south african politicians must learn from obama

Nthateng Mhlambiso (BTM Senior Reporter)

The new President of United States Barack Obama is the first, and might also be the last in the world, to speak so openly and positively about lesbian and gay matters, not only during a critical time of his elections campaign but also during his very first speech after being pronounced the winner of 2008 presidential elections.

Though he just admitted it will take time before he repeals the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, implemented in 1993 by former US President Bill Clinton, which prohibits gays and lesbians serving in the United States armed forces from disclosing their sexuality, at least he agrees that he will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy.

He might have said in a statement about his vote against a constitutional ban of same-sex marriages “I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman”, but Nonetheless, Obama believes the US Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) of 1996, which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages, needs to be fully repealed.

Unlike South Africa’s former President Thabo Mbeki who gave the gay and lesbian matter a silent treatment even after legalizing civil unions in 2006, Obama has declared in his recent memoir The Audacity of Hope “I was reminded that it is my obligation not only as an elected official in a pluralistic society, but also as a Christian, to remain open to the possibility that my unwillingness to support gay marriage is misguided.” 

While child adoption is still a distressing complicated process woven with bureaucratic policies for gays and lesbians in South Africa, Obama believes in equal adoption rights for gays and lesbians.

Many gay and lesbian youths in South Africa have never been employed, some have been fired from their jobs because of their gender identities that are not as clear cut as some conservative homophobic employers would have liked.

On the contrary Obama did not just express his determination to have the Employment Non-Discrimination Act expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity; he sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The last time South Africa heard presidential candidate Jacob Zuma say anything about gays and lesbians of this country was when he spat insults at them on heritage day in 2006 saying that when he was growing up, gays and lesbians would not even stand in front of him because he would knock them out.

Countless murders of innocent young people of this country who are lesbians and gays have occurred but government leaders have not even lifted a finger, let alone breathe in condemnation of these senseless killings.

More recently South Africa’s political parties have failed to even mention hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation as an issue that needs to be addressed in their elections manifestos.

This is despite the gay community’s efforts to engage government leaders by submitting manifestos stating their needs as citizens of this country with a constitutional right to not be discriminated against, on the basis of their sexual orientation.

News flash: Obama co-sponsored legislation to expand federal hate crimes law to include crimes perpetrated because of sexual orientation or gender identity.

One would have thought the Congress of the People (COPE) would bridge the gaps left behind by the African National Congress (ANC) but so far its manifesto also does not show any intention to consider addressing issues faced by the LGBTI community.

You might argue, that there are “bigger problems” that political parties should tackle such as poverty, unemployment, health education, the global economy recession, etc, but I subscribe to the ‘one too many notion’- even issues affecting small groups of citizens should be prioritized.

By legalizing gay marriages through passing the Civil Union Act in 2006, despite opposition by the majority, I salute our government, but seeing the implementation of this legislation being actively facilitated would have been a cherry on top.

A word of advice, elections are around the corner, it would be wise for each political party to have as many groups of society in its stable, big or small, even a drop in the ocean does make a difference, ask Obama!