Drinking problem?

Recently I stumbled acroos Tom Syke’s eye opening memoir, “What did I do last night”, a drunkard’s tale it promised. Pressed for some light hearted entertainment I was not surprised to be hooked from the start finding myself laughing out loud as this adventurous saga about alcohol and mischief. As I turned the pages through to the end, I found my laughter had been peppered down to a queer silence. Silenced by the mirroring realities this true life account presented. Silenced by the situations Sykes was in, situations I can with strained effort recall, happened to me too.

Sykes a former Etonian (kicked out after a drunken incident) later became a journalist writing night life columns for both GQ in London and the New York Post. His success at a very young age was later marred by his obsession with the drink, drugs and the fabulous night life both London and New York had to offer.   Like Sykes, I too, started imbibing at a very young age, and though I am still a few years shy of the paradoxically high point in Syke’s career and alcohol related adventures, I find unnerving that I have experienced if not all, then most of what Sykes has recollected (with the help of his friends of course).

The guilt driven question when gaining consciousness and finding one’s bearings after a heavy night (or few nights) out, “What did I do last night?”.  Of course it doesn’t happen all the time, and I am proud to say that I have carried myself rather well on many occasions while imbibing a great amount at an extended period of time (3 days or more). However, do the occasional blackouts rule out any credibility that may carry? How many blackouts must we endure and embarrassing actions must be accused of before we can say we have a drinking problem?  Do we have a problem, or are these somewhat occasional blackouts as a friend of mine stated, “the best part of the night”?

We set our own limits. We tell ourselves, “If I ever turn out like that, that’s when I’ll stop.” However because we set our own limits, we are authorized to extend those limits, or turn a blind eye when an incident warrants disciplinary sanctions. We may even find loopholes in our own conditional self betterment policies. On the other hand, it is an insult to our integrity and irritably fascist if someone else would tell us we had a problem and that we had to force ourselves to admit we have a problem. Everyone lives in a glass house. No one should be throwing stones.

So what then should we do? The inconclusive conclusion this presents I believe could only be discussed over a nice bottle (okay maybe a few) of Pinot Noir, on a Thursday evening at my neighbor’s patio, listening to the rhythm of our colorful lives, reflections, recollections, aspirations and laughter.  Maybe we do have a problem, even if we feel we don’t. For now, sharing it with each other over a few drinks is a good place to start. At least that way, we would have forgotten there was even a problem the next day.

Gay Porn in Church

A new kind of propaganda has surfaced in Kampela, Uganda, where a pastor, Martin Ssempa has taken upon himself to show gay pornography in his churches. Church goers, up to 100, were reportedly in tears.  Ssempa plans to show these videos to parliamentarians as well, who are still deliberating on the proposed anti-gay legislation.

Sounds like Ssempa is getting some thread of kinky kick out of an orgy-like mass which included children watching gay porn, a guilty pleasure by showing it in a church, and a twisted mental state of much needed rehabilitation, to spark violence and hatred because of down right ignorance, sexual insecurity and a defiled sense of humanity.

Anti-Gay Legislation Proposed Draws International Attention

With family and religious ties to Washington and American evangelical efforts, Ugandan MP David Bahati has introduced legislation that would hang homosexuals. While the capital punishment is reserved for homosexual activities with minors and the knowledgeable transmission of HIV to other persons, this legislation is another attack on the LGBT community, in another attempt to condemn homosexuality as unnatural and can be “cured”.

German Parliamentarian Volker Beck told Deutsche Welle today called Bahati a “victim of American evangelicals” who have brought their fight against same sex marriage in the U.S. to enforce stricter laws against homosexuals in Uganda.  He also expressed disgust that Uganda would consider such legislative proposals when they are party to several human rights conventions that to prohibit homosexuality between consenting adults is a violation of human rights.

While the international community is expected to allow Uganda to tend to its own domestic affairs as a sovereign state, Beck believes that when half of their aid comes from the European Union, some leverage can be made on behalf of the LGBT community and on behalf of human rights.

The world has not kept silent and watched this grave violation of human rights.  Secretary of State Clinton, Prime Minister Brown are among world leaders who have made it known to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, their displeasure with the law. The attention this law has drawn from the international community has caused Museveni to conclude that this has become a matter of “foreign policy”.

It remains that the hostility towards homosexuals in Africa could be amounted to lack of awareness. Beck believes even the homosexuals there are too weak to form their own human rights organisations. The burden of responsibility then is upon us, to not only strengthen resolutions on the protection of human rights defenders but also to ensure their implementation where possible.

Booty Rumours Closer To Being Confirmed

For months rumours have flittered over the island Kingdom of Tonga that booty had been looted, chests of gold apparently, after being discovered in a shipwrecked submerged boat off the coast of Tongatapu. Suspicions were raised by dental surgery assistant, Teisa Taimani who told NTDTV that several patients had come to her with lumps of gold to be melted. Search warrants have been served, and 4 people have been charged for looting the booty of a sunken vessel. That booty, any booty for that matter, in a sunken vessel within the territorial waters of the kingdom belongs to the kingdom, that is the government in power. So you wonder, why is this still a “rumour”? Very simple my darlings, the rumour was that there were chests of gold found in a sunken vessel. Tests are still being done to determine whether this yellow gold like metal is really gold. If confirmed, this could fix the government’s budget crisis, and give more people reason to run for elections when government changes in November. Who will get to exploit government booty now?

Empowering Youth

2009 Youth Delegates to the United Nations General Assembly with SG Ban Ki Moon

The United Nations General Assembly’s 64th Session declared 2010 as the International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. This will officially commence on August 12, 2010, which is also the International Day of Youth.  International youth initiatives have been set up and are still registering participants such as world conferences in Turkey, Mexico, and of course the first Youth Olympics to be held in Singapore within the Youth Year as well.

These initiatives are not new to the United Nations system.  1985 was the first internationally declared Year of Youth and since then, several resolutions have been drafted, reviewed and adopted that have called on member states to encourage the participation and involvement of youth in the decision making and policy crafting processes at all levels.

While these tools in the form of adopted resolutions are in place, it still is a personal responsibility for each individual to push for that resolution to be implemented. I for one stumbled upon literature distributed by the UN Program on Youth (UNPY) which is the focal point for Youth at the United Nations. There I learned about opportunities for youth to get involved at the United Nations, namely the Youth Delegate program.  My personal interest in multilateralism and sense of social activism for often marginalised groups in society pushed me to lobby my government and other concerned agencies to consider including a Youth Delegate in their national delegation to the General Assembly. In September of 2009, I was appointed Tonga’s first Youth Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, a fully accredited delegate of the Kingdom, primarily to advise, speak and consult on matters pertaining to youth.

There were 42 Youth Delegates in total representing 26 member states at the General Assembly. The program not only adds a youth perspective to the foreign policy of a member state but also allows youth from different member states to combine their efforts to push certain common youth agendas on UN member states, their own and others. For the year 2009, youth Delegates to the GA were focused on Climate Justice.  A list of 5 demands were circulated to member states and were included in most member states negotiations at the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change.

It is through collective efforts that our burdens are lightened. It is through constant consultancy with like minded individuals that we become groups more positively charged to make a difference in this world. It is by using the tools made available to us, pressed with our own determination and noble intentions that we can not only empower ourselves but also encourage others to believe that they too can make a spirited improvement in the way we live. It is by active participation, volunteerism, and selfless involvement in causes of which we are passionate that empowers us to be the change we want to see in the world.

Repugnance of Homophobia Rampant Still in Africa

While South Africa remains the first and only country in the African continent to legalise same sex marriages, countries such as Malawi and Uganda as of late, have made no secret of their intentions to demean inhumanely citizens of their nations who are homosexuals.  While Uganda is pushing for legislation that will not consider sexual orientation as a protected human right, Malawi is on a manhunt for the arrest of persons committing sodomy or other homosexual acts. Two Malawi citizens, Steven Monjeza (26)  and Tiwonge Chimbalanga (20) were arrested December 27, 2009 at their engagement, and have been prosecuted since.

Legislation that permits these violent acts of harassment on the LGBT communities in these nations are both archaic and an offence to the Declaration of Human Rights, which clearly states that all persons are born free and equal. Although the international community has been stagnant on reaching consensus on the issue of sexual orientation, there is an effort made on behalf of the international LGBT community to decriminalise homosexuality.  While the African Union and the Arab States at the United Nations have voiced their intention not to be party to this declaration, the efforts on behalf of these often overlooked human rights remain something that must be accorded our attention and our goodwill.

Life after the iPhone

After losing 3 iPhones to taxi cabs, subway tracks, and to a persuasive fellow nymph, I decided 4 months ago that not only did I not deserve an iPhone, but I didn’t need one either. For one thing, it was costing me sleep, as my obsession with the gadget had me waking up in the middle of the night every time it beeped, burped or booed. God forbid I even turn the thing off! So to retake control of much desired sleep, I reduced my plan to a text and voice plan only and sought after a very basic phone with only texting and voice capabilities.

It was barely a month after that, I realized that really, there is no life after the iPhone. It is then that one notices that everyone has an iPhone, everyone but me . There are no support groups for people recovering from the impact of the iPhone. However, Craigslist is flooded with iPhone sellers for whom the novelty has evaporated and have moved on to more interesting gadgets. At the same time, there are just as many people, if not more, seeking the cheapest deal on an iPhone whatever models are available in whatever condition it is tendered.

I have given in to my addiction, and have embraced the iPhone yet again truly convinced that my quality of life increases when I constantly fondle a black 4.5″, 4 ounces object. I guess I didn’t hold off long enough to find out if there truly could have been life after the iPhone but I’m happy I’m where I am today, and until the aliens and robots take over fighting over our planet ceasing control of all human control over electronics and data, I’ll enjoy my iPhone for now.

Preparing for Pride 5 months away

Sedrick Vanisi (left)

UTOPIA (United Territories of Polynesian Islands Alliance) is a group of like minded LGBT Pacific Islanders here in the United States, along with their friends and families.  This group started in 1998, enjoyed success in bringing together polynesians, both new and local to San Francisco, CA. However, sadly after a decade, members started to move out of San Francisco, the passion seemed to die and the group unknowingly disbanded. Yet on the day of the 2008 elections, a new wave of hope washed over UTOPIA, when Proposition 8 passed in the state of California.

It was former UTOPIA President, Sedrick Vanisi who transpired his passion for equal rights who breathed life back into UTOPIA, calling on all members to stand together to fight for a cause. It was clear now that UTOPIA was no longer just a support group from Polynesian LGBT immigrants, but also a mechanism of social activism, to create awareness amongst the Pacific Islander communities of the importance of extending equal rights to the LGBT community.

The revival has been largely accepted, so much that Seattle has established their own UTOPIA and also here in New York. I am responsible for UTOPIA and am currently facilitating preparations for the upcoming Pride Festival on the last week(end) of June 2010.  We are expecting at least 25 from UTOPIA SF to join our contingency marching the Pride Parade.

When talking to people about this initiative, it  is clear that there are still a great majority of pacific islanders who prefer to remain passive. In a time when the LGBT agenda have become an even hotter issue, it can be frustrating, but with 5 months away, am sure with a less pushy approach, I can be able to convince some of my more conservative friends to join us for the Pride March.