[Marxism] Good news story from South Africa: Africa's gay haven

[Walter Lippmann]

Norm: Thanks for the good news story from South Africa.

How can we account for this good news? The posted item
posted doesn't provide any political context. Could it
be attributed to the stance of the ANC on this and the
fact that South Africa is the only country on the 
African continent and one of the few in the world who
have gay rights enshrined in their constitution?

This doesn't mean full equality is accepted in society,
but it does put the report in a favorable context. It
is true that some capitalist governments have accepted
gay marriage and other LGBT rights progress, mainly in
response to pressure for LGBT rights acceptance led by
LGBT people

Also, check out this article posted on the website of
the South African Communist Party (reproduced from the
South Africa Mail & Guardian):
http://www.sacp.org.za/main.php?include=docs/mediaclips/2006/nz1201a.html


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California
where gay rights are not enshrined 
in the national or state constitution.


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NORM DIXON wrote recently that:
the ANC government, a harsh neo-liberal capitalist regime that is now 
Washington's appointed major partner on the African continent.
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2007-August/015946.html
==========================================================================================
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?area=/insight/insight__national/&articleId=316298# 

Africa's gay haven
Mashilo Mnisi 	
11 August 2007 11:59
As more gay people "come out" in African countries, they are forced to 
flee and seek asylum in foreign countries because many states condemn 
homosexuality. The majority of homosexuals tend to use South Africa as a 
gateway to their liberty as the country is gay-friendly.
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Irambona says: “South Africa is a nice place compared with the rest. 
I cannot go home because there are no homosexual rights in Burundi.”

In his country, Irambona says, homosexuality is treated as a serious 
crime. Long-term jail sentences or death sentences can be meted out by 
the courts. “My life is hell and I have given up.”

Joel Nana works for an international gay organisation in South Africa. 
But Nana did not go through the humiliating experience that many 
homosexuals do.

The young Cameroonian has had the backing of his family. He disclosed 
his sexual orientation at the age of 17 and the family supported him. 
“But my extended family, my father’s sister, sent police and I ran away 
to Nigeria,” says Nana.

Although Cameroon legislates against homosexuality, Nana would not be 
arrested because of his wealthy family. “It’s horrible there because of 
day-to-day fights and threats against homosexuals. The school [the 
university he attended] was very much against homosexuality, but they 
couldn’t expel me. My family is highly profiled.”

South Africa is a better country for gay people to live, he says. “South 
Africa is better than my country because there’s a lot of awareness and 
education, although I still love my country.”

Many African countries, especially the secular states, deplore 
homosexuality because they believe that it’s un-African to be gay, while 
some churches resort to religious ideologies to reject it.


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WALTER LIPPMANN
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
writer - photographer - activist
http://www.walterlippmann.com
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