March 16, 1999
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March 16, 1999 |
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news | culture | chat | personals | about us |
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| gay news |
letters to the editor
Jan '99 | Feb '99 | Mar '99
Mon, 8 Mar 1999
Whilst considering this point it is perhaps worthwhile to reflect on who
you are actually writing for. Considering,the continued economic disparity in South Africa it is likely that the readership is white and middle class and therefore it becomes redundant to even mention the racial composition of particular clubs as the very establishment become synonymous with the race of its patrons.
Salut
Sun, 14 Mar 1999
Just a note to say how delighted I was to find your website when looking
through the Mail & Guardian's website.
I am currently living and working in London for a few years and have
certainly enjoyed the vibrant gay scene in this city. I am very pleased
to see though that things in South Africa are also certianly changing
and I am looking forward to keeping in touch via your website on what is
going on back home. As much as I am really enjoying my time over here in
Europe I know that eventually I will be coming back to South Africa as I
still believe it is an amazing country with the most wonderful people.
I am also a regular reader of The Guardian over here in the UK and I think it is a first rate newspaper. There support for your website will
be yet another very good reason for me to continue reading The Guardian as my newspaper of choice.
I certainly hope you all have a very good 1999.
Dear Craig, You must be the first person to make the connection! The Mail and Guardian is the only straight newspaper in the world to have a gay web site. All the more reason to read it. You will from time to time spot The Guardian pieces on Q! Good luck in London. -Ed
February '99
Mon, 22 Feb 1999
Dear Editor
As someone who has worked with the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian
Equality and been member of the Pride Parade Committee, I am disturbed by
the wording, inference and errors made around the "gay rights" chat site.
Firstly, the wording:
"Gays" is felt to be a derogatory term, just as referring to a any group as "Jews" or "whites" is seen to carry a negative conotation and such terms are generally not used freely in the press due to these conotations.
The inoffensive way to put it would be "gay and lesbian people".
It has also finally been recognised that lesbians do exist, so most women
would prefer a reference.
Then saying: "Homosexuality was decriminalised in South Africa in
September, but neighbouring countries Zimbabwe and Namibia have moved in the opposite directions, announcing tough new 'anti-gay' legislation."
For the record, homosexuality was NOT decriminalised. It was never in
itself criminalised. Consensual same sex unions between men was
decriminalised in certain instances, but there are still legal issues.
For the ignorant person, saying that : "Homosexuality was decriminalised
in South Africa in September, but neighbouring countries Zimbabwe and
Namibia have moved in the opposite directions."... could lead people to believe that being gay or lesbian used to get you locked up in South Africa (which was not the case), and it also infers that getting locked up could be ok.
And the reference to Zim and Namibia, especially with Canaan Banana's case, starts to mix oranges with apples. Banana was tried for sexual assault and sodomy, which has nothing to do with being gay. He committed a crime, but many people are mixing it up and saying that he would have been ok if he had been in SA.
South Africa constitutionally recognises the rights of gay and lesbian
people as equal in all cases. Having a debate about gay rights (which
according to the constitution are one and the same with human rights) with
no intelligent input just gives bigots the chance to express their hatred
and add fuel to each others' fire.
I ask you to please change the wording and inference given on you chat site.
Yours sincerely
Is Andre on your staff? I had to smile at his adventure at Tuks. I lived in one of the res' in the early eighties. I wish I had that experience of a man sleeping over in my res room!
I now live in New York and just stumbled onto your web site - I am enjoying cathing up on gay news in SA. Keep up the good work!
Regards,
Sat, 13 Feb 1999
Why would you label yourselves as "queers"? I'm a straight female and
find the term very offensive. I can assure you that nowhere in the
world would that be acceptable. It is for this reason some people are
still in the closet. They fear being labelled "queer". Come on guys....and gals please think of a new word we are moving into the 21 Century!
Tue, 3 February 1999
Dear Benjamin, I hope everybody else has noticed we update often, not quite hourly, but often. - Ed
January '99
Fri, 29 Jan 1999
This is the best and most awesome gay sport web site that you will find in south africa and africa !!!!
we would welcome your input and support in getting our url advertised..
www.icon.co.za/~stobbs/togs/togs.html
many thanks
Sun, 31 Jan 1999
enjoyed the article on Tula, is she the same as the model who starred in
From Russia With Love, with Sean Connery? i love her she is great,
i am in "closet'' TS, teaching a writing class and i am a reverend, lez
preference lifestyle, with friends of many diverse persuasions, i have a
palace chatroom with interactive visuals, and i wiz at another palace.
also i am poet and artist, published, and have been in several art
shows.
'nuff about me for a moment, just found you by surfing for info about
Tula, thanks for your work and good luck with all, please keep in touch, i am Suzi Lilith but also known as Lilith and Lulu
Fri, 29 Jan 1999
I would like to ask permission for us to create a link on our site for 'q'.
Please check out the site after Monday, and forward any comments or suggestions you might have to me. We still have much more in store for the site, but would like some feedback.
Thank you
January 19, 1999
Dear All:
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THESE "GLA" FOLKS HAVE BEEN THROUGHOUT THIS
PROTRACTED STRUGGLE!
They haven't attended any of the Immigration Support Group's meetings, nor
any of our discussions with members of parliament and Home Affairs
officials on how best to bring the law into line with the constitution.
They were not present when we addressed the parliamentary portfolio
committee on Home Affiars, nor when our supporters filled St. George's
Cathedral on the eve of the hearing in the Cape High Court of NATIONAL
COALITION FOR GAY AND LESBIAN EQUALITY AND 13 OTHERS / THE MINISTER OF HOME
AFFAIRS AND 2 OTHERS. Nor, for that matter, were they in court with us on
December 4th, as were so many true supporters of equality. And they
weren't there either last week when the Coalition again went to court to
help a gay South African citizen get his immigrant partner released from
unlawful detention at Cape Town International Airport.
I strongly suspect that the so-called Gay and Lesbian Alliance is nothing
but a right-wing Trojan horse seeking to ensure the marginalisation of the
gay and lesbian community and the trivialisation of our concerns. What
better way to achieve this than to discourage our participation in the real
political life of the country, where we work for equality and dignity for
all, in favor of the blandishments of phony "activists" who would lead us
into a meretricious ghetto, where we could be safely ignored. Gay rights
are human rights. It is only through engagement with the rest of society
that we can change peoples' minds, find commonalities, build bridges, and
actually improve the way human beings are treated.
There are brave, wise, hard-working people in South Africa's gay and
lesbian community, people with long records of service and genuine
activism; they just aren't conspicuous in the "GLA".
Regards,
email at home: lareyfc@iafrica.com
Tue, 19 Jan 1999
Hi there!
Would it be possible for you to include a link to the forum's home
page from the q-online website? If you go the webpage at the following URL
http://www.delphi.com/pa-167406/ you will see I have included a link
to q.
If you could add the link to your site it would be greatly
appreciated.
Sincerely,
January 14, 1999
Dear Editor,
Mr. Jarra was contacted last year. No feed back. Mr. Jarra received all press releases. His racist comment rejected as the GLA is a non-racist party.
We did advertise in the Government Gazette dated November 13, 1998. Our election manifesto was faxed to Mr. Jarra and all other media.
During 1998 we did contact numerous gay societies. We did provide the gay media with press releases.
Regarding the death penalty: we promise a referendum for the voters to decide by November 1999.
I did not state on the radio that I organised gay parties (on being asked what experience he has had in politics he was heard as saying that he has organised lots of gay patries). Backing of gay societies is a bonus and not the make or break of a party.
The GLA is the only gay political party and on voters day will surprise all.
The GLA is fighting not only gay issues, but also normal party politics. The GLA will have between 4 and 10 members of parliament after the 1999 elections.
Juan Uys
Sat, 2 Jan 1999
Hi
Dear Stefan,
Sun, 3 Jan 1999
Hello
Sun, 3 Jan 1999
I am an American who used to live in Johannesburg (I went to Wits Law School)
in the late 70's. Enjoy your web site and hope to come back to SA for a
visit.
Dear Howdy,
E-mail the editor at q online - March 16, 1999 |
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