Limpopo’s Successful First Gay Pride!

Kopano Sibeko

The first ever Limpopo Gay Pride March was a success full of mixed emotions. The emotions expressed the most were that of excitement and pride. The jubilant crowd from different parts of Limpopo were armed with placards and banners expressing pride as LGBTI people and sending across messages combating discrimination.

As this was the first gay pride parade, attendance during the march was not as expected by the organisers, less number of people participated in the march. FEW re-assured the organisers that with time people will feel comfortable and safe to take part in the march and Limpopo pride will grow bigger and bigger each year because the community will be aware of the impact the march creates.

Mahlatse Modila from the Observer Newspaper said “I expected to see a lot of people today. I understand though that a lot of people here in Polokwane are still in the closet. They fear that the media is here and they are scared to show face, but hopefully next year will be better”

Andries Sefole who was at the march said” I’m glad that finally Limpopo has a Gay pride, it was long overdue. What we need to do now is treat this thing like a baby and nurture it”. He also added that being openly gay in Polokwane is still a taboo but slowly but surely people are getting the jinx of all this, the more we speak out the more we’ll be heard.

The atmosphere was very welcoming and the Limpopo police and traffic officers came in big numbers to ensure safety of the marchers, they supported the crowd until the march was over, one police man walked with the parade from start to the end of the march!

Organisations such as Out-Wellbeing; Shout It Now supported the event with their mobile clinics, Anova Health and others with pamphlets and other information.  Open Closet graced the event with an official after party at Thornhill.

FEW CONGRATULATES THE ORGANISERS OF LIMPOPO PRIDE FOR A WELL ORGANISED PRIDE, WE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT LIMPOPO PRIDE IN 2013!

And thank you to all that attended to make it a success it turned out to be!

Solidarity

Media statement for immediate release

08 May 2012

LGBTI community standing up against oppressive patriarchal leaders!

As the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex ( LGBTI) community we are enraged that traditional leaders are making such careless statements.  It is such a betrayal when a body that is supposed to protect the rights of people turns around and proposes an amendment of those very rights to exclude people from the constitution.  We have a constitution to protect the rights of everyone, not just those of the majority.  Nkosi Patekile Holomisa claims that “the majority of South Africa is against the promotion and protection of these things” we have a constitution precisely to do that,  even though the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex  community (LGBTI) is the minority, but they are human first and foremost and by virtue of being human they are entitled to human rights and equal protection of the law, there are no exceptions.

What the National House of Traditional Leaders  is doing is very dangerous, as Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) we do not know if they realise that this constitutes a hate speech.  They are inciting violence towards the LGBTI community.  They are leaders, what they say no matter how irrational, will be taken as an order to take action by some people.

Hate crimes against the LGBTI community are on the rise in South Africa, and we have leaders who claim that homosexuality is a condition, an ailment that has to be remedied.   We seem to be regressing rather than progressing, if we have leaders who think they way that the National House of Traditional Leaders thinks.  To remove a certain group of people from the constitution would be a dangerous slippery slope, whose rights are going to be taken next?  Taking away sexual orientation would affirm that it is alright to kill, rape, torture others based on sexual orientation.  What would follow next would be criminalization of it.

We demand that the National House of Traditional Leaders apologises to the LGBTI community and take back what they said, because it is an infringement of people’s rights.  Our bill of rights in section 16(2) says even though we have the freedom of expression, but “ freedom of expression does not extend to (b) incitement of imminent violence, (c) Advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that constitutes incitement to cause harm.

The language that Kgosi Thobejane used (on radio 702 at 10: am on May 7th 2012 with Redi Tlhabi that can be found on podcast,) was carefully selected to incite action, words such as “unnatural, condition, not normal, we cannot allow it, who will account for this to the next generation”?   What we would like to know is if they are going to account to this generation for all the homophobic attacks that will result from his speech?  They clearly incite people to want to act and fix whatever condition he is talking about.

As for Nkosi Patekile Holomisa to claim that “people are homosexuals because they skipped a ritual, when the right rituals are conducted they are cured”, shows how clueless he is.   We fail to see how same sex marriages infringe on anyone’s rights whereas what they are proposing is a clear infringement on people’s rights.  This clearly undermines people’s dignity.

I guess marrying a hundred straight wives gets old after a while, so they have to tap into the homosexual community as well.  What is the National House of Traditional Leaders  doing to fix the alarmingly high divorce rates, now they want to pick on people who love each other enough to want to stay together and be a family, Thobejane is worried about homosexuals adopting children, what have they done to fix these high rates of orphaned children?  As traditional leaders they need to stick to things they know a thing or two about, and leave the homosexual community alone, because obviously they know nothing about homosexuality.

For more information please contact the following:

Director /Programmes Coordinator

Zoleka Luswazi /Phindi Malaza

T: 011 403 1906/7

F: 011 403 1035

EMAIL: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ,

www.few.org.za

DENIED  PROTECTION

By: Kopano Sibeko

The Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) is under question of a discriminatory act towards the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) group.  A clear discrimination has come to the fore based on the letter of complaint that was written to the JMPD by the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) on 3rd of March the complaint letter is about dissatisfied about the prejudice FEW constantly experience from JMPD when it comes to servicing sthem, as this was not the first time JMPD did not show up/ attend to render their service at our event. This situation puts our lives in danger every time we march without the presence of the officers.

“We sent a letter and numerous oral requests to the department, but to date the organisation hasn’t received no response to any of these requests” says Phindi Malaza the programmes coordinator at FEW.

According to FEW, the department’s unwillingness to respond to the complaint raised by the organisation is apparent that the department is discriminatory towards the lgbti group. FEW stated that the organisation has asked for the service of the JMPD on the Soweto Pride March which is an annual event  from 2009, 2010 and 2011 but the JMPD did not arrive, so subsequent to all its unavailability on these dates the department didn’t apologise nor explain for their  non-attendance.

“We were granted permission and we followed all the procedures required by  Joint Organising Committee (JOC), yet the JMPD still failed us. Not even once did they take the initiative to contact us after our numerous attempts” expressed Dikeledi Sibanda the project Officer at FEW. She furthermore explains that the failure of the JMPD to respond to our letter clearly shows prejudice on the part of the JMPD or one Pinkie Mpahlele in particular and the disregard of the organisation.  “They don’t care about us, and this attitude must stop, we are part of South Africa’s citizens too”, she says.

Pinkie Mpahlele the communication events manager of the JMPD denies all the allegations thrown at the department, “those people are wrong, they did not communicate with me effectively” she states that the organisation did not speak to her directly but they  spoke to her colleague Kau. “I am not at work, they should call me after two weeks, maybe I can try to help”, she adds.

The organisation divulges that it is on this basis that they view the reluctance of the department to respond to their complaint as discrimination, unless they can prove otherwise. The organisation’s interest right now is to know if the department will be able to provide security for them this year.

The silence of the department clearly confirms the suspicion alleged by FEW that the department is discriminatory against the lgbti group.
The department’ s spokesperson Edna Mmamonyane articulates that she knows nothing of this matter and that the department does not patrol on events but police drive around to check and come back later on again when the crowd disperses, just to see if there are any funny activities. “I cannot comment much on the issue, but I will have to try and find out from the events management why this matter was not followed” she say

CITIZEN JOURNALISM TRAINING WORKSHOP

On the 16-19 April 2012, FEW together with Behind the Mask (BTM) will be running Citizen Journalism training workshop, to building the capacity of black lesbians to fight gender based violence and other issues affecting lesbian women in townships through the use of writing and using photos to educate, raise awareness and feed to a body of knowledge about the life experiences of women particular black lesbian women in their communities. only 5 black lesbian women where selected from different townships in different movements/groups EPOC (Kwathema),IHAWU (Katlehong), UTHINGO (Dayveton), SOHACA (Soweto) and Tisatsereletso(Vooslorus)

These stories/articles will be published in social networks, website and blog. Partnerships with community news papers and radio stations will be formed so that we create more awareness through these mediums to share and discuss these issues so that our member’s and broader community are aware of issues around their communities.

FEW has a new DIRECTOR!!!

FEW advertised for a new Director in 2011. It had numerous responses and we have finally made an appointment.
Zoleka Luswazi matched the requirements most closely, especially with regard to feminist activism,
advocacy and fund raising.   She is a South African who was living in the USA for 11 years and has been
involved in community work for most of her career.

Zoleka was a spokesperson for Mothers for Justice in Connecticut in the States, a programme that empowered
marginalized women-Hispanic and low income, and black women-through skills development.

What attracted Zoleka to FEW was her strong interest in defending human rights, empowering women and the
Calling to make a difference. She is a social justice advocate and this was reflected in her work in health care reform
And domestic violence in the States. Zoleka herself moved from a victim of domestic violence to being an educator
on domestic violence in the States. She believes that all forms of violence should be addressed.

Zoleka also worked on a policy that would enable a domestic violence victim to be made  aware of her perpetrator
if he/she is within 100 miles of the victim. Her motivation was to ensure that what happened to her does not happen
to other victims of domestic violence.

Zoleka is a devoted mother of two bright energetic boys and she is enthusiastic about working with FEW and
its allies, and she is eager to create new networks and relationships.

Zoleka has served on a number of Boards – TEAM (Training , Education and Manpower) and she was Chairperson
for the Early Education Policy Council in Connecticut.

Zoleka wrote an article in her private capacity to the SOWETAN in 2009 about Hate Crimes, in particular
raising the issue of xenophobia in South Africa.  She feels strongly that even with the inclusive South African
Constitution, LGBTI persons still live in fear because the very society we live in shuns and oppresses lesbians,
gay men, bisexual persons, transgender persons and intersex persons.

We welcome Zoleka to the FEW family!

FEW new Office Address

Sixth Floor, Heerengracht Building
87 De Korte Street
Braamfontein
Johannesburg
contact details: 011 403 1906/1907

Imagine living every day of your life in fear, afraid to venture into public places because you do not know if and when you could become the next victim of a hate crime solely because of your sexual orientation. Every 26 seconds, a woman is raped in South Africa.

	Noxolo Nogwaza, a member of the Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee, a gay rights group, was stoned to death in KwaThema Township outside Johannesburg in 2011.
	Eudy Simelane, a former South African international women's footballer, was gang raped, beaten and stabbed 25 times in the face, chest, and legs, was murdered in 2008 in KwaThema. One of her attackers pleaded guilty to rape and murder and is now serving a 32-year jail sentence.
	Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Masooa, partners who were raped and tortured before being shot in the head and killed in 2007 in Soweto. The men were never convicted and the case has since been closed.
	Zoliswa Nkonyana was brutally murdered in 2006 by a mob of 20 men. To date, only 9 have been arrested and charged. The trial has faced numerous delays and has been postponed more than 30 times in five years.