“I’ve received threatening messages”: Nakhane Touré on The Wound
Nakhane Touré has in the past few weeks gone from acclaimed musician and author to rising international film star, thanks to his lead role in the new queer South African film, The Wound. Directed by John Trengove, and co-written with Thando Mgqolozana and Malusi Bengu, it tells the story of Xolani (played by Touré), a […]
Is this the end of the road for gay rightwing star Milo Yiannopoulos?
Milo Yiannopoulos, one of the poster boys for the alt-right movement, has been dumped by his publisher and some supporters after his past inflammatory comments about child abuse came to light. The openly gay British writer, journalist and editor has become an unlikely celebrity in the right wing world thanks to his extreme and hostile […]
“You are taking our girls!” Lesbian activist bashed with a cricket bat in Pretoria
Sally*, a 24-year-old activist from Pretoria, is dedicated to combating the stigma of HIV and the scourge of hate crimes. With her focus on helping others, this confident and openly-lesbian woman didn’t expect to herself become a victim of violent hate because of her sexual orientation. On Saturday 28 January, Sally was returning to her […]
LGBTI groups against hate speech provision in hate crimes bill
A number of LGBTI+ groups don’t believe that the hate crimes bill’s attempt to make hate speech a criminal offence is a good idea – and it’s probably unconstitutional. Late last year, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development released the draft Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill. While rightly proposing to […]
Tragic irony: Late ‘gay’ star Lundi Tyhamara honoured at homophobic Grace Bible Church
Gospel star Lundi Tyhamara, who at times identified as gay, was remembered in an emotional memorial service at Soweto’s Grace Bible Church – the site of a recent anti-gay sermon. Tuesday’s commemoration of Tyhamara’s life and talents was attended by celebrities, public figures and friends and family of the 38-year-old musician, who passed away last week […]
Art: Mourning the faceless gay victims of Isis
Artist Clive van den Berg’s new exhibition, A Pile of Stones, at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg, is a thoughtful tribute to the dozens of gay men sadistically murdered by the Isis regime. Since 2014, Isis in Syria and Iraq has been horrifically executing gay men and those accused of being gay. The group distributes images […]
Grace Bible Church: Stop using the Bible to justify “apartheid” homophobia
As popular singer Zahara wades into the row over the Grace Bible Church’s stance on homosexuality, a minister has called for an end to the use of “apartheid” strategies against LGBTI people. On Wednesday, Zahara (Bulelwa Mkutukana) appeared to come out in support of the Grace Bible Church and its guest evangelist who recently preached that homosexuality is unnatural. […]
It’s time to stop Oscar Bougardt’s dangerous “gay paedophiles” lies
Cape Town’s homophobic Pastor Oscar Bougardt is continuing to perpetuate dangerous lies about gay people – and the media is letting him get away with it. Last week, News24 published an article about Bougardt planning to start a church or churches in South Africa in partnership with banned American gay-hate Pastor Steven Anderson. That’s nothing new. […]
Suspect arrested as outrage grows over Noluvo Swelindawo’s murder
A man has been arrested in connection with this weekend’s brutal murder of Noluvo Swelindawo; a young lesbian woman who was abducted by a mob from her home. According to new reports, up to eleven men burst into Swelindawo’s home in Driftsands near Khayelitsha on Saturday night and dragged her away. Her family, partner Nqabisa […]
Shocking scale of LGBT discrimination in South Africa revealed
The fear of discrimination is a daily reality for most LGBT South Africans, a groundbreaking new report has revealed. According to the troubling research, more than half (55%) of us live with the fear that we will experience discrimination due to our sexual orientation or gender identity. And that fear is based on lived reality; […]