South Africa: Activists Slam UN Ambassador's Homophobic Remarks

The only African nation that has legalized marriage equality and included sexual orientation in its constitution is dramatically failing when it comes to protecting international LGBT rights, charge South African-based LGBT and human rights activists. This follows a homophobic statement made by Jerry Matjila, SA's ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva (seen above).

Matjila spoke in opposition to sexual minorities being included among groups who suffer intolerance in the world in a report by the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Githu Muigai. Matjila told the Council that including sexual minorities in the document would, “demean the legitimate plight of the victims of racism”, angering South African GLBT advocates and the main South African opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Reacting to Matjila’s comments, DA Shadow Minister of International Relations, Kenneth Mubu, said, “South Africa’s rejection of the inclusion of sexual orientation as a means of discrimination seems like an act of appeasement to certain African countries with poor human rights records, rather than taking the principled position, and setting an example on human rights which other African states could look to.”

Matjila's comments have been roundly criticized across SA media, especially by some of the leading Black commentators.

The comments at the UNHRC are only the latest data point in a high-profile series of actions that some say is a retreat on LGBT rights. More recently, SA's gay activists were troubled by the April 2010 appointment of the controversial and homophobic Jon Qwelane as South Africa's ambassador to Uganda . "[Qwelane's appointment] shows an utter disregard for LGBTI people in South Africa and Uganda," the Civil Society Organisations tell Behind the Mask. "At a time when that country is proposing on the most draconian pieces of anti-gay legislation in the world.”

In 2006 South Africa became only the fifth country to legalize same-sex marriage. Since then it has failed to support an historic 2008 UN declaration calling for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. (The Bush Administration also refused to support the resolution, but it was later ratified by the Obama Administration.) SA also voted to exclude sexuality from another UN resolution on racism and xenophobia in 2009.

Comments

[JBK]

"demean the legitimate plight of the victims of racism". Wow. It wasn't that long ago he wasn't legitimate in HIS country. I just SMH at these ppl and their foolishness.

[john]

Hey Rod, are you sure you wanted to link to http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-07-19-black-antiblacks-are-denialists when you say that Matjila's comments are roundly criticised?

Here's the thing. Matjila says that the comparison of homophobia to racism demeans the legitimate plight of victims of racism. There's also another commentator, Eusebius McKaiser who criticises this standpoint. McKaiser asks: "Does Racism trump Homophobia"? McKaiser would say no. Then there is another article, the one you linked to, by Andile Mngxitama who attacks McKaiser for his standpoint. Mngxitama calls McKaiser a Black anti-black denialist. Mngxitama identifies McKaiser's race: Black; and calls McKaiser a denialist of Apartheid as if McKaiser denies Apartheid ever existed, or at least was that bad; hence McKaiser is anti-black for his denialism.

Long paragraph, ne?

And here's the really big point that I make to you.
First off: I really wish that you were more careful about what you put up as evidence to support a statement. Clearly this time you picked up a thread which actually supports the homophobic UN Ambassador.

Secondly, I say that first thing because I look up to your work. Your mere existence online is something to be thankful for. I am South African and I am Black. I am clearly in an environment where some viewpoints are really hard to even voice through all the noise. This McKaiser-Mngxitama debate is a very sad...do I call it a debate even? McKaiser did an adequate job in honestly applying logic to the debate to prove that it is not ok for the SA government to fight racism yet condone or even promote homophobia. What Mngxitama did was simply accuse McKaiser of being anti-black as if it is not possible to be non-racist and non-homophobic at the same time.

So does the world need a gay Apartheid for McKaiser to be safely non-racist and non-homophobic?

[Explorer]

Joh n, you raise a valid point. Mngxitama's polemic against McKaiser's article was somewhat misdrected. But in one respect, it is worth considering. Mngxitama is saying that whatever your sexuality in South Africa, your life is primarily ordered by the history race oppression. This he is key in country where white gay activists become spokespeople for the gay rights, and to large extent are in fact conservative in their race politics. Hence, what you get are white gay citizens enjoying the privilege of whiteness whilst having a shaky solidarity with their black counterparts who find themselves subjected to the ongoing violence in the townships. Mngxitama and McKaiser are both off the angle in the sense that neither identify patriarchy as the ubiquitous evil that men of all colours and backgrounds share. Hence, even gay men, are some of the most sexist out there. On the issue of gay politics in S.A., even queer activist Zackie Achmat consistently criticises the middle-class gay community in South Africa of being privileged and hiding behind material success instead of being out there advocating for basic rights of citizens oppressed under apartheid. For achmat, i think, the gay community needs to realise that it's 'liberation' is never going to be fully reailsed until all the economic and socil structural damage suffered by people under apartheid is reversed. Hence Mngxitama is not missing McKaiser's point, but bringing McKaiser back into his social reality. In the article he criticises E.M for philosophising. Reality in South Africa says that all oppressions are tied up to the bigger problem of what apartheid did, until that is resolved black lesbians will suffer the violence that hetero black women suffer in the townships, a violence bred in the social chaos we have not resolved since the end of our 50 year repression and civil war since Botha. Mngxitama isn't saying gay rights are insignificant, he is pressing E.M. to look at the reality of S.A. and which gays actually enjoy what and why others dont. This in way of course answers the question of ANC sexism and conservatism generally.

[Explorer]

Correction: I meant - In NO way does it answer the problem of ANC sexism and homophobia generally.