By Own Correspondent| A 25-year-old gay man from Sanyati has revealed how he became an outcast after being exposed for being gay .
Speaking to this publication, Tapfumaneyi Chisvo who once worked as a receptionist at Village Lodge Hotel in Gweru became a target of ridicule after news spread out that he was in a gay relationship.
“I only became openly gay in 2016 having grown up not having any feelings for females but rather fond of male partners.So it was at a party that year when I met a gay man Takunda Amin whom I had a romantic fling with in the full glare of people who were attending the party.
“Since my country is very conservative on homosexuality,news spread that I was seeing a man and my father got wind of it ,”narrates Chisvo.
He says after that his father had to seek the services of religious leaders and spirit mediums to ‘exorcise’ him from the ‘demons’.
“My father could not stomach my sexual orientation and had to drag me for cleansing sessions for the ‘demon’ that had gotten in me. I went to some Apostolic churches shrines and visited a number of spirit mediums but that did not stop my sexual orientation,”he added.
Forced Marriage
To cover up for his son’s ‘demons’ ,Tapfumaneyi’s father had to arrange a forced marriage.
“My father in a concerted effort to stop me from being gay ,he forced me to marry a lady from our neighbourhood ,Khanyisani Moyo but I refused .I then had to endure being kicked out of the family home for declining to be a normal ‘human-being’.
“He also threatened to unleash law enforcement agents to put me in custody,” Chisvo narrates.
Shamed At Workplace
After leaving his family home,Tapfumaneyi found a job in 2020 but the workplace became another hell for him.
“I never enjoyed work when I got one in 2020 because of my sexual orientation .I used to be mocked for being gay and lost on promotions .It was a toxic experience.I had no choice but to look for work elsewhere outside the country ,”he narrates .
Money Couldn’t Buy Acceptance
Tapfumaneyi got a cruise ship job and thought he could warm up his parents’ hearts with the remittances he was sending them but they spurned him .
“I got a cruise ship job in June 2022.I thought since I was now working abroad and earning foreign currency and remitting most of it back home my parents would accept me but this did not change their stance towards me ,”.
Contemplates Suicide
He had to seek the help of a local Pastor Nashon Chitembeya to ‘sweet-talk’ his parents but he was also not eager to assist him .
“I sought help from one Pastor Nashon Chitembeya but he quickly turned tables on me and said I was suffering from mental illness because of my sexuality and I needed professional counselling.
“He even referred me to a scriptures in the bible in the book of Romans which condemn homosexuality according to his narration of the bible.I felt I was alone and contemplated suicide ,”a teary Chisvo said.
Last year ,Chisvo joined Gays and Lesbian (GALZ) of Zimbabwe-an organisation that advocates for LGBTQIs but says he does not feel safe in Zimbabwe.
“Even though I have joined GALZ ,I still don’t feel safe in Zimbabwe .I cant socialise normally .At one point I was in a club drinking with my friends when we heard some people saying ‘ngito’ (derogatory word for gays and lesbians) should be beaten up.We had to leave early out of fear,”.
However,the organisation has over the years been a target of security agents .In 1995 GALZ was denied from participating at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair (ZIBF) sparking an international outcry.The former president Robert Mugabe even remarked that the LGBTQI community was ‘worse than pigs and dogs’.In 2023 ,Vice President Constantino Chiwenga had to direct government tertiary institutions not to accept the ‘Munhu Munhuwo’ scholarship beneficiaries which was targeting this LGTBQIs.
In Zimbabwe,same sex marriage is outlawed and the laws don’t criminalise someone who identifies himself as gay or lesbian.However,the community faces a lot of discrimination and disdain.