MAJORITY HAS NO RIGHT TO DO WRONG ASMAL ON SEXUAL MINORITIES

By Mongezi Mhlongo (BTM Senior Reporter)

SOUTH AFRICA - 22 April 2010: More still needs to be done to sensitize the media and service providers such as police to effectively handle issues of sexual minorities.

Behind the Mask learnt this at a Sexual Minority Course held by the Good Governance Programme of the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria on 12-16 April where the South African Constitution in relation to the rights of sexual minorities was discussed.

The course, which brought together academics, service providers and some members of the media, aimed to send a message of tolerance in society, organizer Kweku Antwi, Programe manager said.

The constitution “has to be a living document or rather it should be interpreted in a way which depicts the present”, Professor Frans Viljoen, Director, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria said.

Professor Kader Asmal stated that the constitution is the highest law. “A celebration of everything we are, whatever the differences. And sexual orientation, as protected by the constitution is a private matter that should not be interfered with. Whoever you make love with or have a drink with is your business.”

He added, “Homosexuality is more prevalent than we think and you find that people are being killed for being themselves. In the Bill of Rights it doesn’t say that majority is always right, and we need to understand that majority doesn’t have the right to do wrong.”

Jos Charle, Editor of  Pretoria News expressed a need for sensitization of the media.

“Because we know little about certain issues, we tend to offend some people, perpetuate certain myths and stigmatize people. And as a collective institution, not just Pretoria News we have failed to protect sexual minority rights. We need to inform ourselves first as the media before we can inform others”, he said.

Meanwhile Superintendent Mutondi Joseph Ratombo of the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria highlighted that homophobia at various police stations constitutes secondary victimitisation and that it must not be tolerated as it does not reflect the values of the South African Police Services (SAPS).

“At Brooklyn Police Station victims do not make statements at the front desk in the presence of everyone but rather in a secure room and should the victim require counseling, we ensure that it is made possible. People must also check who is helping them because everyone has a name tag and this will curb the generalization that all policeman and stations are insensitive while it is an individual issue”, he concluded.