Has being gay become a death sentence ?

Gay hate crimes a epidemic...

Hate crimes against people belonging to minority groups has always been a global phenomenon that has negative consequences for its victims .Unlike in many African countries, homosexual acts are legal in South Africa and discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned, but activists say, gay and lesbian people are often attacked in townships.Behind the "gay-friendly" exterior of South Africa, lies the reality: A society that remains, for the most part, virulently homophobic.

Our very own  president Jacob Zuma said in a September speech that same-sex marriages were "a disgrace to the nation and to God." He also said: "When I was growing up a gay would not have stood in front of me. I would knock him out." He later apologised, but the pain he caused lingered  in the gay community.

I don’t encourage a homosexual lifestyle but I don’t look down on it either, If we are all entitled to the full range of human rights and equal protection of the law then ,I believe , it can  never be acceptable to deprive certain individuals of their rights , not because they have inflicted harm on others or pose a threat to the well-being of others, but simply for being who they are, for being born with a particular sexual orientation or gender identity.

The government’s job does not end with passing rights-protecting legislation but also lies in ensuring that the laws translate into applicable rights for everyone, including the most marginalised groups and individuals.We should take a stand,the time is now.

 

Advocacy Groups with Hate Crime Info

• Rainbow Coalition      
• National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
• Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)  
• LAMBDA Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Community Services
• LAMBDA Legal Defense & Education Fund