CSA&GCSA&G

Unpacking Hate Speech Targeting LGBTIQ+ Persons on Africa Day

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The second session of the 2023 Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations took place on Africa Day, 25 May, in a joint effort by the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) at the University of Pretoria, along with the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the Philipps-University Marburg. These conversations have emerged from a shared interest in addressing LGBTIQ+ and queer identities among the participating centres.

Titled “Hate Speech Targeting LGBTIQ+ Persons,” the Zoom session, facilitated by Naledi Mpanza, featured insightful presentations by Khanyisile Phillips from Gender DynamiX (GDX) and Dr Kerry Frizelle, a senior lecturer at the Department of Education at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). The presenters skilfully delved into the theoretical and epistemological foundations of hatred against members of the LGBTIQ+ community as well as the lived realities and experiences which come with living in a cis- hetero-normative society.

Frizelle grounded the conversation in the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill, which has recently been passed by the National Assembly, by drawing from the works of Judith Butler, Sylvia Tamale, and Vygotsky’s theory of internalized language. This approach shed light on the ways in which hate speech manifests and impact on marginalised communities. It does this through the normalisation and internalisation of social and cultural norms which language carries, thereby challenging the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”.

Phillips led a practical exploration linking hate speech to hate crimes through highlighting the names of individuals who have fallen victim to hate crimes that arguably stem from the prevalence of hate speech. Notably, Phelokazi Mqathanya and Lonwabo Jack were remembered as tragic examples. Additionally, Phillips touched on the case of Vicky Momberg as a lens to examine the importance of intersectionality in our efforts to understand and confront discrimination, in supporting marginalised communities. Phillips’ examples highlighted the constitutionally protected Section 10 Right to Equality and existing resources such as the Equality Courts which provide recourse for addressing discrimination.

During the conversation, Frizelle emphasized the challenges of changing existing structures but emphasised their role in perpetuating certain narratives. Their poignant statement, “changing structures is hard, but structures hold narratives,” resonated with the audience, highlighting the significance of challenging the status quo. Moreover, Frizelle emphasised the need to decolonise our minds, urging us to seek out narratives from transgender and gender diverse individuals. Further, Phillips stressed the importance of critically analysing our actions and the practices of our institutions, by continuously striving for improvement and accountability in supporting and advocating for the rights of marginalised communities, including refugees and asylum seekers who highlight the intersectionality of human rights. To this, Phillips also shared how tools such as the Model Policy Framework are one step in the journey towards safer institutions that support and protect the rights of trans and gender diverse staff and students in the tertiary space.

Both speakers called upon us to confront our cultural baggage and address our internalised attitudes, which often contribute to discrimination and bias.

In essence, the conversation served as a platform for profound reflection and discussion on hate speech targeting LGBTIQ+ individuals. By exploring the theoretical underpinnings and sharing practical experiences, the presenters shed light on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. It is through such open dialogues that we can work towards a more inclusive and accepting society for all.

 

Kindly register for the next conversation happening on 22 June 2023 here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G_VXv1caT26WLhtAx9_6Ow

 

CSA&GCSA&G

“Joy is bringing your full and apologetic self forward and knowing that you are not wrong to exist”- Bev Ditsie during the 1st 2023 Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations

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By Naledi Mpanza, Tamrin Slager & Alex Mailola

On April 27, 2023, The Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations team hosted Dr Bev Ditsie in an online webinar titled ‘Where is the joy? Portrayals and Depictions of LGBTIQ+ Persons‘. The event took place on Freedom Day, which falls during International Lesbian Week of Visibility, and was well-attended by colleagues and networks working with the affiliated Centres at the University of Pretoria and Phillips-Marburg University.

The conversations are hosted jointly by the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) at the University Pretoria, together with the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the Philipps-University Marburg. This was the first conversation in the second year of the conversation series.

“I was a very happy kid that was allowed to be herself at home…I was also aware of the politics of borders, gender, race and the moulding of self”

Dr Bev Ditsie, popularly known for being the first African Lesbian to address the UN at the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing 1995, rooted her conversation in personal anecdotes of growing up during apartheid, and her reflections on the strategic erasure of LBQ women throughout history. Ditsie’s presentation seamlessly portrayed an intersectional understanding of Freedom Day and the layered nature of existing in a society where human rights are constantly under threat in overt and insipid ways influenced by state actors and homophobic institutions of influence in different communities.

“I’m blessed to be one of the people that fought”

Touching on her activism for lesbian visibility on the global and local stage, Ditsie shared the joy and triumphs in the movement to recognise lesbian rights as human rights, exist alongside losses and bitter reminders of the denigration of the rights of LGBT persons. Sobering reminders of the joy within the struggle include the arrests following the disco attended by queer activists after the Beijing Conference, the banning of ‘Rafiki’, an award-winning Kenyan film about lesbian love, as well as the joy of the Coalition of African Lesbian’s granting of observer status by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) marred by the subsequent revocation.

“I catch my breath when I hear young people say it’s not their job to teach”

A lack of access to information and resources as well as positive representation and visibility of the queer community in society, were some of the considerations that Ditsie brought forward in sharing her concern for the growing aversion, by young people especially, to bringing people into the fold for learning and education about the lived realities of LGBTIQ+persons. Her concern stems from her experience with the pervasive and strategic anti-gender initiatives orchestrated by state actors and institutions of influence in different communities.

Ditsie’s conversation weaved stories of excitement and fear with those of love, loss and learning as a queer activist and filmmaker whose work resembles the same. Through curating the stories from within her community of fellow activists and changemakers, Ditsie reclaims and archives the history of lesbian women, thereby challenging the vacuum and creeping collective amnesia regarding the role of lesbians and queer people in the fight for human rights and freedoms. The participants of the conversations pitched in with reflections on her life work which highlights the rich history of lesbian activism and the intersectionality of race, class, gender, sexual orientation and location.

Ditsie concluded with a call for community principles and safer spaces, as ways of fostering self-care, which can be a way to resist and counter the hatred and anger targeted towards the LGBTIQ+ community.

“What brings me joy is finding safety in spaces, safety in community, joy is bringing your full and unapologetic self forward and knowing that ‘I am not wrong to exist, my existence is pre-ordained’”

The event served as a reminder that there is still much work to be done to ensure that all members of the LGBTIQ+ community can live in full joy and freedom.

You can read more about Bev Ditsie here: https://www.wakaagency.biz/southern-africa

Kindly register for the next conversation happening on 25 May here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XWHRxsR8Si6UqEfzPpqA7g#/registration

For more information on the Pretoria-Marburg Conversations, please contact: Naledi Mpanza: naledi.mpanza@up.ac.za

 

Just LeadersCSA&G

Students take SAAW with a Bang!

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By the JUST Leaders 2023 Research Cohort[1]

From the 17-21 April the Centre for Sexualities AIDS and Gender, through the JUST Leaders programme, and the Transformation Office through its student cohort #SpeakOutUP commemorated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) with a series of exciting and well-attended events and engagements under a week titled ‘Sexual Assault Awareness Week (SAAW): Addressing digital forms of sexual assault and harassment’ at the University of Pretoria’.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is a time for international advocacy stakeholders to share tools for addressing sexual assault and harms in society. The University of Pretoria through its student volunteers used the teal blue ribbon commonly linked to SAAM as a symbol for solidarity, support and safety for survivors of sexual assault. The teal ribbon appeared on the cool merchandise, and the wall pledge that students and staff appended their handprints on. The wall pledge served as a commitment to creating awareness around sexual assault as well as a dedication to curbing the prevalence of digital forms of sexual assault and harassment on social media.

Students who participated in the wall pledge event shared how, “Signing the pledge is acknowledging the issues that plague our society and taking a stance against them, by being open to conversation, and refraining from perpetuating the problem that is sexual assault.”

 

 

The rest of the programme for the week included a workshop educating attendees on the harassment continuum, as well as information sessions and stalls for awareness on the theme for the week. Throughout the week and during all the events, students were reminded about the reporting procedures for sexual assault, including the availability of trainings for students and staff as preventative measures limiting incidents of sexual assault and harassment.

You can learn more about support and reporting processes at the University of Pretoria here:

https://www.up.ac.za/transformation/article/3087797/contact-us

 

For more future events, information and engagements follow @speakout_up and @JustleadersUP on social media.

 

[1] The 2023 Research Cohort comprises of: Onkgopotse Mokgale, Galaletsang Masemola, Mapuleng Hlalele, Sindile Timane, Tamrin Slager, Mmathapelo Bosoga, Tshepi Raboroko, Junior Aphane, Jay Grobler, Lelethu Mdepa, Mogau Sedibeng, Siyamthanda Njikela, Alda Deve and Mpumi Nkuna