WHY IS THE STATE OF THE NATION ADRESS MUM ON GAY ISSUES?

By Yohannes Teclemichael Tesfagabir

If there is a time in which LGBTI people will become important to governments, it is only during election. Indeed, it is rising to the level custom for parties to preach about equality when campaigning for election and afterwards to forget even to mention the existence of LGBTI people, let alone to address their problems.

In this regard, the ANC is not an exception. During its campaign for election, the party indicated its awareness of the problems LGBTI people are exposed to and has accordingly made promises to address such problems.

As newly elected president, Jacob Zuma delivered State of Nation Address on June 3, 2009 in which he outlined the working programmes of his government for the years ahead. Though the State of Nation Address was detailed enough to include every challenge the country faces in social, economic and political fronts, there was no space for the problems LGBTI people are confronted with.

One may argue that the problems which affect LGBTI people specifically do not raise concerns to level of forming part the State of Nation Address. However, if the State of Nation address was detailed enough to have space for report of ‘teachers who sexually harass and abuse children, particularly girls’, there is no reason why brutal killings and rape of lesbians should not be part of it.

Harassment of LGBTI people, especially lesbians has become so common that it ceased to attract any attention from the government. Indeed, the National Prosecuting Authority has, as recent as January 2009, admitted this when it stated ‘[w]hilst we are mindful of the fact that hate crimes – especially of a sexual nature – are rife, it is not something that the South African government has prioritised as a specific project.’ Not mentioning the problems affecting LGBTI people in the State of Nation Address is, there fore, a confirmation of the NPA’s statement.

While it is understandable that mentioning a problem in State of Nation Address does not guarantee a solution to the plight of LGBTI people, an acknowledgment of the existence of the problem would still have sent a message to the public, especially to perpetrators of crimes against LGBTI victims.

The economic recession affect heterosexuals and LGBTI people alike. However, when their very existence is threatened by serious crimes, LGBTI individuals have a reason to take the economic crunch is as secondary.

In his State of Nation Address, the newly elected president further stated that ‘[t]he most serious attention will also be given to combating organised crime, as well as crimes against women and children.’ Though one may argue that the reference made to women in the foregoing statement includes lesbian victims, the rampant homophobic attitude of the police, the only people lesbians can turn to for help, certainly points at the futility of the statement as far as lesbians is concerned.

It is of course too early to criticize the ANC government for neglecting the problems of LGBTI people. The very fact that the State of Nation Address did not make a reference to the problems specific to LGBTI people, however, certainly raises a concern and human rights organizations should be vigilant to monitor government’s actions as the latter begins implementing its programmes.