YOU. So modest! Hey! Julius, what you doing on a gay page! Tired of picking on the DA??????????/

“Barry,

I don’t know what issues you have or had with the gay community, but it’s best move on with your life. Also don’t generalize, by thinking just because I am white I am one of those racist people. You have no idea who I am and what I have done in my life. I have been an active participant in the gay rights movement and my family sacrificed more than you will ever know to fight apartheid. So I take great umbrage at you racist and utterly unfounded attack on Mamba.

To think that I had to sacrifice my childhood for someone like you, had to see my parents suffer so that your family could vote and be free! You should be ashamed. I thought SA had made great strides since 1994, and here you go and show that we haven’t.

Really Barry, take a look at your life and try and find some peace. Let the past go, if not you will never be able to free from anger and hate.

Pierre “

____________________________________________________________
Now, after reading both messages, I’m hardly surprised that you express two contrasting sentiments: the public pleasantry and then your real opinion.

Here’s my bottom line:
You’ve missed the gist of my message.
Race was fractional in the list of points that I made.
My beef with you is the poor choice of wording, narrow perspective, an extensive celebration of yourself and that you send a message suggesting that it’s cool to be trite. I repeat, race is just ONE influence. Stop grappling so obsessively to it.
The rest include: vanity, self-righteousness and vacuous rambling.

My beef is not with you as a man ? it is with your article and the values engendered. You espouse the crappiest qualities that someone like me has to live down on a regular basis. I will say exactly the same thing about monkeys like Julius Malema. Straight people believe that so many of us aspire to be like you ? frankly, I’m tired of re-proving myself for my sexuality and race ? it’s exhaustive and thankless. Read my message again (carefully, this time) and don’t jump the gun too soon.

You’ve got a handy platform ? put it to better use than scribbling nonsense about being a Stepford fag (seriously?!?). Your writing was not entertaining, not constructive, not enlightening and represented the flimsiness of gay society. To set the record straight, my white boyfriend, friends, family and associates understand that everyone (including me) made sacrifices in this country. Criticising your words does not equal a 15-year socio-political recession ? neither of us has that much influence. You’ve given yourself enough applause with your article ? stop asking me to clap for your martyrdom and self-sacrifice. It’s pathetic and annoying. If I choose to inflict my verbal rage at you, there will be no doubt in your mind (whatsoever), when you encounter it.

Next time, choose your subject with better care and get a second opinion, if need be.

Now… it’s 5:30AM. I’m partied out, hungry and sleepy. In spite of this encounter, I think you have potential to redeem yourself. Do better in your future endeavours.

Adversity, indifference and discrimination were and sadly still is part of Gay SA. I am sorry that you felt inferior in the social realm due to “people like me”. From your comment however I infer that back then and now y

Your piece is an onerous ode to the self… Pierre, I’m sure that you’re stunning, happy, well-rounded and all that… Did you seriously have to WRITE AN ARTICLE to take stock of how wonderful you truly are? Who edits your mutters?!?

They ought to be fired, if not sent to write classifieds!

I am taken aback by how unilateral your perspective is. Somehow, you casually palm off how typical your experiences are compared to mine (or any other
reader’s). Was this a late-night submission from your glittery diary, after a hangover and a rectal collapse?

When I started reading, I thought that you might write something with substance, direction and purpose – the disappointment was bewildering.

I’m nothing like you. In fact, people like you made me feel inferior in the social realm that was meant to help me find some solace & belonging. It didn’t
matter that I was much smarter, better educated or more well-heeled than you could hope to be.

Bottom line: I was not pale, anorexic or easy.
That gave the likes of you a ticket to samba at my expense and ostracise my kind to the fringes of a club.
Your fabulous kin never even returned the friendly gest my friends and I offered. In fact, they thought nothing of pulling in on my company – not because
they were attracted, but they saw an instrument to remind me of my place in the world (or subterranian to yours?)

I’m whistles away from 30 – and I find it a good reason to celebrate how I outlived the odds for a young male (black, coloured or anywise). Say what you want, it’s all about white guys marking territory. Everyone else is secondary – be they superior or not – a sad numbers game where you outnumber me.

Don’t you dare think of referring to me as a politician (I’m not racist, ignorant or permanently located in some gravy train) – I’m the spectator of a tragic crash that we call Gay SA.

I have ignored all social afflictions to become a successful person – in spite conditions imposed by the likes of you.

When next you mouth off about how stunning you WERE, how pretty you WERE and how Botox shots sting you, consider that it may not have come at your expense, but at the expense of those you trod
on to make yourself feel better. The overweight guys, the short guys, the older guys. All of whom facilitated this pathetic, lyrical rendition of your status quo.

So… you’re fat, expired and out of favour – well, my heart pumps lumps, Pierre. To mutual fortune, be glad that I don’t even know who you are as a person.
There are bigger tragedies than your boep and narcissim. Get your head out of your
experienced ring and save someone who needs REAL help. Make some effort to include a broader perspective. Damnit, buy a designer heart (a complementary bottle of ubuntu comes standard). Be a role model and you might be able to pad out
an article that won’t tug at the raw strings of your victims.

Barry

PS: If you challenge my opinion, say something and include a reachable address.