“I asked please not to be gay”: the sea foundation director’s heartbreaking testimony about his sexuality

Anti-homosexuality statements made by Nicolas MarquezThe biographer of the sitting President generated strong social disapproval. After defining it as unhealthy and self-destructive behavior, generated controversy and criticism that multiplied on social networks. in that respect, manuel lozanoPresident of SI Foundation, came forward to express himself forcefully and responded to him from the radio cycle organized by him andy kusnetzoff, Stray Dogs (Urban Drama).

“He said things that I found horrible. And I couldn’t answer. I felt that if I didn’t say this, I wouldn’t be able to come on the radio. Among the things he said, he said that homosexual people are crazy, perverse, destructive. That we are 7% more likely to use drugs, that the suicide rate is 14% higher, that 75% of people with sexually transmitted diseases are gay, that we are 4 times more likely to be alcoholics… and that We have a life perspective 25 years younger and a lot more unhappiness,” Lozano reviewed Marquez’s words.

Then, He read a letter on air in which he described his experience, “I’m not going to discuss the numbers with Nicolas, first of all because I don’t know them, and it’s possible that some of those figures are real. But I want to tell you some things from the inside and in the first person. As a child, and for as long as I can remember, I was always the school standard bearer. For some people, it was something that made them happy. This was torture for me. Because going from where we were in the queue to where the flag was, conceived 12 meters, where everyone was shouting ‘fucking’ at me“, began.

“On each of my birthdays, as many as I can remember, One of my three wishes was to please not be gay. I never told anyone. And I never experienced it until I was 20. When I finally got the courage to tell it, my parents thought the same way as you, Nicholas. He was the epitome of grief and they took me to a psychologist. A poorly chosen psychologist said I was sick and promised to change my sexuality. For over 100 days, every morning when I wake up, the first thing I read is an email from this psychologist Explained to me the technique used to commit suicide, And he argued with me why,” she continued.

Faced with silence from his teammates, Lozano continued: “When I got home, My family left so they couldn’t see me. They sent my sister to study in another city, so she didn’t live with me, because she was gay., When I arrived for the session with the person they sent me to, he made me wait at the door for over two hours. And then he sent it to his secretary with a piece of paper in his hand, on which was written: ‘You are not worthy of my attention’, What’s worse than what he did? “I believed in it.”

“Are we a population with a high suicide rate? It is possible, there is a possibility. But not because we are unhealthy, but because speeches like yours taught us that we are not valuable and we are the trash of this society. Did you know that there are many homosexuals who suffer from nosophobia? For a long time, after every sexual encounter, we ran to get analyzed because we were raised to believe that homosexuals were bad people. Is our behavior self-destructive? It is possible, They taught us that we don’t deserve to be loved.” added the director of the NGO that is dedicated to promoting the social inclusion of Argentina’s most vulnerable sectors.

Concluding the harsh anecdote, Manuel addressed the periodical writer Nicolás Márquez and all those who shared his views. “I don’t know you Nicholas, I don’t judge you. I will also tell you that I can understand you also. Because if I, who is gay, who lives it and feels it, have ever thought the same as you, I think you can’t understand it. I won’t even ask you to change your mind, because I don’t know if that’s my role or not. but if I want to ask you for sympathy, love and above all responsibility., That’s all of us who have the privilege of having a microphone in front of us. Because you never know who’s listening.”

As he continued reading his speech, Lozano burst into tears and had to take a break.Before mentioning the stories of other members of the LGBTQ+ community who faced situations similar to his.

“So I decided to say this today. For Tomás, a trans boy who lived in a Córdoba residence and in December he took his life because the pain was too much. For Fernando, who presented himself in the selection process and before leaving he did not want to say that he was gay because he was afraid that would be the reason why we excluded him. As for Agostina, who is studying at the residence today, but she harms herself because she believes she is not worth much. To the child I fell in love with, who could never give me even a kiss because he wouldn’t dare come out of the closet because he trembled with fear. For Fitu, a man I met recently, who is 62 years old and has dared to kiss a man,” he said.

And he closed: “We’re not crazy, Nicholas. But we live in a world that can sometimes be unhealthy for us because of speeches like yours., And for those who are not listening, and say we have an attitude of sadness, I want to tell you that I am extremely happy. I am 39 years old, I love what I do, who I am and that is why I am saying this. And I sleep less because I love life so much and want to live it to the fullest.