Violent Society Blocks South Africa's Lesbians From Fully Celebrating Freedom

Thanduxolo Buti

@Thandz_Buti

I believe that freedom is a right that should be enjoyed by everyone and not only by a select few. As much as South Africa has worked hard in ensuring human rights, but hate crimes and corrective rape seem to overshadow the many achievements and strides made by government. The LGBTI community continues to be robbed of the chance to fully enjoy their right to freedom. As much as there are other reasons to celebrate this month, I can’t help but think of the society that still lives in fear even with nineteen years of freedom.

Last week I met a young handsome lesbian in Thokoza. Mbali has been lesbian all her life and growing up she would only play with boys because for some reason she felt more comfortable around them. Being a lesbian in a township had never been easy for Mbali and faced hate and discrimination daily in her community. As she grew older she became exposed to the ugly side of being a butch lesbian in the township, she would hear of violence and rape towards lesbians. “You know now as much as I am proud of my sexuality, I constantly live in fear. I don’t even trust the boys who are close [to me], my friends anymore because of fear of what they might do to me when no one is around,” she says.

A Bit of Celebration in South Africa's Gay & Lesbian Community

Sibusiso Banda

@sbudalicious

Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe but Taurai Zhanje takes part in Mr Gay World.

The gay and lesbian community in South Africa has gone through a lot lately, but they can finally take a breather and celebrate a bit despite the many challenges facing the community in the country. Mr Gay World is coming to Johannesburg in April and there are four African countries participating, the largest number from the continent in the competition’s history. This is despite homosexuality being illegal in over 30 African countries. Another reason for celebration, although bitter-sweet, would be the recent sentencing of the murderers of Cape Town lesbian, Zoliswa Nkonyane.

Mr Gay Ethiopia, Robel Gizaw Hailu.

In the Mr Gay World competition, organisers say there will be participants from Ethiopia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Homosexuality is illegal in all those African countries even though the law is hardly enforced. Zimbabwean contestant, Taurai Zhanje, will struggle to convince authorities to accept his decision back home as the country is going through constitutional reforms with gay rights left out. The newzimbabwe.com quotes President Robert Mugabe saying about gay people: “All of us at some point in our lives have raised dogs, and we know that in raising them you need a female and male to mate in order to have puppies. Now, if even dogs know that to procreate you need a male and a female, what of us humans? They want men to wed men! That’s what we reject.”