Notorious anti-LGBTQ+ agitator Mehmet Vefa Dag has launched another hateful attack against the queer community, this time describing LGBTQ+ people as “paedophiles”.
On Wednesday, Dag posted an image on Facebook referencing Cape Town hosting WorldPride in 2028.
Alongside the photo, he shared a caption attacking both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and LGBTQ+ people:
“If the DA wins the city of Cape Town, will 3 million paedophiles from all over the world come to Cape Town in 2028? Your children’s future is at risk.
Just think about 3 million of the most dangerous sex predators arriving at your doorstep. The DA poses a threat to our communities. We need to stop the transgender invasion. Say no to Pride 2028.”
In January, the DA officially endorsed Cape Town’s bid to host WorldPride 2028, describing the event as a major boost for the city’s tourism sector.
Dangerous Rhetoric with Real-World Impact
Cape Town Pride, which will organise the WorldPride event, said it was taking legal action against Dag over his hate speech.
Evan Tsouroulis, Cape Town Pride’s Marketing, Sponsorship and Parade Coordinator, told MambaOnline:
“This kind of reaction is very disappointing but not entirely surprising. Whilst we are generally reluctant to respond to these kind of outbursts, the comments made by Mr Dag clearly amount to hate speech and our legal team is lodging a report with the Equality Court.”
Painting LGBTQ+ people as a danger to children is a longstanding and dangerous trope used by queerphobes worldwide. This rhetoric fosters unfounded fear within communities and paves the way for stigma, discrimination, and violence against queer individuals.
Mehmet Vefa Dag – A History of Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate
Dag, a Turkish-born leader of the obscure Truth and Solidarity Movement Party, first gained notoriety in 2023 when he threatened to vandalise Cape Town’s rainbow pedestrian crossing.
At the time, he also attacked Woolworths for its Pride campaign, posting on social media:
“Woolworths has publicly declared it’s a f*g’s paradise, shame on you.”
Despite urging supporters to join him in defacing the rainbow crossing with black paint, no one turned up. Instead, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies — some in drag — gathered in solidarity to counter his hate-fuelled message.
Amplifying Hate Online
Dag’s homophobic posts have garnered thousands of views and likes, amplifying his hateful rhetoric and increasing his visibility online.
In June, at the start of international Pride Month, he referred to an LGBTQ-affirming church as “a synagogue of Satan” on X and praised a photo featuring a banner that read “F*ck LGBT”.
Dag’s inflammatory behaviour has already landed him in legal trouble. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to 90 days in prison for contempt of court in a defamation case brought by Curro Holdings, a private school company.
