TW talk of rape and homophobic violence.

Q.

Football v. Homophobia, an LGBT advocacy group, is raising awareness of hate crimes in sports with a new campaign.

As part of the One Billion Rising movement, an initiative to stop violence against women, Football v. Homophobia has started a new campaign demanding the South African government recognize homophobic rape as a hate crime punishable by law.

Keph Senett from the Football v. Homophobia campaign said: ‘The situation in South Africa is critical, and there is no excuse for this delay in response. People know about the problem.’

Though South Africa’s Department of Justice assigned a task force in 2011 to address LGBT hate crimes, homophobic rape is still not classified as a hate crime.

Football v. Homophobia has released an info-graphic of documented cases of homophobic violence against LGBT people in South Africa since 2001 and as recently as last November. These include several women footballers and activists who were attacked and killed for being lesbian.

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The Justice Ministry of South Africa requested that the ‘conversion’ centre be investigated

The South African justice ministry has requested that the Human Rights Commission investigate a Chrisian arts centre which operates to attempt to “cure” people of their homosexuality.

Creare Training Centre in Bloemfontein boasts that it seeks to convert gay students into heterosexuals through “rehabilitation”.

According to the rules of the academy, gay students, who were unwilling to change their lifestyle, would not be welcome. Only those seeking to “convert” to heterosexuality are granted entry.

The ministry released a statement today, which said that it was looking to the Human Rights Commission to investigate the centre, reports IOL news.

It read: “We trust the SA Human Rights Commission will be able to use its extensive powers to investigate this matter and to take the necessary and appropriate action,

“The notion that a person’s sexual orientation can be changed at will, or by compulsion, feeds the very same homophobic attitudes that encourage the criminal and abhorrent practice of so-called corrective rape.”

Earlier this week, Dawie Nel, the director of gay rights organisation OUT, said the academy’s stance breached South Africa’s anti-discrimination laws.

The centre’s founder, Cornelis van Heyningen, however, denied that the institution was discriminatory.

“We are catering for those who say ‘I want to change as a homosexual’. That’s not saying no homosexuals are allowed.”

He also compared the academy’s stance on homosexuality to a drug rehabilitation programme.

On Wednesday, a student defended the arts academy and claims that it helped “cure” her of being a lesbian.

TW for violence, murder.

Another senseless hate crime in South Africa.

RIP

Q.

According to Ndumie Funda, director of Luleki Sizwe, an organization that assists young lesbian victims of so called ‘corrective rape’ a young South African lesbian was murdered by a group of gangsters.

Sihle Skotshi, was a soccer player who was only 19 years-old when she was murdered.

Skotshi was one of the girls in the group assited by the Luleki Sizwe organization.

The attack occurred on the 9 November at Cosovo an informal settlement in Phillipi, a township of Cape Town.

According to an eye witness interviewed by Funda, Skotshi along with two of her women friends left a tavern where they were drinking to pick up more money at home of one of the girls.

Upon arriving five or more men confronted and started cursing them saying: ‘Ayo ndawo yenu le, yindawo yamaVura’ (this is not your place, it is amavura’s place) (Amavura is the gang that is known and feared in the area).

The men attacked them, and pulled out a mini spear stabbing Skotshi in the chest.

One of her friends attempted to intervene and got stabbed in her arm, whilst the other friend ran for help.

Skotshi was hospitalized but died shortly after. According to the report Skotshi told her friend before she died: ‘Please apologize for me to my mother, and I love you all’.

The two young women had to return home to the township where the attack too place, fearing further attacks.
Skotshi’s brutal murder is the latest in a spate of killings and ‘corrective rapes’ targeting lesbians in South Africa.

Skotshi was described by Funda ‘a friendly young woman to those who knew her; she was a soccer player and has recently matriculated and was working and saving money to study further’.

Last month 6 lesbians were brutally attacked and beaten at a petrol in Cape Town.

While in August this year a lesbian was raped and murdered in Kwa Zulu Natal.

In July a lesbian mother was brutally raped and murdered at her home in Polo Park, Mokopane.

Many LGBT people, particularly those who live in the townships, suffer death threats, violence and daily abuse.

According to activists of those most at risk are lesbians, transgender and asylum seekers from neighbouring African countries.

Many South African lesbians living in townships have been reported to having been subjected to so called ‘corrective’ rape, where attempts to ‘cure’ lesbians by raping them.

Despite having a relatively progressive pro-LGBT rights constitution, South Africa is witnessing a growing problem of homophobic violence which affects the poor and black LGBT communities disproportionall.  White LGBT South Africans, however, seem to remain relatively safe. 

Lesbian human rights campaigner Melanie Nathan claimed the Traditional Leaders political organization were to blame for the recent violence against South African lesbians, in a comment piece for Gay Star News.

T/W for violence.

Q.

October 26 2012 at 09:11am
By Nontando Mposo

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

One of a group of six lesbian girls who were attacked in Gugulethu. Photo: Candice Chaplin

Cape Town - Six young lesbians from Gugulethu fear for their lives after they were attacked and beaten. None of the women wanted to be identified for fear of further victimisation.

One of the women, 22, told the Cape Argus that the friends made their usual “snack” stop at a petrol station in Gugulethu in the early hours of Sunday after leaving what she described as a gay-friendly club.

Without provocation, a man charged towards the group and started punching one of her friends, the woman said.

“He punched her until she was down on the ground. He kicked her in the face until blood trickled down her forehead. He slapped, shoved and punched anyone who tried to intervene… he was so strong; we felt powerless.”

She said the guy looked “angry and energetic, as if he was on drugs”. He then turned on some of the other women in the group. While he was beating the women, he allegedly shouted: “These f***ing lesbians, we must beat them up until they stop.”

The 22-year-old said that after what seemed like hours, he got into his car and drove off.

“We just stood there helplessly. The sad part is a group of guys watched and didn’t do anything to help.

“I don’t know where all that hate was coming from. I am scared to go out now. As a lesbian I feel like a walking target.”

The six friends have opened a case of assault at the Gugulethu police station.

Two of the injured women ended up at the Gugulethu Day Hospital.

One of them is a 19-year-old matric pupil. She told the Cape Argus that when she saw her friend not moving on the ground, she tried to intervene.

“She was just lying there not moving. I bent down to check on her… When I saw blood… I knew we were in serious trouble,” she said.

Despite a swollen face and a fresh scar above her eye, the matric pupil wrote her English exam on Monday.

“I am still shaken. I never thought something like this would happen to me… we didn’t do anything to provoke him. We hope justice is done so that this guy can’t hurt anyone else,” she said.

Pumeza Runeyi, a witness and member of Free Gender, a black lesbian organisation based in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, said she felt helpless watching the attack.

“No one could stop him. If that guy had a gun he would have killed someone that night.

“It was if he held a grudge against them. I am angry and want to see justice done,” said Runeyi.

Of the club, she said: “It’s the only gay-friendly club we can go to in the township. It’s obvious we are not safe anywhere,” she said.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut was not in a position to comment on the case on Thursday afternoon

By Cyd Zeigler - Co-founder, Outsports.com

Jul 30, 2012 - We first heard about South African archer Karen Hultzer two weeks ago. We had published a story about nine openly gay and lesbian Olympians, and a reader said we should reach out to her. When we got hold of Hultzer, she was wary of talking for fear that she might get distracted by more media attention ahead of the potential conclusion of her competition on Aug. 3. It’s understandable: We always recommend athletes come out during their off-season for that very reason.

Before the Olympic Games, her partner had told South African Web site Mamba Online that Hultzer is a lesbian:

Her partner, Tracey Kim Saunders, told Mambaonline that Hultzer is

happy to be identified as a gay athlete.

We didn’t include her on our list of out Olympians, as she had not publicly acknowledged her sexual orientation. Until now.

Hultzer was kind enough to reach back out to us today after realizing the cat was out of the bag. She told us to “go wild.” She also gave Outsports her first public statement about her sexual orientation:

“I am an archer, middle aged and a lesbian. I am also cranky before my first cup of coffee. None of these aspects define who I am, they are simply part of me. I am fortunate that my sexual identity is not an issue, and I don’t suffer the level of discrimination and violence that black lesbians in South Africa do. I look forward to the day when this is a non-issue and as relevant as my eye color or favorite sushi.”

Hultzer now increases the number of out Olympians to 22. She is only the second South African Summer Olympian to come out, following beach volleyballer Leigh-Ann Naidoo in 2004. She is the first archer to do so.

Hultzer was eliminated from individual competition on Monday in the round of 64. She lost to Pia Lionetti of Italy, 6-2. South Africa did not compete in the team competition, as she was the only South African competing.

As South Africans celebrate Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday the country’s LGBT communities call upon their leaders to take firm action against the rising tide of hate crimes.

Thousands of LGBT people protested throughout South Africa against their leaders’ silence and even complicity with the increasing hate based violence and crimes against lesbian, gay and transgender people.

The protests are organised by a coalition of LGBT groups and civil society organizations.

Since 2009 South Africans have used 18 July to celebrate the legacy of Mandela’s 67 years of political service. LGBT activists symobolically held a 67 minute protest to remind South Africa that his legacy was service to all, including all sexualities and identities

Activists also called upon the country’s African National Congress leadership to follow in the example of Nelson Mandela by taking a stand against the hatred and violence.

Read More

T/W violence, rape, murder

There is now, an alarming trend of violence against lesbians in Kenya, following a string of assault cases during the last couple of months. In South Africa, the LGB community is increasingly becoming vigilant after rising murders of lesbians and gay men over the last couple of months.

An assault case against a lesbian was reported this week in Naivasha. Human rights activist Kate Kamunde, termed this recent incidence as heartbreaking. On her twitter handle, she said that is was sad that “these cases mostly go unreported and we let criminals go scot free.”

Last month, a lesbian was reported to have committed suicide in Nakuru, after having been stabbed by her partner, an incidence which led to her being outed to her parents. She was then locked up at her parent’s house, married off to an older ‘family friend’ and being impregnated.

There was yet another double suicide of a lesbian couple in Kisumu after being raped, to apparently, ‘correct their sexuality’.

 “Corrective rape”—an assault in which a man rapes a lesbian in an attempt to “cure” her sexual orientation is a gruesome crime. A lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender activist organization in Capetown says that it deals with as many as ten such incidents every week.

Since 1998, at least thirty-one lesbians have been killed in attacks that were motivated by their sexual orientation and many of which began with corrective rape in South African . Few arrests have been made despite the country’s constitution explicitly forbidding discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

South Africa repelled criminalization of same sex activity in 2009 and is the only African country that recognizes same sex marriage. Section 9 (3) of its Constitution also expressly prohibits unfair discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

It reads: “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”

Violence against women, any woman, is wrong and unacceptable. Though law enforcement agencies like the police are sometimes blamed for ignoring these cases, a lot of them also go unreported as the victims are afraid that their sexuality will be revealed during investigations and subsequent litigation.

It does take a long time to change a nation’s culture, even with the best laws in the land, but we must denounce violence against women, more so, those that suffer double stigma of discrimination and violence because they are of a minority sexual orientation.

BY: Wothaya

T/W for violence, rape

By Melanie Nathan, July 05, 2012.

While South African authorities continue to bungle investigations and fail to provide protection, panic and anger seems to be increasing amongst South Africa’s LGBTI Township communities, with the recent spate of hate murders.

Yet another lesbian is reported raped and murdered.  The 29 year old was found brutally raped and murdered, according to Limpopo LGBTI Proudly Out’s Cindy Molefe. The victim, Hendrietta Thapelo Morifi, known as Andritha, was discovered by her mother on Saturday at her home in Polo Park, Mokopane.

After not answering her door, Andriitha’s mother broke in to blood-drenched underwear on the floor and her daughter’s body on a bed close by. Reports indicate that the young woman neck had been slit from ear to ear.

Andritha is survived by her mother and a two-year-old daughter.

According to unsubstantiated reports two men were arrested caught wearing the victims clothes but released for lack of evidence.

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Thapelo Makutle is believed to have been killed on 8 June

A suspect in brutal murder of South African gay man Thapelo Makuthle has been charged. Activists say that anti-LGBT related crime and violence is on the rise.

A suspect in the brutal murder of Thapelo Makuthle is reported to have been charged. The suspect, named Sizwe Tajini, resides with his father in the village of Seoding, the same of the victim, near Kuruman, Northern Cape, South Africa.

Thapelo Makuthle, a gay man, was brutally murdered on 8 June, Kuruman, Northern Cape, his head almost severed from his body.

During a court hearing that was held today in Kuruman, Taijini was said to have admitted to carrying out the murder alone.

Speaking to PinkNews.co.uk, Shaine Griqua, director of the LGBT rights group LEGBO Northern Cape reported that Taijin “stayed silent most of the time and showed no remorse.

“He also made contemptuous, arrogant facial expressions and body posturing at the LGBT activists who were in attending the court hearing,” he said.

Read More

Gay and lesbian activists in KwaZulu Natal Province have launched an awareness programme to curb attacks on LGBTI people in the region.

Murdered: Ncumisa Mzamelo

The launch of the programme comes 14 months after the brutal murder of Ncumisa Mzamelo in a north Durban Inanda informal settlement.

Mzamelo, 21, was an out and proud lesbian newspaper seller well-known in her community in Bhambayi, Newtown C, Inanda and had been threatened with death a number of times before she was finally murdered.

According to report in the New Age newspaper published today, her body was so badly burnt that even now forensic results have not been concluded.

The newspaper reports that gay and lesbian activists are at the forefront of the awareness programme that aims to train more than 400 caregivers, NGO members, police officers and ordinary community volunteers about how to recognise hate crime incidents and bring these to the attention of the authorities and, eventually, to courts.

According to the New Age, the Durban Gay and Lesbian Coalition (DGLC), in conjunction with Ethekwini municipality and the Human Rights Commission, are spearheading the programme targeting areas of Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu.

The programme includes among other things, a two-day workshop where participants will be schooled in such matters as hate crime victim identification, the Sexual Offences Act, the Domestic Violence Act and the Victims Charter.

The new Age reported that Nonhlanhla Mkhize, of the DGLC and coordinator of the project, said they had decided to embark on a pilot project in the area and they hoped to extend it to other parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

Mkhize told the newspaper, “We chose the area as it has all the elements of our people. It is peri-urban and there have been several instances of attack against gay and lesbians.”

She said the project started in April and would run until July. The Ethekwini municipality has taken the project under the wings of Imagine Durban – Safe City programme.

The new Age quoted Mkhize as saying, “We know that there have not been that many cases of abuses reported in these areas. We are concerned about this because we don’t know whether people are scared to report cases of attacks and abuse because of the treatment given to them when they arrive at a police station.”

She cited the police officers and community volunteers working in the Thuthuzela Centres, which are the areas set aside for victims of domestic violence in police stations.

“The centres ensure that the people who deal with such cases are trained and able to recognise cases of hate speech abuse and report it accordingly.”

There has been a spate of attacks on gays and lesbians in recent times. Some lesbians have been subjected to what is referred to as “corrective rape”.

“It is very sad that even as we celebrate 18 years of democracy, there are still cases of discrimination and attacks in South Africa,” said Mkhize.

The South African Press Association (Sapa) reported this morning that four men have today been jailed for 18 years for stabbing and stoning 19-year-old lesbian Zoliswa Nkonyana to death in 2006.

The four, Lubabalo Ntlabathi, Sicelo Mase, Luyanda Londzi and Mbulelo Damba were sentenced by the Khayelitsha Regional Court to 18 years, four of which were suspended for five years.

According to Sapa, “A crowd outside the court cheered, sang, raised their fists and danced when news came that the men had been sentenced.”

The National Prosecuting Authority had asked for the men to be sentenced to 15 years each.

NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said, “We asked the presiding officer to sentence the men to no less than 15 years in prison as they committed a heinous crime, killed a young woman because she was living openly ads a lesbian, never showed any remorse or accepted responsibility for what they have done.”

He added, “Only their parents apologised on their behalf and we believe rehabilitation stands a small chance of being achieved.”

The men were found to have killed Nkonyana because she was openly living as a lesbian.

On Monday The Times newspaper in Johannesburg reported that the case, in its sixth year, has been beset by delays, bungling and escape from custody and had been postponed about 50 times.

According to the Times Nkonyana’s parents were struggling to come to terms with the death of their only child and had declined to speak to media.

Another five accused were acquitted.