South African drag star Tollie Parton and the art of drag have come under attack from a religious extremist on social media, igniting a heated online debate and triggering a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech.
On Wednesday, Paul Hattingh — who describes himself as a self-employed digital creator — posted a lengthy and vitriolic rant on Facebook, condemning the Afrikaans community for supporting drag artists.
Biblical Condemnation and Queerphobia
In his post, Hattingh quotes biblical passages to attack Tollie Parton, performed by Wynand Kotze, accusing him of “trading moral values for applause” and promoting a culture in which “sexual confusion is sold as ‘art’ and ‘self-expression’.”
He further wrote:
“The man who calls himself Tollie Parton openly proclaims a character built on sexual reference, attire and demonic confusion. He uses makeup, fake hair, clothes, and voice manipulation to caricature femininity — and the world is applauding. But Tollie Parton isn’t just a stage personality — he’s a sign of how deep depravity has become.”
Hattingh asserts that:
“It’s not just Tollie Parton who is guilty. Every viewer, every fan, every parent exposing their child to that spirit, everyone who says ‘we must be compassionate’ — is carrying the blame.”
Addressing Kotze directly, he declares:
“You think you are cute. You think you make people laugh. You say it’s your bread and butter. But YHWH [Yahweh] says, ‘This is an abomination.’ You belittle the gender you received from YHWH and mock the order in which you were created. You use your body to let others stumble.”
Viral Post Fuels Online Hate Speech
Hattingh’s post has gone viral, receiving nearly 200 comments, with users fiercely debating the “morality” of Kotze performing in drag.
Many, predictably, used the opportunity to spread their own religious bigotry and hate speech targeting the LGBTQ+ community. One individual, Martin Kruger, commented: “Hang them off the lamp poles as an example.”
Some did, however, criticise Hattingh’s bigotry. Shaun Lavagna-Slater, responded: “Stop using a religion (not everyone subscribes to) to punch others down. You don’t speak for all Christians. And you certainly don’t speak for God. Embarrassing, uneducated and hateful.”
It remains unclear why Hattingh chose to target Kotze so directly, but the outburst may have been prompted by the performer’s recent success at the Afri-Indie Music Awards. Kotze, through his Tollie Parton persona, won Best Comedy Live Act and Best Music Video (Comedy) on Tuesday night.
Queerphobia Masquerading as Religious ‘Truth’
Hattingh’s vitriolic post appears to be part of his ongoing effort to paint himself as a crusader for “truth,” frequently sharing a toxic mix of queerphobic content, doomsday Christian ideology, and right-wing political commentary on his Facebook page.
The comments on his post also expose the uncomfortable truth that South African anti-LGBTQ+ hate is never far from the surface on social media platforms, which have become increasingly unsafe for members of the queer community.
MambaOnline has reached out to Wynand Kotze for comment on the attack.
