In 2008 a journalist working for South Africa’s Sunday Sun wrote an article which insulted gay people and women, encouraged conservatives to remove the rights of gay people from the SA Constitution, and also thumbed his nose at the Human Rights Commission by saying that he would refuse to apologize. More than two years later, it seems Jon Qwelane has been proved right.

Not only has it taken two years for this man to be charged for his offensive publications, but now that the Human Rights Commission has finally managed to get the process to the point where it can go to court, Mr Qwelane suddenly cannot be traced to be served with notice that he should appear in court – effectively holding up the whole process.

Where, I wonder, is Mr Qwelane? Perhaps the tracers diligently searching for him have been asking in the wrong places. Have they asked the Government?

Government should know – after all, they have just appointed this homophobe to the position of SA Ambassador to Uganda – that country now infamous for pushing a new law which will see Uganda’s GLBTI population murdered – sorry, “executed” for the horrible immoral “crime” of being born under one of those letters which Ugandans ignorantly bundle together under the global description – gay. But then, maybe they don’t – after all, if you consider the state of our government, you have to wonder if the left hand knows whose back it is scratching, or the right foor whose as- well, you get the idea.

Our government clearly is unaware that they have appointed Mr Qwelane, a man so full of racist remarks, scorn for women’s equality and anti-Semitic and anti-gay hatred, to a position where he will do a great deal of harm to the situation in Uganda as Ambassador for South Africa.

Our government is somehow completly unaware that Uganda has been pushing an anti-human rights agenda for the past decade, by passing laws which turn people into criminals simply for the crime of existing – and of course, the new law – dubbed the Ugandan Genocide Bill – is a complete surprise to them – or at least, will be if they ever admit to its existence. This ignorance is puzzling considering that South Africa has been assisting Uganda in an official capacity for years in terms of infrastructure development, business investment and hey – we even supply electricity to them. And of course, nobodies like us have been sending letters, emails, faxes, pertions, phone calls to our wonderful government to complain about their persistent silence on the matter.

They have yet to utter one single word on the issue, even to acknowledge receipt of any correspondence or dialog on the issue.

Of course, how can you have plausible deniability if you admit to knowing something you later want to claim you didn’t know about? I can see the President in a few years making an announcement on the state sanctioned genocide of GLBTI people in Uganda – which it clearly knew nothing about and was just as shocked and horrified as the rest of the world to learn about. Think it will fly? Or do I hear the sound of something crashing and burning?

Our government is placing policy and diplomacy with a murderous state above the value of human life. It is ignoring the will and voices of its own people. It is placing convenience above its own increasingly doubtful claims of “morality”. And it is placing silent complicity above speaking out and saving lives – even the lives of people it doesn’t approve of.

The answer is simple. If they cannot hear us, shout louder.

In an obscene turn of events reserved for pasquinade the dear Minister of Arts and Culture (residing in the Ministry of Intolerance and Prejudice), Lulu Xingwana, stormed out of an art exhibition held on Constitution Hill. The dear Minister was so indignant that she called the artworks “… immoral, offensive and going against nation-building.”

Now that’s pretty rich coming from an obvious plebeian only in official title by virtue of bestowment by the Moral Compass of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, and probably owning a matching flashy car (probably a BMW 7 series as is precept and precedent) holding the sceptre over Arts and Culture.

“While viewing the artwork, Xingwana appeared most upset by the work of Muholi and Mntambo, which deals with intimacy between women.”

The artworks which scarred our dear Minister for life and caused all the brouhaha that the she couldn’t even read her speech was “… a series of photographs by prominent artist and lesbian activist Zanele Muholi, of naked, black women embracing each other, Xingwana slammed the work as “pornographic”, spoke to her aides, and left in a huff. Her personal assistant read out her speech.”

Yes indeed, the pious Minister cannot stand visually stunning and tasteful photographs of women which in fact does not even show societal taboos such as certain parts of breasts and “below the belt areas”. Those were all cleverly and indeed artistically covered. The Minister thinks it amounts to pornography. Now I wonder if the porn label only relates to the assumed gay imagery…

It is especially ironic and terribly regressive that this happened in very close proximity to the much esteemed South African Constitutional Court, hence why the precinct is known as Constitution Hill. This is the same Constitutional Court which scrapped old discriminatory statutes and effectively ordered Parliament to legalise same-sex marriage otherwise the old Marriage Act would have been amended by means of their pronouncement to be non-discriminatory. This same Court gives ultimatums to Government yet the Minister of Arts and Culture provides a nice symbolic desecration in return and tramples all over the Bill of Rights with her tantrum. Uncannily this Bill of Rights explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and provides freedom of speech as long as it doesn’t grossly violate another group’s rights.

The Minister was sweet enough to throw in the What-About-The-Children card as some kind of substantiation for her theatrics. This is quite odd when one considers that none of the imagery amounts to pornography. The artist says to the Times of South Africa in rebuttal that “…children need to know about these things. A lot of people who have no understanding of sexual orientation, people are suffering in silence…”

A constitutionally protected minority apparently has to be swept under the rug and children should preferably be protected from this constitutionally protected minority. A plethora of comments on articles covering this national disaster make complete fun of the supposed moral superiority of the new nationalists. The more things change the more they stay the same indeed – from one bunch of nationalists to another. Is anyone else seeing the pattern here?

This hideous event caught some attention beyond the South African borders as well when the Guardian in the UK reported on it. The Guardian states the delineating statement which should have tipped off Her Piousness:

In the exhibition’s catalogue, Muholi’s artwork is described as being “without precedent in South Africa, where there are very few instances of black women openly portraying female same-sex practices.”

The Minister however strongly denies it was the implied sexual orientation which caused all the ire as the Mail & Guardian reports that “[The Minister’s personal assistant] denied that the minister objected to the fact that the women were lesbians. ‘I don’t think it’s based on sexual orientation. It’s more to do with the fact they’re not wearing clothes and engaging in what looks like sexual acts. The minister stands by what she did.’”

The Minister should have expected very substantial fallout. But then again maybe this is the direction the regime under Jacob Zuma is going. Just before the April 2009 general elections Mr Zuma played lay preacher at the Rhema Bible Church which is spearheaded by former World Iron Man wannabe Ray McCauley. Not long afterwards we learnt that Jacob Zuma in distinct demagogue fashion placed same-sex marriage rights and abortion on auction for the loudest sycophant when the earth-shattering news broke as elaborated on by the Mail & Guardian in Zuma’s new God squad wants liberal laws to go.

In February 2010 we learnt of the looming national debate on morality as envisaged by none other than Jacob Zuma. This came literally days after the discovery of the president’s umpteenth child and lover (the latest one being illegitimate). Some now rightfully wonders what practice what you preach means in modern day South Africa.

Annelie Lotriet of the official opposition party in South Africa, the Democratic Alliance (DA), released a very critical statement on Xingwana’s hissy fit calling the Minister a bigot with no capacity to uphold the Constitution and suggests that Xingwana should rather tender her resignation. The statement by the DA also states the history of Jacob Zuma’s bigoted utterances: “same sex marriage is a disgrace to the nation and to God. When I was growing up, ‘ungqingili’ [homosexuals in isiZulu] could not stand in front of me, I would knock him out.” Lotriet also reminds the reader that Jacob Zuma recently appointed the rabidly, anti-gay Jon Qwelane as ambassador to Uganda.

The DA further raises some concerns:

It would appear that, below the surface bigotry and prejudice run deep in the ANC. It is disgraceful.
If this government is serious about creating a genuine democracy built on a foundation of human rights, it needs to act against the kind of prejudice the Minister espouses. One would hope the Minister has enough perspective to sanction herself and resign, should her pride prevent her from doing so, President Jacob Zuma needs to take action.

Lastly it would only be befitting to get the opinion of a renowned South African artist and professor of fine arts, Penny Siopis.

Siopis tells the Times of South Africa that:

“The fact is, as a minister she is a representative of our Constitution. It does not matter if she has a personal distaste for what she sees.”

If this kind of atavistic behaviour is a sign of things to come and some indication of the Zeitgeist within the ANC, I see a very gloomy future for the LGBTIQ community in South Africa. One can only hope that the Constitution is protected from the nationalists’ prejudice and conservativism. Bigotry knows no boundaries and symbolic gestures are often a taste of things to come.

SA GLAAD would like to thank and praise US President Barack Obama for defending human rights and equality by describing a proposed Ugandan law against homosexuality as “odious” at the National Prayer Breakfast this week.

It is even more praiseworthy that he did so at an event sponsored and hosted by one of the leading groups involved in recent US religious right wing efforts to destroy the human rights and lives of the pink community in Uganda, the secretive group called “The Family” – of which the Ugandan sponsor of the Bill, Ugandan MP, David Bahati is a member. The Fellowship, also known as The Family, is an intensely private Christian conservative organisation. It has no website, contact details or published member list.

Obama acknowledged that some at the event held differing views on gay rights, but said: “Surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are, whether it is here in the United States or… more extremely, in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.”

We feel it is significant that he did so at an event attended by a number of high-profile lawmakers and religious leaders and in full view of the entire world.

SA GLAAD views it as alarming that South Africa, a leading country in Africa, has refused to add its voice to the international condemnation leveled at Uganda for its choice to further oppress human rights – and the appalling choice of homophobe Jon Qwelane as ambassador to Uganda.

This morning I lost my virginity… my TV interview virginity, that is.

Those who know me, know me as a fairly quiet person, so the last place they would expect to see me is on a live TV broadcast on ETV morning news, talking about international matters. Come to think of it, that’s the last place I would expect to see me. Never the less, I found myself there this morning, a bundle of nerves, like a lamb being led to the slaughter. (Read More)

Like others in South Africa over the past few years, I have long been asking the South African government for an explanation for not signing the UN Statement to Decriminalize Homosexuality in 2008 and what they meant when they said they did so on the grounds of “having principles“. It seems they have been answering my question in increments.

I got an inkling of what this might mean when our new president, who is on record for making homophobic statements in the media, went on stage in the hall of the Rhema cult and placed gay rights on the bargaining table for right wing religious fundamentalists less than a month before the General Election in 2009.

Not long after that, the ANC and Ray Macaulay started working together in a joint venture called the NILC (the National Interfaith Leadership Coalition) more commonly referred to as “the God Squad” which has ousted the long-standing South African Council of Churches in religious dealings with government. The God Squad leadership includes four ANC MP’s, including the Chief Whip of Parliament and has in press statements put out through government email, put removing gay rights from the SA Constitution right at the top of their list of priorities.

Yesterday I was utterly appalled to discover that Jon Qwelane, the homophobic and racist journalist who has for years been critical of gay people and their fight for human rights – and whom human rights groups have been lobbying for almost two years to see appear before the Equality Court – has just been appointed ambassador to Uganda! I take issue with this appointment, because this man has proved himself to be utterly intolerant, and prone to inciting hatred between races and sexual orientations alike. He is not a peace-maker, but a blunt instrument who would – if anything, make matters worse for the pink community in Uganda.

This man is so unbelievably bigoted that he even went so far as to write in his column that if he required blood transfusions, he wouldn’t accept white blood under any circumstances! His criticism of black people who embrace Western culture are referred to in derogatory fashion as “coconuts“, being black on the outside and white on the inside. Of course, many people ask how can a black person be so racist? Well, duh. Because he obviously has a major chip on his shoulder about white folks – and gay folks. Oh, and women too. Considering the history of this country, how can such people be allowed to perpetuate the old hatreds from that time and to reinforce them instead of lay them to rest? (Read More)

It was towards the end of June 2009 that an activist colleague of mine discovered an anti-gay and ex-gay organisation based in South Africa which purveys junk science under the name Doctors For Life International. After I did some digging in the South African companies’ registry I found that this organisation was truly wholly South African and owned two section 21 companies which provide them with tax exempt status. The two companies were also registered Non Governmental Organisations and the government records provided the names of the fiduciaries.

Several official complaints were lodged at the South African Department of Health and the Health Practitioners Council of South Africa for what I labelled malfeasance. It took considerable and relentless lobbying before action was assumed to be taken though this was kept in camera. I first noticed the completely rewritten statement on homosexuality on the Doctors For Life website on the last day of 2009 as I did some research.

Legally all medical practitioners are bound by a code of conduct and these organisations fall within in the ambit of these conditions. The two companies were in contravention of the Equality Act and the Constitution, and did not keep to proper medical practice by deviating from accepted standards. Note also that Doctors For Life isn’t a statutory body and not at all akin to the South African Medical Association which represents medical practitioners.

The most worrying was that vile propaganda was spread under the auspices of medical credibility when there was really nothing to substantiate the outlandish claims.

Herewith excerpts of the original text:

Homosexuality is an attempt to get a normal need met in an abnormal way. Homosexuality is not about sex, but is about a need for love and acceptance in a person who through circumstances or conditioning often did not receive or perceive to receive love or acceptance as a child and/or was sexually abused as a child. Homosexuality is not genetically based, but nurture-based, and therefore treatable. Homosexuality is unnatural and no society or religion has ever endorsed it as an ‘acceptable norm’. This behavior pattern is contrary to the God-ordained state of marriage between one man and one woman, and is not conducive to a stable family environment to raise children.

Medically, some homosexual acts are physically harmful because they disregard human anatomy and function. These acts are associated with increased risks of tissue injury, organ malfunction, and infectious diseases. These and other factors result in a significantly shortened life expectancy. Among those involved in homosexual acts, there is an increased incidence of drug/or alcohol dependency, compulsive sexual behaviour, anxiety, depression, and suicide.

Socially, men who commit homosexual acts have a high incidence of promiscuity, child molestation, and sexually transmitted diseases. Homosexual behaviours burden society with increased medical costs, increased disability, and productivity loss. Legalizing or blessing same sex marriage or civil unions is harmful to the stability of society, the raising of children, and the institution of marriage. If the only criterion for marriage were mutual consent or commitment, there are no grounds to prohibit bestial, paedophilic, sodomous [sic] or incestuous unions.

It is thus not uncanny that Doctors For Life was one of the amici curiae in the landmark Constitutional Court case of Fourie v Minister of Home Affairs of 2005 which led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in South Africa.

Herewith excerpts of the completely rewritten and more politically correct version of the statement on homosexuality (it is still propaganda though):

The discussion of sexual orientation is complex and emotional. It is complex because it encompasses a wide range of scientific fields such as behavioural genetics, neuro-anatomy, psychiatry, psychology, sociology and many others. And it is emotional because sexuality is such an integral part of our identity as individuals. Homosexuality has undoubtedly been one of the most debated socio/political topics in the west over the past few decades.

It is necessary to mention that even though the idea of a so called, ‘gay gene’ has been popularized by the media, that there is not a shred of scientific evidence showing that homosexuality is genetically determined and therefore immutable (unchangeable). That is not to say that studies to prove a genetic cause have not been undertaken. Many studies have been undertaken by research professionals from respected academic institutions. Here are three famous ones:

1. Geneticist, Dean Hamer, author of the ‘gay gene’ study tried to link homosexuality to a string of DNA on the X chromosome called Xq28.

2. Simon LeVay, a neuro scientist, studied the differences in the front hypothalamus (INAH3) part of the brain of homosexual and heterosexual males.

3. Bailey and Pillard did studies on identical twins that had 100% the same DNA, non identical twins, siblings and adopted siblings of the same sex.

In reviewing the research, psychiatrist Jeffrey Satinover reported a 52% success rate in the treatment of unwanted homosexual attraction.

Masters and Johnson, the famed sex researchers, reported 65% success rate after a five-year follow-up.

While it is a new toned down piece of propaganda the use of the Masters and Johnson study is truly flabbergasting. Truth Wins Out reported on the refutation of the Masters and Johnson study quite a while ago already.

Laying complaints of medical malfeasance is not a matter of gagging free speech but rather a matter of law enforcement. Medical practitioners have the obligation to steer clear of conjecture, misinformation, propaganda, and prejudice. The Constitution as supreme law of the land may not be subverted and individual liberties have to be protected at all costs especially by those in positions of power or influence, including doctors.

Cobus Fourie of South Africa’s Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has helpfully translated an article that appeared yesterday in South Africa’s Sunday As It Is tabloid.

Since the entire article is one big ex-gay profanity, I am taking the liberty of publishing the entire translation here for the purpose of educating readers as to how ex-gay proponents and their media helpmates communicate messages when they let their guard down — or assume that the Afrikaans/English language barrier will protect them. Bracketed remarks below are contextual observations by Fourie.

–Mike Airhart

PRAY HIM ‘STRAIGHT’

FAGGOTS CAN BE CURED BY PRAYER

That was the message last week from an actor to who placed his own gay life behind him. Now he is chasing the pleasures of the female body.

Dries Botha – an actor who was already on “Inherited Sin” on SABC2 [B-grade TV] — was for many years a screaming queen who chose sex with men over the bodies of voluptuous Eves.

But now he is walking a path with God and now looks with new, lustful eyes at women. And he realised he was not born gay.

“I have a penis and the penis is made for a vagina,” the 29-year-old said on Sunday.

And to shut the closet’s mouldy door still more he said: “I do not preach to other gays, but I want them to begin to listen to my arguments. I still have gay friends, and I do not judge, but God did not make a groom and a groom…”

He said being gay is like smoking – you will have an urge every now and then. “I still find myself sometimes looking for a man, but I try to control lust. I steer my thoughts in another direction,” he said. Almost sad.

“The more you hang out with faggots, the greater the chance that you will be gay. I was definitely not born gay.”

“I was exposed to gay men in high school for the first time. The gay community is much freer and have other moral codes. I enjoyed the freedom of being gay. I have always regarded women as useless objects.” (Read More)

The SA Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (SA GLAAD) expresses its disappointment at the failure of the SA government to condemn Uganda’s genocide bill or to respond to calls to do so.

For some time now, a public debate has been raging around the tabling of a Genocide Bill in Uganda. This bill would leave no place safe for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex people in Uganda – not even for Ugandans who flee the country as it includes an extradition clause for “offenders” to be sent back to Uganda to be punished for the crime of “homosexuality” – which in many cases would incur the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Currently in Uganda, homosexuality is a “crime” already punishable by life imprisonment, but this bill goes a step further to prescribe the death penalty simply for being gay (or any other letter in the GLBTIQ collective, described in the bill in a manner which flies in the face of recognized medical practice, as “homosexual”) as well. Many human rights groups around the world feel that Uganda is on the verge of a government-sponsored anti-gay “ethnic cleansing” or mass-murder – or what we know as genocide. SA GLAAD would like to make it clear that it shares this opinion.

(Read More)

Press Release, March 12, 2009
South African Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

SA GLAAD hereby expresses its solidarity and support for American GLBT advocacy groups who yesterday berated the anti-gay group Exodus International for its public involvement and support of those who are responsible for vigilante violence and state-sanctioned persecution of gays, lesbians and trans people in Uganda.

SA GLAAD wholeheartedly supports the initiative of the coalition of Truth Wins Out (TWO), Ex-Gay Watch, and Box Turtle Bulletin in their confrontation of these homophobic groups — and in particular Exodus International which is the largest homophobic anti-GLBT US group.

For a decade or longer, GLBT refugees have been fleeing Uganda to escape violence and persecution. Police arrest and torture suspected GLBT and activists fear for their lives. The mistaken belief that gay people “recruit” is widespread in Uganda. Tabloid newspapers regularly publish pictures of suspected GLBT with details allowing people to identify them and even to target them. Rampant religious fundamentalism is seen to lie at the root of this problem.
(Read More)

South African ex-gay pastor Ben Dlamini invited controversy when he sought police assistance to evict a gay couple from his house for allegedly violating house rules against same-gender affection.

Police declined to take action, finding that the matter was a personal dispute.

Lethuxolo Mafunisa and his partner, Prince McPherson, say that members of Dlamini’s congregation are still gay and that Dlamini — far from being ex-gay — is struggling with self-denial.

Hat tip: Queerty