What’s love got to do with it! Ubusha & sex
Written by Dr Mandy Mpatlanyane
April, 19, 2021
”In 1965 Helen Joseph was the first person in South Africa to be placed under house arrest – What for? Helen was charged with high treason against the apartheid government in her role of upholding the freedom charter. What are you willing to get incarcerated for?
‘Love gives birth to passion so grounding that fear loses its earth and love stands upright & tall.’ Powerful right…I know you’re probably thinking is this still the Ubusha bami site or has this become a politics and philosophy chat? Bear with me, I was asked recently about the “cause/aim” of Ubusha Bami as an organisation. Is our organisational aim to encourage young people to have sex, choose to have abortions and/or promote homosexuality? In this nature of work I expected this question… I saw this one coming.
I mean we couldn’t have started the conversation and not have anticipated a question like this one. So, let us have this conversation once and hopefully, never again. Christine Laplante said, “No amount of talking about sex is going to diminish the mystery of the experience of it. Sex is Sacred, Not Secret.” Even in the argument of the sacredness of sex, the fundamental reality is that it’s a part of the cycle of all living beings, whether for reproduction or pleasure. Sex is a vibrant colourful conversation ever present to be had.
Our goal as Ubusha bami is to reduce the stigma, shame and false claims attached to real dilemmas surrounding sex, sexuality and reproductive health, especially among the youth aka the first timers, the curious cats and the now, chronic engagers of coitus!
Love for a cause has led many to incarceration, their fuelled passion to push their agenda will always irritate a neutral party which lacks the inspiration of an activist; therefore resistance and misunderstanding are almost always inevitable. Nevertheless, not sharing a mutual feeling regarding a cause does not take away the real and sincere determinations of the beholder.
At Ubusha Bami, we believe that Sexual and reproductive rights are not licences to make society numb to the reality of sex; rather we believe this right is an empowering right that gives an individual the licences to education which leads to options, which lead to informed choices and ultimately resulting in thoughtful actions and zero regret decisions.
This is what we desire for ourselves as young people, this is what we are willing to go on house arrest for… Own your right and responsibility to sexual and reproductive health. On that note let us start our conversation about “the deed”.
Ubusha Bami futhi yimi lo – My youth and this is me! ©