society’s gay characters, a reflection of diversity

By Nthateng Mhlambiso (BTM Senior Reporter)

Photograph by: Shizeeda Osman

February 9, 2007: While South African Television viewers are still hungry for more, the much-talked about mini-drama series, Society, featuring gay characters, came to an end yesterday.

Being the first Television production of its kind portraying gay lives after the passing of the Civil Unions Act last December, the four-episode drama made a significant groundbreaking.

“We wanted to have a love story that has never been depicted on TV before and we also wanted to portray the reality of life in our communities… that we have Xhosa-speaking coloured people…, we have lesbians and so forth”, said Lodi Matsetela – co-writer and producer of Society.

As the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was looking to commission a good script, Matsetela said, together with co-producer – Makgano Mamabolo, she decided to produce an appealing four-part drama series which she believes was broadcast at the right time as gay rights were being celebrated.

“I believe that it was screened at the right time and according to the SABC ratings Society is doing very well”, said Matsetela.

Even though Society touches on homosexuality – a very controversial issue in the past year, Matsetela asserts that they have never received any negative feedback from the public.

Responding to the public’s demand for more episodes, she said; “People must remember that if the series was longer, it would not be so action-packed as it is now.”

Like many actors in real life, Society’s actors have been confronted by public commenting about the different behaviours they portray in the drama.

“A woman stopped me while I was walking in a mall in Cape Town one day and said that I look totally different from the character that I play as Beth”, said Sibulele Gcilitshana, who plays Beth.

Asked how it feels acting a gay character, Gcilitshana said; “I love playing roles that challenge me… that contribute to my learning as well as teaching others, and I love roles that force me to do research.

She continued that; “When I got a brief about Society from my agent, I immediately fell in love with the character of Thuli. I auditioned for both characters but I ended up playing Beth.”

Quite often the gay community complains that the media misrepresents gay people.

When Matsetela was asked by BTM whether the characters of Thuli and Beth in the drama reflect the true nature of gay people, she answered that; “We are hoping to hear from the public whether we have managed to do so. Another thing is that there is nothing hectically different about the lives of lesbian and gay people, while people might expect to see something very different, they will see in Society that lives of lesbian and gay people are just normal”, She explained.

On the other hand, gay organisations feel that the screening of gay characters in the mainstream Television is a step in the right direction.

Dawn Cavanagh, acting CEO of Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), said that gay and lesbian people have the right to be portrayed in a manner which reflects their true lives.

“We welcome images of diversity in our screens. We have a diverse society in South Africa, and having such diversity screened sets the pace”, she concluded.

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