Sexual orientation workshop in the City
THE City of uMhlathuze has taken a progressive step to educate its councillors, forum leaders and community leaders on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) integration within their communities by hosting a sensitivity workshop.
The initiative was aimed at creating awareness about serious issues facing members of the LGBT community.
The workshop was hosted by the Anova Health NGO and local LGBT community leaders, and presented to municipal and traditional leaders, traditional health practitioners, religious leaders and members of the Reed Dance Matrons Forum.
Representatives of various government departments, including the Departments of Health and Education and members of the SAPS, were also involved.
The workshop was led by Mayor Mduduzi Mhlongo and coordinated by the Local Aids Council.
‘The city of uMhlathuze has not recorded any major incidents specifically targeting members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual community, but there have been isolated incidents involving inter-familial turmoil or violence stemming from a lack of tolerance,’ said city spokesman Mdu Ncalane.
‘The aim of this meeting is to prevent such events before they happen within our mixed communities that are urban, rural and home to people of mixed races and religious beliefs,’ he said.
Human rights
Council Speaker Silondile Mkhize stressed the issue of human rights to all members of the community as prescribed in the Freedom Charter.
‘We say ‘no’ to any form of discrimination against anyone, because we want to achieve proper integration in our communities,’ she said.
‘I don’t even want to refer to a certain group of people as LGBT because that’s a classification that we should not be having.
‘We are all equal, and we all have the same human rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
‘Through this initiative we want to deal with stigmatisation in any form and educate our communities on how to live side-by-side with gays and lesbians,’ Mkhize said.
The Local Aids Council also highlighted health issues that government institutions should consider when planning for an inclusive future, and educated delegates on proper etiquette when dealing with members of LGBT communities.
The issue of hatred, victimisation, lack of acceptance, corrective rape and common insults hurled at LGBT members was also highlighted as a major challenge in many communities.