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botswana president: 'Don't be judgmental on homosexuals
by Mask Admin on December 1, 2000
botswana president: 'don't be judgmental on homosexuals'
President Festus Mogae of Botswana has urged that the people of his country may soon have to change their strong held views about certain members of the society in order for the nation to effectively stop any future HIV infections, the Botswana Mmegi Monitor weekly reported in December 2000. According to the newspaper Mogae intended trying to block all entry points through which HIV gains access into the society while launching the Botswana Human Development Report 2000.
The report urges the nation not to be judgmental of prisoners, homosexuals and commercial sex workers. Mogae informed his audience that if Botswana had no way of protecting the groups mentioned above, it would ultimately fail to protect the broader society in general.
With 35% Botswana got the highest HIV-infection rate in Africa, and probably the world.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has honored the Botswana Centre for Human Rights Ditshwanelo with one of its 2000 Felipa Awards. The centre is applauded by IGLHRC for 'advocating outspoken and tirelessly the fundamental rights of gay and lesbian people.' 'Ditshwanelo's efforts are all the more remarkable, given the surge of government-sponsored homophobia in many countries in southern Africa', says IGLHRC.
Other winners of the 2000 Felipa Award are William Hernandez, a gay activist from El Salvador, and ISNA, an advocacy and education group that fights for the right of intersex people not to be operated without their consent.
The sixth annual Felipa Awards were announced at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Centre in New York City on May 17. The awards are named in honor of Felipa de Souza, a Brazilian lesbian tortured by the Portuguese Inquisition in 1591, honors activists and organizations who have made significant contributions to the freedom of sexual minorities worldwide.
Last year's Felipa's were given, amongst others, to South African lesbian Aids HIV activist Prudence Mabele and, posthumously, Simon Nkoli, one of the founding fathers of South Africa's gay and lesbian movement.