"The Truth About Who We Are..."

Nehemiah, Counselor, Cape Town, South Africa by thegaymenproject

photos by Kevin Truong

photo by Kevin Truong

Nehemiah, in his own words: "To me (being gay) means I'm fabulous, ambitious and a hard worker.

The first thing I created was my own chapter when I chose to live as a gay person. So what I have done is to forgive whoever wronged before without knowing. I asked forgiveness to those who I have wronged. I worked to get where I am today. I always am up for the challenge in life. I'm not afraid of taking a new ride. I make something out of nothing in my life. I turn my situation from red to yellow to the gay rainbow because that is who I am.

(With regards to coming out) I had a friend who was a lesbian. She kind a taught me the whole thing. I had my own experience in my mind. So the first person I told was my cousin because he was always on my side for everything I do. Even if the whole family is against me he was always there. Then I went from there and I first told my sister about it. She went and told the whole family and I was ready for that so it wasn't that much to handle. Some asked me if they could call a Doctor or Tradition healer to see me and chaco everything. With all of that I didn't stop them and I gave them the go ahead until they gave it in.

The gay community in Cape town is amazing. I never come across that huge problem of me being gay. But I saw some people who have come cross lots of things in life as a gay person. But to me Cape town is great, they treat me with the respect I give them. I smile at them every morning they smile back to me.

(With regards to advice) hmmmmm I come across a lot of things when I was young. I grew up in Village called MANZVIRE in Chipinge (Zimbabwe) I had to make something out of nothing again for me to go to school was hard without someone paying your school fees. I grew up with my Father which happened to never like me at all. He would fight with my Mother in front of me about how I acted like a girl and how I didn't look like him and how he didn't have a gay son. At the time I knew nothing about being gay. I was Nehemiah who liked to play with girls, that was what I knew at the time. He used to go to a park with other kids and I had to pretend to be busy because I knew he would not take me along. To see him laughing and having fun with my older brother and young brother while I was there, it was a pain and still a pain in my heart. I couldn't bury the feeling of being rejected with my Father. People use to make fun of me. Telling me I'm not human enough to be loved that was why my own Father doesn't like me. I grew up on that situation. It was very hard. Till I come up with decision of forgiving myself and everyone around me and to be happy. The only person I can't forgive is my Father. I can't.

So my advice will be "ONLY YOU CAN TELL NO ONE CAN TELL THE WAY I DO. SO BE STRONG AND CHANGE THE SITUATION AND TURN IT TO BE A MOTIVATING LETTER TO THE YOUNG TO BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO ALOW YOUR SELF TO BE HAPPY."

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"Fear Eats the Soul"