MANDELA SA GAY RIGHTS PANIC?
A leading UK-based website has been criticised for suggesting that LGBT rights are under threat in South Africa because Nelson Mandela has now died.
According to Gay Star News, “Activists have told GSN they are concerned that without Mandela, the figurehead of equality, South Africa could follow the rest of the continent and ban gay rights.”
In the article, author Joe Morgan writes that “while the country is known as the ‘Rainbow Nation’, the pearl of gay rights in Africa, it could only be a matter of time before this is revoked”.
Morgan, however, only quotes one activist, Ingrid Lynch from Cape Town’s Triangle Project, who said:
“While LGBTI people might be legally accepted in policy and legislation, they are not necessarily accepted on the ground. We have hate crimes against LGBTI people.”
She added: “With Nelson Mandela passing, many feel there’s suddenly a real threat to those rights.” Mambaonline was unable to contact Lynch about her comments in the article due to the holidays.
The article raises further concerns such as President Zuma’s 2006 anti-gay statements, the appointment of the conservative Mogoeng Mogoeng as Chief Justice, and the 2012 call by traditional leaders to drop gay rights from the Constitution.
While these are valid concerns, the article doesn’t, however, acknowledge the checks and balances that exist in South Africa (and in other democracies) that limit the impact of these kinds of incidents.
Gay Star News doesn’t, for example, mention that Zuma was forced to “unreservedly” apologise for his comments, that the ruling ANC remains firmly pro-equality and that while Mogoeng belongs to a church that believes that homosexuality can be cured, he has publicly denied that he is homophobic.
The calls for constitutional changes were also quickly dismissed out of hand by the government and other relevant authorities.
South African Eugene-Joshua Mouton commented on the article, calling it “unsubstantiated rubbish… about our country- clearly proving that you have no idea what happens here!”
“Tata Mandela has not played an active role in politics for many years and if government wanted to take away our rights they would have done so irrrespective of Mandela! As wonderful as Mandela was, our democracy does not hinge on him. Please stop insulting us by suggesting otherwise!” he wrote.
Kim Cupido added his disdain for the article, saying “What a load of absolute nonsense this article is. I feel it is my responsibility to remind Joe Morgan that South Africa is a constitutional democracy and that while we do indeed have conservative politicians none of them are a threat to the LGBT community’s constitutional rights. Could we please have no more of this fear-mongering nonsense.”
Derek Williams, however, commented that, “Looking at how easily LGBT have been recriminalised in Russia, India and in former Soviet possessions and continue to worsen in most of the East and Africa, despite UN policy and international condemnation, these fears seem well founded to me.”
What do you think? Do you believe that the article is justified or is it a sensationalistic piece with no real merit?
I have called Joe Morgan out before on slapstick cheesy reporting. GayStar News seems to enjoy rush to press tabloid style reporting . Thanks for calling them out. Though an opinion piece another eg of lazy reporting. He could have asked so many more or done a better job of his research.
While this article may be tabloid trash, let us be ever vigilant!
Morgan’s sensationalist writing is disturbing. It’s true that our constitutional protections rarely translate to practical, daily acknowledgment of rights and the necessary respect which I feel we’re entitled to.
We do, however, need to remind him to read and research before he (and his editor) decide to publish. Not only are there various pieces of legislation safeguarding our rights, there are various decisions by our court, notable the Constitutional Court. There is also the Constitution itself. An 80% majority is required to amend any part of the Bill of Rights, containing the Dignity, Life and Equality clauses. These three clauses have been said to be inextricably linked. Should the 80% be obtained, the Constitutional Court would undoubtedly declare the amendment unconstitutional.
So, instead of creating needless panic, Morgan should invest reasonable effort (more than he put into this “article”) and champion the advancement of LGBTI rights globally.
Gayies must continue to have rights
I seemed to miss this entire controversy, so here a belated response. Yes, I did respond to questions from Morgan in a telephonic interview, but I told him the angle he was taking in his interview sounded alarmist and doesn’t reflect the reality in SA. He however went ahead and misquoted me as if I agreed with him. I will be hesitant to grant him an interview again if this is typical of his style of reporting, which from comments made above seem to be the case.