GAY UNIVERSITY DISPLAY VANDALISED
(Pic: Richard Atkinson)
A “closet” displayed on the University of Cape Town (UCT) campus as part of a gay student group’s Pink Week Campaign has been set alight and severely damaged.
Erected by Rainbow UCT on Jammie Plaza, the closet had been on display for less than twelve hours before it was vandalised late on Monday night.
“…the closet was used to celebrate the country’s achievements in advancing civil rights for homosexuals and highlights the human rights violations that still plague our society,” said Dylan Van Vuuren, RainbowUCT Chairperson.
“The closet was positioned allowing students and staff members to graffiti the outside with their own responses and views.”
The Pink Week Campaign, held from 4 to 8 October, is an initiative to promote LGBTI rights and highlight homoprejudice.
Van Vuuren said that the organisation was deeply concerned about the incident and called for the University to launch an immediate investigation.
“We request that University Management including Campus Protection Services acknowledges that this is a hate crime and an indication of a larger problem found within the UCT community and broader South African society which needs to be addressed,” he said.
It is believed that the perpetrators may have been videotaped by the campus security surveillance system.
“Rainbow UCT wishes to stress that this incident will not dampen our spirits and Pink Week will continue to take place for the duration of the week,” Van Vuuren added.
Symbols. Leave the burnt remains of the old “closet” and erect a new one next to it. This would be a telling symbol of the homophobia the community is faced with and that we won’t be forced into submission.
PREJUDICE. I agree – leave the dispaly as is as a symbol of the prejudice at our institutions of “higher learning”
It is so shocking the levels of ignorance and intolerance in a level of our society that should be at the forefront of transformation in this country.
Rather than celebrating 94.7 “pride” ,the event should rather be returned to the people as “gay pride” and start to deal with real issues facing our community
and making demands on those who are failing to protect our rights .
Leave it as is. I agree. Leave it as is. It represents our ongoing struggle. It will cause debate and place our cause in the spotlight.