Niza Jay – Beyond Inxeba (spoilers)
To say that Inxeba (The Wound) is a cultural phenomenon is something of an understatement. The film has simultaneously been hailed as a groundbreaking artistic achievement and also become the subject of protests, death threats and censorship. In the middle of this cultural, political and social maelstrom are the film’s actors, whose powerful performances have […]
Africa’s first openly LGBT cabinet minster resigns as MP
It seems that it’s the end of the political road for openly lesbian former Minister of Public Enterprises, Lynne Brown, who on Thursday resigned as an MP. Brown’s resignation comes after she was recently dropped from the Cabinet by President Cyril Ramaphosa. She also became personally embroiled in the state capture saga amid accusations of […]
Review: Call Me By Your Name
At first glance you might suspect that Call Me By Your Name, nominated for the best picture Oscar, is another one of those pretentious European art film releases. It has many of the warning signs: There’s the languid pace, the Italian countryside setting, academic discussions and a precocious teen who plays classical piano and speaks […]
Editorial | FPB Appeals Tribunal must resign over homophobic ‘Inxeba’ ban
The members of the Film & Publication Board (FPB) Appeals Tribunal must follow in the footsteps of Jacob Zuma and resign after abusing their power to ban Inxeba (The Wound). In a shock announcement this week, the board said it had changed the film’s earlier 16 LS rating to X18, one usually given to hardcore pornography. […]
New report reveals critical need for hate crimes law in SA
A new report, five years in the making, has exposed the devastating nature of hate crimes in South Africa, where LGBT people remain among the most vulnerable groups. On Thursday, the Hate Crimes Working Group (HCWG) launched its Hate & Bias Crimes Monitoring Form Project report at the Holocaust and Genocide Centre in Johannesburg. The research […]
Inxeba (The Wound): The Mamba Review
The most talked about South African film of the past year is finally here. More than 12 months after it premiered at the Sundance Film festival and went on to win 19 awards around the world, Inxeba (The Wound) is in local cinemas. And it’s about time. Apart from the controversy and hype, the isiXhosa-language […]
It’s time! Major move to end same-sex couple discrimination by Home Affairs
Cope MP Deidre Carter has tabled a landmark bill in Parliament to repeal a provision allowing Home Affairs marriage officers to refuse to marry same-sex couples. The clause, Section 6 of the Civil Union Act, has long been identified by LGBTQ activists as an unconstitutional and discriminatory flaw in the law that legalised same-sex marriage in […]
Why is Home Affairs trying to break up this married same-sex couple?
A married binational same-sex couple face being separated because the Department of Home Affairs refuses to acknowledge that they are entitled to live together. American Wendy Kessman and South African Nomfundo Ngidi have been in a relationship since 2014. They met and fell in love in Swaziland while Kessman was an HIV Education Peace Corps […]
Friend or foe? What’s Cyril Ramaphosa’s stance on LGBTI equality?
While we know that Jacob Zuma holds homophobic views, what about his successor as ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa? When it comes to LGBTI right, Zuma’s legacy is unlikely to be remembered fondly. His most infamous remarks on the matter were made at a Heritage Day celebration in KwaZulu-Natal in 2006. Speaking to a large crowd, he stated: […]
Outrageous! Film and Publication Board promotes LGBT pedophile fake news
In an astonishing development, South Africa’s Film and Publication Board (FPB) has shared a fake news story on social media claiming that the LGBT community supports pedophilia. On Thursday, the organisation, which is tasked with classifying films, games and certain publications in the country, shared a link to a deceitful article that claimed that a […]