LGBTI to test ‘true democracy’
Months after Botswana’s High Court of Appeal upheld the 2019 ruling of decriminalising the (Lesbians Gays Bisexuals Transgenders and Intersex) LGBTI community, the questions arise now if Botswana has attained, ‘True Democracy’.
Further, Batswana are to be challenged as to how ready are they to be represented by a woman from the LGBTI community at the polls. Women’s participation in politics in Botswana has been an uphill battle since the very inception of democracy in Botswana (1966). Fifty-six years later, women still struggle to make it to Parliament and council chambers compared to their male counterparts. Next year, political parties will be going for the 2023 primary elections readying themselves for the 2024 general election. Women in the LGBTI space include but are not limited to lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender women.
Since the laws of “carnal knowledge of any persons against the order of nature” and “indecent practices between persons” have been officially outlawed, this, therefore, allows the LGBTI community to live openly and freely and be awarded all the same liberties as all Batswana. If the ongoing kgotla meetings being held amongst the communities across the country regarding the constitutional review are anything to go by, there has been visible resistance towards this decriminalisation.
After centuries of instilling the predominantly hetero-normative ideals and practices of what defines a man and woman, it has left little or no room for understanding and accommodating the alternative. Policy and Legal advocacy manager, Caine Youngman is of the notion: “Batswana are ready to be led by queer women as we already have them sitting in positions of authority where they lead a significant number of people. Batswana must learn to separate the person from the professional thus someone’s sexuality has nothing to do with their leadership abilities.”
Youngman further stated: “Voting, however, is a different story because politics on its own is a dirty game. During campaigns leaders start insulting and name-calling each other going as far as dragging your opponent’s private life in the mud. Voting in Botswana boils down to who said what about the other and very little to do with capabilities.” However, Ratanang Mosweu, learning and content development manager at Men for Health and Gender Justice explained: “Though this is a very important conversation, before we can talk about the inclusion of queer women in politics, let us look at the women in general and their participation in politics.”
Mosweu feels there is a need to address this problem before we can even consider mainstreaming the women from the LGBTI community. “Batswana are struggling with women as leaders. I cannot imagine them accepting a lesbian or bisexual woman; we still have a lot of work to do in this regard.” LGBTIQ and Human Rights Activist, Bradley Fourtin attributes the lack of women’s participation in politics to socio-economic and political oppression.
Following the recent decriminalisation of consensual same-sex sexual relations, Fourtin feels: “It is time that queer women’s rights capacity and leadership skills are recognised, seeing as the LGBTI communities are contributors to the civic and national development platform of Botswana.”
Fourtin claims he is not certain on whether or not Batswana are ready to vote for a queer woman but makes a call that political and development platforms need to make room for queer women as their right to participate should not be a referendum but rather an obligation by the state and political parties.