieuses...mysterieuses mais naturelles par definition. Il ne faut pas melanger nos pinceaux: ce qui est naturel n'est pas obligatoirement pure, et ce qui est pure ou impure n'est pas obligatoirement comprehensible. Pour ma part, j'ai des amis homosexuels mais je reste anti sodomite par conformisme a mes valeurs chretiennes. L'Eglise ne condamne pas l'homosexuel, mais sa pratique. Nous ne pouvons jamais etre certains de notre sexualite... et il ne faudrait pas s'essayer a tout essayer. Mais notre societe compte beaucoup d'homo non-sodomites qui se croient heteros... et notre societe compte beaucoup d'homophobes dont l'homosexualite des autres titille l'inconscient.

Thank you for your comments Gaston. --- I am personally against single-religion religious education for minors, but it is totally irrelevant in the debate for the civil rights of religious people to indoctrinate their children. In the same way, your opposition to anal sex is not relevant in the debate over civil rights for gay couples. --- As I said, homophobes like Eric don't realise that MANY heterosexual people have anal sex, NOT all gays couples do it and lesbian couples cannot do it. --- In the end, this is completely irrelevant when it comes to CIVIL RIGHTS in a SECULAR STATE.

A homosexual must understand that he/she is not as normal as one should be! So because of medical reasons and therefore the homosexuals must unite to solve their medical problem! At most, they can do things in their collective without disturbing the mass for example by demanding recognition of gay marriage or through other public demonstrations! The same way as we cannot accept a smoker affecting non smokers, a person infecting others by h1n1 or anyone doing indecent act in public, we must also not tolerate abnormal things in public!

That one's been done, mate. You need help, big time. The amalgamation of the races is not only unnatural, but is always productive of deplorable results. The purity of the public morals, the moral and physical development of both races, and the highest advancement of civilization . . . all require that [the races] should be kept distinctly separate, and that connections and alliances so unnatural should be prohibited by positive law and subject to no evasion. - Dissenting California Supreme Court Justice objecting to interracial marriage.

People, did your mum mistreat you?

Tres bon lartik , Bane homos sont des humains et bizin traite zot avek boucou de compassion. Mais l'homosexualite ki bizin condaner , pa la personne. Bane homos c bane dimounes ki fine passe dan ene grande souffrance - bien des cas zot pa conscients parski zot ti ankor dan ventre zor mama - et c sa souffarnce la ki pe pran la forme d'un compartement hors norme. Nou bizin prier pou sa bane dimoune la et ene zour zot lizi pou ouvert .MERCI

OMO, that's typical homophobic bullshit. What makes you think you can tell somebody they are the way they are because of a trauma, you arrogant prick? In more culturally advanced countries like Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Sweden, as well as Washington DC, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire, gay men and women are perfectly happy, to be treated like first class citizens, thank you very much. The only problem is homophobes. At one time, it was said that you can love the interracial couple but hate their fornication. Your only argument for oppressing gay men, women and couples is your ARROGANCE. And please keep your prayers to yourself in a SECULAR STATE, you buffoon. I have already explained why the whole article is WRONG: http://husnoo.com/blog/jacqueline_le_blanc

Je comprends parfaitement la qute de reconnaissance son appartenance homosexuelle que recherche notre ami NAWAL. Je comprends galement que dans son envie de se sentir comme tout le monde, en ayant la possibilit de se marier et d'avoir des enfants. Je souscris entirement ce qu'avance 'MAURICIENNE' l'effet que tout gouvernement a l'obligation de protger tous ces citoyens indistinctement de sa race, couleur, religion ou pratique sexuelle.
Mais je suis souscris aussi ce que dit GASTON l'effet que, sans rejeter les Homosexuels en tant qu'tres humains, (et de quel droit d'ailleurs je me permettrais de le faire !) je rejette entirement - mis part nos considrations religieuses respectives - la pratique homosexuelle et la sodomie qui sont des pratiques purement anormales pour des raisons si ce n'est MEDICALES (la sodomie c'est sale).
Un ami homosexuel - en pleurs - me confia un jour ce qui l'avait vritablement conduit cet tat dont peut-tre NAWAL lui-mme pourrait avoir une ide. Selon lui, ce sont les attouchements et ensuite le viol subi l'ge de 9 ans par un ami de la famille, homosexuel lui-mme, qui lui auraient compltement fait perdre les pdales. A l'adolescence, il tait un peu perdu ne sachant pas vraiment s'il devait aller vers les filles qui, naturellement, l'attiraient tout de mme, ou vers les garons car ce viol selon son propre dire l'a compltement perturb et troubl
Je crois sincrement que l'homosexualit - si pour des raisons diverses - peut tre congnitale (nous avons tous vu un jour - sans doute rarement contrairement ce que pourrait avancer notre 'learned friend' NAWAL - certains garons au look androgyne et aux manires trs effmines), l'homosexualit de manire gnrale correspond nettement plus - et je n'ai pas fait vraiment d'tude l-dessus - un phnomne de mode. Certains la dcouvrent sous la douche de leur dortoir universitaire en Europe ou d'autres sous celle de la prison de Beau-Bassin. Certes l'homosexualit ne date pas d'hier et se pratiquait dj dans la Grce ancienne (SPARTE requrait ses citoyens une relation pdrastique et THEBES et son clbre bataillon sacr de 300 combattants form de couples pdrastiques) et ailleurs chez les Moines (les SAMOURAIS et leurs novices ou en Europe (la pdrastie tait tellement rpandue dans la ville de Florence en 1432 qu'il fallut crer un vritable bataillon pour la combattre). Ne parlons pas de la ville de San Francisco ! Chez nous, Gatan DUVAL qui tait lui-mme un pdraste (voire bisexuel) connu et reconnu et adorait se pavaner avec de jeunes Mauriciens Maurice comme Paris. Mais aussi longtemps qu'il ne mlangeait pas les affaires de l'Etat mauricien et n'en profitait pas pour s'attirer les faveurs de ces beaux jeunes hommes, cela restait du domaine priv.
Tout a pour dire que l'homosexualit - en tout humilit - n'est qu'une pratique sexuelle hors norme dont il faut tout prix protger nos enfants. Un enfant est par essence innocent et ne mrite pas d'tre conduit dans des sentiers qui pervertiraient son ducation. Celle-ci est le propre d'une maman et d'un papa au meilleur des cas, et la socit en serait responsable en cas d'abandon ou de dcs d'un ou des deux parents.
Tout mlanger serait que le mariage homosexuel devienne une formalit qui n'aurait finalement aucun sens parce que par dfinition, le mariage est le fait d'un homme et d'une femme. En France, 'fille ane de l'Eglise' mais o la loi de 1905 a vritablement spar celle-ci de l'Etat, le PACS est venu en 1999 apporter une solution ce problme social touchant les homosexuels en particulier.
Tout mlanger serait que l'adoption d'un enfant par un couple homosexuel devienne galement une formalit. Imaginez que l'un des partenaires homos soit en plus pdophiles ! Parce que les pdophiles, il y en a partout que ce soit chez les htros ou les homos.
Or, ce que nous fait croire NAWAL, un peu de manire nave, c'est que tout est ROSE chez les homos !
Aussi, tous ceux qui ne sont pas d'accord avec lui, sont traits de IDIOTS, BIGOTS, BUFFOONS, MONSTERS,.. et j'en passe.
Je pensais vraiment que le niveau d'ducation de NAWAL HUSNOO (Royal College - Univ. of Manchester - PhD..) lui aurait confr une argumentation plus acerbe et affte que cela. Mais on peut facilement s'apercevoir qu' la moindre secousse, NAWAL est compltement dstabilis et se laisse aller dans les insultes (cites plus haut) et fait mme allusion la VIOLENCE.
Bref, NAWAL est prt tous les EXTREMES pour que son tat d'homosexuel soit reconnu (CIVIL RIGHTS ? : est-ce que NAWAL se prendrait dj pour le GANDHI ou le MARTIN LUTHER KING de l'homosexualit :-) ?).
Ce n'est pas parce qu'en France, Islande, New York ou ailleurs, on marche poil dans les rues qu'il faut faire pareil Maurice NAWAL ..! Sorry, je ne suis qu'un pauvre petit IDIOT l'esprit rtrci face vous et votre grandeur mon cher NAWAL.

Nawal , i feel so sorry for you ,,,, ME arrogant ? By the tone of your commentary , i let the other commentators have their own opinion about you.
Truly i feel that you have some sort of hurt deep inside you , the slight diference in opinion would spark a lightning of violent response. This is the typical reaction of a very vulnerable troubled person.
I would advise you - whatever problem u may have : physiological / psychological / psychotic / medical - go and seek advice and counselling .
GOD BLESS YOU DEAR.

It is reassuring to notice some inadvertent pearls of wisdom in this fetid swamp of sickening prejudices and half baked conclusions which are inevitably couched with a pseudo medical respectability. The last sentence by OMO (I suppose he really needs a pseudonym like that in order to whitewash all the vile prejudices that he harbours) asks Nawal Husnoo to seek advice and counselling because he believes the latter has 'some sort of hurt deep inside you', and this masterly diagnosis leads him to irrefutably conclude that this stems from ' 'physiological / psychological / psychotic / medical' problems. There we are then. I bet none of us ever realised that all along we had Sigmund Freud, R.D.Laing, Louis Pasteur, Alexander Fleming all rolled into one perfect specimen living amongst us....Such a deluded state of mind shows that perhaps his advice to seek counselling ought to be better directed at himself. As for Eric Bahloo, his long diatribes on this issue brings to mind the automatic riposte of the closet racist whenever his prejudices are questioned: " I am not a racist. Some of my best friends are black...". Sad. So sad to see such a palpably intelligent individual clutching at straws in order to defend opinions and attitudes that are not only anachronistic but farcical in the way he juxtaposes homosexuality with paedophilia. I know he keeps abreast of the news as he comments regularly online, so therefore he might like to answer this simple question(I know it is a vain attempt to extricate him from the quagmire he finds himself in, but never mind): In all the newspaper reports over, say the last two years, has he come across even one case of paedophilia where the aggressors were homosexuals? isn't it true that paedophilia, even worse the murder of young children during or after sexual aggression, during that period has been the exclusive preserve of heterosexuals, no doubt including some who rather arrogantly conclude they can decide what is normal and what is a perversion? And, pray tell me, why this unhealthy obsession with anal sex, the rectum, sodomy? Are you worried that one of these 'pervert homosexuals' might jump on you? I think that would be another arrogant assumption as you might not be to their liking...I can perfectly understand why Nawal Husnoo gets angry when he reads some of the comments posted here: I am not a homosexual, I can claim that I have no homosexual tendencies, but I too get enormously annoyed with the inanities posted by idiots who either claim God in their corner or suddenly become fully qualified doctors/psychologists/psychiatrists and feel adequately qualified to diagnose other people's lifestyles as abnormal or perverse. It seems that an intensely personal matter has provided carte blanche for quacks, charlatans, and Peeping Toms to let loose all their stupid prejudices whilst conveniently ignoring the real facts about rape, paedophilia, and sexual aggression in this country. This is entirely a question of human rights. Don't you think it is immensely selfish, arrogant, and inhumane for you to deny the rights that you legitimately enjoy to others whose only sin in your mind is to express love, passion, and affection to another human being of the same gender? Or perhaps a more apposite question would be : what business is it of yours? As an ex PM said at a public meeting once: seki p rant r li pa p rant r moi, b kot mo problem la dan?

I think that Nawal's aggressive and cheap attitude acts as a real counterargument to what he tries hard to convince us.

To Nawal... my point here is not to draw relevance...but rather to ascertain that relevance is subjective... and that Nature( as pointed out previoulsy) is not an absolute. My opinion for sure, is not relevant to the issue; but I did not bring up the issue in the first place. My opposition to anal sex has been carefully nuanced by the term "mysterieuses mais naturelles par definition"... I hereby made a choice to not expand further on my religious beliefs but to mention it as a testimony of my identity in Jesus. Furthermore, I did not mention terminology as "CIVIL RIGHTS" or "SECULAR"... I commented on science and nature( which I deem myself to be endowed to comment upon). I did not go further into the matter by choice....because I sincerely think I am not wise enough to explore Law and SECULAR. So I chose to try to shed a new light on the subject so that abler people as yourself may bring it all to another level. If you take my honesty as a token of my indoctrination, you are free to think so.

Well voting for the LGBT rights is a good move by Mauritius at the UN. We all are equal and we all need to have equal rights. We cannot prevent someone love the one he/she wants. This should not be the concerned of the law as this is a private matter between two consenting adults. Its sad to note that some people say that this is a sin. It is a sin when it becomes a perverted act just for lust. Any perverted act be it either among the gays of heteros is a sin. Some people think that gays choose to be gays. It's not a question of choice in the majority of cases. In fact we(I say we because I am also gay) do not choose to be gay but we are born gay. Its like we do not choose our skin colour or the colour of our hair. For instance, lets say you have 2 roads to go to a certain place, one is rocky, muddy plenty of obstacles and the other is well built and shorter. which one you would choose? The well built one of course. Similarly why would someone choose a sexual orientation which is less acceptable by society, when he has one which is considered as normal? This explains that we never choose what we are. I am a true believer of God and I cannot say that by being what I am , I am therefore committing sin. Thats not right! That's a sad remark to make since the same God that we pray has made us like this. Insulting us would mean insulting the creature of God. Then who would be committing sin? Life of a homosexual is not easy. Since childhood he has to stay mute to his close friends, relatives, work mates etc about his sexuality because of the fear of being looked down or being laughed at. This is not at all right. We have to live a lie and lie/hide to everyone so as to please them. May be in your very own family you have pple who are gay but you are not aware of it, and they wont even tell you because of how society view them. You dont have any idea of how lonely they must be feeling, how sad they are and how many tears they have shed in silence.

Many people have extra marital affairs- that is not right, many pple hit their wives- that is not right , many people put children on earth and neglect them- that is not right, many people choose to spend money on gambling, alcohols and drugs instead of looking after their family- that is not right.All these are not right. But i fail to understand that if someone loves someone who happens to be of the same sex, then no matter what, he/she becomes a sinner?? thats certainly not right. Alcohol is not illegal in Mauritius, but does that mean government is encouraging alcohol consumption? Certainly not. It is for the consumer to decide and to be responsible. Sexual acts between consenting adults cannot be worst than alcohol can it? We are in a civilised society, we cannot judge others without knowing them.

P.S By the way heteros don't have sex just to make babies do they?

I rest my case.

To all the human rights defenders of this forum : plse do understand that me too stand for the homos human rights to be respected. Human rights means human rights , not to to amalgamate with civil rights. Civil rights are very often the results of a political trade off between parties to achieve an ''agreement'' on something on which in fact cannot be agreed. i do respect homos , and i have friends who are homos , but there is no HUMAN sense into believing and promoting homosexual acts between humans. Apart from the pleasure aspect of sex - iam sure in either hetero or gay sex- one should to oneself , what is the ultimate fruit of the sexual act ? I leave the answer to each one of us as everyone has a his/her own view of HUMAN LIFE.

OMO, I fully understand your point. I am very sorry to hear you have no love in your life. I wish it were different, I wish you had someone to care for, someone who would care for you. I find it very sad that your idea of sex and marriage is the same as George Orwell described in the book 1984, quoted below. In the real world, for loving couples, the act of sex represents and provides the ultimate tool for emotional bonding, keeping the couple together in the face of adversity. Religious, self-righteous and self-proclaimed "tradional" people have as much sex as anybody else, except they feel guilty about it: http://www.goo.gl/b7NYS. --- G. Orwell: "Among Party members all love and eroticism was removed from the sex act. Marriages were permitted, but they had to be officially approved and were to be undertaken for the sole purpose of begetting children who would grow up to be responsible Party members. Permission would be denied if the couple showed any signs of being physically attracted to each other. Ideally the Party would prefer complete celibacy, which would mean that men and women would forge fewer bonds of individual loyalties and children could be produced artificially. Failing this, it tried to present the sex act as a rather disgusting preliminary necessity."

The right to Famly is a fundamental Human Right, guaranteed by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 12: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. Article 16: Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. [...] The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

I just want to sum up the results of this discussion. All homophobia is based on ignorance and arrogance. A small minority of self-hating, repressed gay/bi homophobes, and a minority of religious-literalists falsely claim to be the voice of "the people", and advance a countable number of false arguments based on ignorance and personal arrogance. All of these false arguments can be easily shown to be wrong and inapplicable. I have demonstrated this on my blog: http://husnoo.com/blog/jacqueline_le_blanc. Most opposition to equal civil rights for gay men, women and couples are based on these arguments from ignorance and arrogance, and most homophobes are in fact intelligent, rational and emotionally stable people. Once they are shown why it is unfair to deny equal civil rights to gay people and their misconceptions are cleared, they are happy to support their gay relatives and neighbours. Together, we can make Mauritius a safer place for all people, heterosexual or gay, people of all colours, races, religions and political views.