Tragedy In South Africa
By Keith Boykin, in sexuality
Friday, July 13 2007, 10:01AM
From South Africa today comes a grim reminder that gays and lesbians of color are still not safe, even in the world's most progressive country. Sizakele Sigasa (pictured here) and Salome Mosooa were found dead on Sunday in Soweto and activists believe the two women were killed in a vicious hate crime because they were lesbians.
The two women were last seen alive together in a liquor store on Saturday. They left in Sizakele's red Mazda, which was later found by a jogger in an area called Meadowlands. Sigasa was found with her hands tied with her underpants and her ankles tied with her shoelaces. She had three bullet holes in her head and three in her collarbone. Police announced today that were following leads that could lead to a major breakthrough and said that suspects in the murder case may be arrested soon.
A Murder Seen As A Hate Crime
Sizakele Sigasa, 35, was an outreach co-ordinator at the Positive Women's Network and a lesbian and gay rights activist. She was traveling with her friend Masooa, 23, when the incident happened. Observers say the two women were tortured and murdered. "This appears to have been a hate crime, committed by people who are intolerant of women and lesbians," the TAC said.
The Triangle Project, a Cape Town-based gay and lesbian group, also said on Friday that they were outraged by the killings. "We demand justice and immediate police action to incarcerate the monsters who killed these women," said spokesperson Vista Kalipa. "This does not look like a random killing or hijacking," he said. "(The) time has come for the South African justice system to tighten its shackles and put an end to these senseless killings."
A similar murder took place in Khayelitsha, Cape Town in February 2006, according to media reports. In that incident, a young lesbian, Zoliswa Nkonyanawas, was found dead after being clubbed and beaten by a mob of young men. "Because of her sexual orientation, she was pelted with bricks and beaten with a golf club just a short distance away from her home," according to Kalipa.
In a separate press release, the South African lesbian and gay communities in a Joint Working Group also condemned the murders. "Gays and lesbians are men and women, human beings who deserve equal rights and treatment - not to be ridiculed or called names, beaten, tortured, raped or killed," the release said. "These gross human rights violations are not just inhuman and barbaric - they must not be tolerated!"
The group called on the Meadowlands Police to investigate the crime "efficiently and rigorously" and called on other agencies and communities "to support the families" by working with the police and prosecutors to bring the murderers to justice.
What South Africa Can Learn From the U.S.
South Africa is known as one of the world's most progressive countries on LGBT issues. The constitution of the government forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the courts have ruled that same-sex marriage is allowed in the country. That puts South Africa, after a long history of bigotry and apartheid until the early 1990s, ahead of the United States in advancing civil rights for LGBT communities.
But progressive laws don't necessarily make progressive citizens. As we witnessed in the United States, the advancement of civil rights for blacks in America quickly led to a bitter backlash by racists who wanted to hold onto the privileges of the past.
Opponents of change will resort to any tactic they can to assert their dominance and maintain their sense of power. The messages of bigotry communicated at the top levels of society give tacit license to those at the bottom of society's privilege to act out on the biases. This is what we have seen in the U.S. with race and other issues, and it is what we might continue to see in South Africa and other places as society changes.
But even if the murderers are apprehended and brought to justice, nothing can be done to bring back the lives of Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Mosooa. Their lives were cut short too soon.
A memorial service was held on Thursday and a funeral service is planned for Saturday.
Comments conceal
Derrick from Philly
July 13 2007, 10:47AM
Some folks always seem to feel the issue of gay bashing is exaggerated, or that only "certain types" of gay people bring the bashing on themselves. This incident in South Africa is what gay bashing is: hatred taken to the point of savage violence--similar to what used to happen every Saturday night, down south, when all the cracka men from several counties would get together to "get one and teach 'em all a lesson." Now, gay people seem to be the most popular victims for lynchings--why, it's one of those past-times that both black and white hetero men share in common (and of course the DL guys who probably lead the lynch mobs).
God bless and rest Ms Sigasa and Ms Mosooa. Sometimes courage can't stop savagery...not in the short run.
'dre
July 13 2007, 11:16AM
You know Derrick, they are killing people in SA like flies these days and the glbt communities are getting killed in great numbers, it seems that the violence is totally out of control and the government has no clue as to how to stop it, even though most of it is rooted in poverty, kind of like big cites here. It leads to the gay bashing's and hatred, along with other sorts of crime.
May both these women rest in peace and their killers bought to justice to give the families some sort of healing.
Solo
July 13 2007, 11:21AM
To spite these ghastly murders one has to remember that the ANC has done a reasonably good job of running that country. Especially when you compare it to the rest of Africa, there might be crime but at least there is no civil war going on!
algie
July 13 2007, 11:48AM
MAN WE ARE REALLY LIVING IN HORRIBLE TIMES AROUND THE WORLD NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.IF YOU DON'T KNOW GOD ITS TIME THAT YOU DO LOL. MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO THEIR FAMILIES
Shabaka
July 13 2007, 12:23PM
Sad story!!A friend of mine e-mailed it to me yesterday and I broke in tears. Criminality in South Africa is one of the highest in the world and as DRE said, it's due to poverty and all sorts of other social ills. Bless their hearts!
JC
July 13 2007, 12:30PM
And on Tuesday evening (July 10) in kingston, Jamaica, they shot and killed in what is suspected to be a hate crime, a man dressed in female clothing. His body was discovered in the early dawn on the sidewalk.
Kyon Saucier
July 13 2007, 2:12PM
Very sad I certainly hope they catch their murderers.
Troy
July 13 2007, 3:27PM
There is no 'us' and 'them' there's only we and we is all we got. Keith or fellow Africans here tell us the media out or news room office we can write to, demanding answers on an intensified investigation and fact finding panel. Who can we call, yes folks, by telephone and petition on behalf of our beautiful sisters taken from us. This should not be another article on violence or wrapped up neat in the hate crimes carry all. Lets get together and let this be noticed and acted upon today.
billy
July 13 2007, 8:35PM
This is exactly the reason why I used to be so closeted but now it's the fuel that has caused me to come out over a year ago to my close family members and why I want to become active in areas of change in our community. I just can't sit in silence anymore-that was killing me.
Andy
July 14 2007, 4:25PM
Another tragic loss of life due to ignorance and unabated hatred. And, why is it that when Mr. Boykin puts this up, hardly no one replies to it, and yet, Isaiah Washington gets almost 200 posts? This demands more attention and outrage than his antics IMO.
May both women rest in peace and the killers caught and bought to justice.
alicia banks
July 14 2007, 6:15PM
tragic!!!!!!
and again i say
and i will say forever:
there are no gaybashers as vile or vicious as rabid black gaybashers
jamaicans
afrikans
black amerikkkans
nigga preachers
nigga thugs.......................
black haters are the worst haters of gays
EVERYWHERE!!!
see more on these evil black sinners at:
eloquent fury
www.geocities.com/ambwww
thanks keith
ab
Solo
July 15 2007, 1:10AM
Hey Alicia Banks, how about dialing back the self-hate a tad! Talking about making broad generalizations! Murders happen all over this planet for all kinds of different reasons, this one was not unusual. Tragic yes, unusual? Hardly!
Andy
July 15 2007, 12:04PM
I agree Solo, the broad generalizations are a turnoff, and should not be used in a tragedy. I'm sure there are many good people in all the countries that seem to have more than their share of violent homophobes. Its the same thing when the mainstream media around the world have this penchant for saying all black men are violent thugs to be feared and black women are loose. I can't stand those sort of wrong and unfair characterizations.
Solo
July 15 2007, 1:06PM
How can anyone who fashions themselves "an intellectual" make the kinds of statements. The kinds of statements Ms. Banks made in her last post would never come out of the mouth of a true thinking intellectual. Reason is at that core of the opinions of a thinking person not hatred and extremism. To spite what Ms. Banks might think most black people are good people, I've been to Jamaica and most of the people I met there were good people. Take away the gay refrences and her post sounds like something a Klansman would say. It was fucking scary when I first read it, truely scary! Negro self-hate masquerading as gay rights. Spewing hatred while at the same time doing the same thing yourself, yeah I can see the intellectual in that!
MidwestGuy
July 15 2007, 1:34PM
No Alicia, there is nothing worse than someone who is so absolutely lacking in self-worth and class, (that even the most demeaning adjective could not properly describe) would attempt to disregard the death of two humans (aside from being lesbians) by shameful self-promotion.
We live in the United States of America and last I checked, laws are made in large, by white men. One could reasonably conclude that white men are more homophobic. Laws can positively affect the disparate treatment of gays. Call your pro-gay White Senator and Congressman and ask him/her to change it. I'm sure that'll be easy.
sharon
July 15 2007, 2:58PM
There is something you can do.
I'm a South African lesbian.
Write to the press, write to our minister of police, start an international campaign that talks directly to tourism - as the greatest growing economy that reduces poverty in South Africa, is tourism, and the tourism commissions are targeting the gay community. As potentially gay tourists, demand that govt departments EDUCATE their police services and begin transformation training to ensure that homophobia reducation is an active, committed process that is funded.
Homophobia is reduced through education. Without training and committment, it won't stop. Govt must invest in changing societies attitudes to uphold the human rights entrenched in the constitution. Politicians MUST speak out against lgbti hate crimes - directly. Demand action, you have power.
edwin greene
July 15 2007, 8:26PM
If the people of Jamaica, South Africa and other mostly black countries where these evil crimes are taking place were mostly "good" people, they would be taking a public stand against the murder of black gays. Unless these "good" people are doing this, they are not good people.
In this case, I agree with Alicia Banks. And what "self-hate" is she guilty of? She is a black lesbian in pain over hearing about the murder of two black lesbians for no reason other than the fact that they were lesbians.
And I'm sick of black people who blame white men for the evil things that black people do. Straight black men who kill gay black people for being gay are 100% responsible for their crimes. White men and their laws have NOTHING to do with their crimes.
Andy
July 15 2007, 10:40PM
Thanks Sharon for the heads up, something I will be doing.
Mr. Greene, your distaste for anything black is alarming, not all black people are as evil as they apparently have been to you. And, sorry, not all "white" people are the saints you seem to love telling us they are, evil knows no color, and instead of feeling sympathy for these two women who lost their lives to a brutal attack, you start whining about your many issues with black people.
Love yourself and quit using that board brush to blame all black people for your lot in life, just because some have hurt you does not mean everyone wants to or will. And, the "eloquent" is not that, just another one with issues about black men.
Solo
July 15 2007, 11:05PM
Wow Edwin if u can't see the obvious vitriol in Ms. Banks words you have a real problem with your perceptions. As far as your ideas of what a good person is in the real world people have a whole pethora of problems, especially if those people have r poor. A poor person, reguardless of how sympathetic they are, who everyday has to worry about keeping a roof over their heads and feeding their families isn't going to b overly concern with why the lasted murder victim was killed. That my sound harsh but that the facts, people worry about their own personal problems first, everyone one does that, including gays. In South Africa there are 50 murders everyday so 2 spite what u might think the death of those 2 lesbians r not going to create any special attention in the media. So plz save your self-rightous crap, in any society where there are so many murders everyday why should the one u care about b elevated about all the others? Wat about the other 48 people that died that day? Why dont u show some concern 4 them?
meow
July 15 2007, 11:34PM
the men here need to stop tryinging to control women--part of the overall problem--there is a masculinity crisis on this planet---so write the words "whats does it mean to be a man . . ." on your arm and then think really hard---gay or straight---the women do most of the work on this planet and fuck if I ain't tierd. at the same time people are dieing cause straight men's masculinity is "dishonored" -- fuck that---get real and love all if you really want to be a Christian---you can't if you discriminate--equal rights for all
edwin greene
July 16 2007, 7:12AM
Andy and Solo, keep in mind that this article is not about me. Andy, are you a psychoanalyst? Even if you are, you do not know me. You cannot psychoanalyze someone you don't know. Remember, I was only expressing my outrage over this crime, which I have the right to do.
Solo, this is a website offering, among other things, information about gay oriented stories and topics that one would not find in the overwhemingly non-gay friendly media. So, of course, this website would focus on the killing of the two black lesbians in South Africa rather than the other 48 murders that happened there on a given day. And I am sorry but poor people take time to do all sorts of things they want to do that have nothing to do with immediate survival. If some of them wanted to take the time to defend the right of their gay brothers and sisters to live they would - if they wanted to.
Derrick from Philly
July 16 2007, 11:22AM
When James Byrd was lynched by white savages back in the 1990s many black folks (including me) made angry remarks about white folks in general, not just white racists. It was emotionally painful to hear what those blood-thirsty bigots did to a black man. But we knew all white people were not responsible--it was the emotions provoked by the event. Why wouldn't you expect us to have the same emotion when two of our black sisters are butchered by what appears to be black savages?
Andy
July 16 2007, 12:35PM
Derrick, your post reminds me of something my Big Mama use to say, not all white folks are good, and not all white folks are bad, if they were they would have wiped black folks out all together since most hate us more than life itself.
There are good and bad people all over the place, the problem is the bad ones seem to be the ones who keep doing these evil things to gays and lesbians. And, the sad fact that some don't get is that it isn't just in majority black countries. Just ask a gay Russian or Polish or Latvian how safe they feel.
Homophobia is just as insidious as racism and anytime any persons life is lost over the mere fact that they are gay should be condemned, no matter the color of the perpetrators.
Stancel
July 16 2007, 1:06PM
Rest in Peace sisters.
This just shows our struggle does not end with same sex marriage. Homophobia can still be pervasive in society and de facto discrimination against LGBT people.
The color of the attackers doesn't matter. Two of our sisters, lesbian sisters, gone. this goes to show, we gays are in this together, we gotta stick together, because the straight people aren't gonna be nice to us, even if they the same color as us.
Dchristo
July 16 2007, 2:12PM
Rest in peace my South African Sisters. Andy - I did not interpret Mr. Green's comments the same way you did. We must as a people be open to self criticism. To do so is not to be pro-white. This incident should be looked at subjectively and although we can consider all of dynamics and contexts, I don't think it should be over-intellectualized. These and all such murders are straight up evil and we need to condemn the perpetrators and anything that is complicit. The victims where these black sisters not black people/society/culture or what have you. The response to black on black crime must be just as fierce as it is when the perpetrators are white.
Andy
July 16 2007, 5:23PM
Dchristo, my comments towrds the poster were based on the fact that its always his issues with blacks on this and other sites, and never the topic. I pity anyone who has been abused like the poster seems to have been,but, he is alive and lives in a country where the poster has most of his freedoms, something that many gays around the world do not have, even the basic right to live or even walk down a public street. And, I tire of black posters who seem to feel that black people are the worse humans on earth and the most homophobic based on what a few do and thier lives experiences as it its a total falsehood. The hatred is no worse than the homophobic louts who preyed on and killed these two women.
edwin greene
July 16 2007, 7:33PM
Dchristo, thank you; You are very gracious. Andy, you wrote "my comments towards the poster were based on the fact that its always his issues with blacks on this and other sites and never the topic". What other sites, besides this one, have I commented on in recent months? Are you confusing me with someone else?
Since you feel the way you do, why spend time responding to what I write. I will not make excuses for black people who do bad things. It doesn't mean that I hate all things black. My initial comments regarding the murders were gut feelings I had at the time. I won't apologize for it.
Cheyla
July 17 2007, 2:48AM
The One in Three campaign sends South Africa's GLBT community condolences. We received an email from Poisitive Women's Network over the week-end and are sick at heart.
We have to continue to fight, educate and speak out until we are heard.
Blessings,
Cheyla
www.oneinthreewomen.com
Raymonde Green
July 17 2007, 8:24PM
Keith you are right, this is a horrible reminder that even though things may seem to be progressing, that we are still living in a dangerous time where everyone around us does not have out best interests at heart.
nhlanhla-South Africa
July 19 2007, 10:29AM
I have just reviewed data on hate crimes/ victimisation against LGBT in South Africa for media releases. I assure you that the incident has nothing to do with race. It is humanity at its most evil. Across races there are hate crimes and murders at such high rates. The poorer the environments/sites the more violent and frequent the crimes become. As we should know poverty is itself a crime againt humans. The LGBT campaign at the moment is to support a bill against hate crimes. This needs everyone's support. What you can do is write to South Africa's main media and express the rage to catch public attention and of lawmakers. Some links: www.sundaytimes.co.za ; www.mg.co.za; www.iol.co.za; www.thestar.co.za; www.sowetan.co.za; please flood them with powerful pieces. The incedent itself has received low level media coverage.
I was reminded of Paradise, the story by Toni Morrison. Forget the race variable for the time being.
alicia
July 19 2007, 4:10PM
attn: edwin greene
thank u my dear brother for feeling my pain!...and for not being like so many of the envious misogynist haters who lurk herein...
see much much more on UNIQUELY rabid, moronic, inhumane, murderous, hypochristian, macho, bold, preacher-pimp, sexist, global thug NIGGERS(!!!!!!!) in my eulogy for sakia gunn at:
eloquent fury
www.geocities.com/ambwww
peace
ab
Mabhekaphansi
July 31 2007, 2:39AM
As a gay South African, I can say that all of us here in the gay community are appalled at what happened to these two dear sisters. All of us here experience hate because we are gay. But, it is declining, especially in the urban areas. Most of the hate directed against us comes from people who are still "paterfamilias" in their attitudes, that is "I am the man, and I am what you must be". Men such as this regard women as breeding machines and housekeepers, and regard gay men as little better than dogs; to call a man a dog here is a big insult. Gay men here also run the risk of being gang-raped, or killed, by these "he-men". Sharon's comment above is very pertinent, please help us by doing as she says; thanks Sharon, luvya sister. Nhlanhla, heita da mfo, you tell the truth brother. This is not about race, it is about hate and lack of education. Thanks guys.
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