Gender equality calls inputs on state of equality for LGBTQI+ community

The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) wants the public to participate in a drive to gauge attitudes on the state of equality within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex plus (LGBTQI+) community in South Africa.

The campaign – dubbed the “#LGBTI+equality project” – is aimed at identifying areas where intervention may be necessary to achieve LGBTQI+ equality in the country.

“The objective of the project is to assess the state of LGBTI+ equality in South Africa 27 years after the achievement of democracy in South Africa,” CGE spokesperson Javu Baloyi.

The commission said while South Africa had made progress over the last decades of democracy, “the project also means a relook at the areas where there has been little to no progress and even regression”.

Areas of concern are transgender inclusion, forced divorces and intersex genital mutilation.

The call for participation comes a few weeks after the University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, had to apologise after hosting a lecture on “science of intersex people”.

During the lecture, a urologist and member of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital’s Gender Clinic, Dr Kgomotso Mathabe, said being born intersex is potentially life-threatening.

She went on to say it needed medical correction.

“When a baby is born, we look at the external genitals of the baby and should be able to say whether it’s a
boy or a girl. If a trained medical health professional can’t make that call, then we call that intersex and then it opens up a whole door.

The university said Phakeng had done some deep reflection on her part since the session.

“The pain deeply saddens Phakeng this has caused. She will meet with the LGBTQIA+ community in sessions over the next few weeks in an effort to learn, understand, grow and try to heal some of the hurt caused,” said the university in a statement.

ALSO READ: UCT vice-chancellor apologises to LGBTQIA community over intersex lecture

The commission wants public comments on the following related to the human rights of LGBTQI+ individuals:

• Criminal justice
• Right to education
• Labour and employment
• Access to healthcare for transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming persons
• Any other human rights issues deemed crucial for the achievement for LGBTI+ equality in South Africa

Although legislation has made discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals unlawful, these individuals still face hate in practice.

“The eradication of explicitly discriminatory legislative provisions from South Africa’s law books has not eradicated societal prejudices that entrench and encourage discriminatory practices and actions in employment, access to health, criminal justice and safety and security,” said the commission.

Public comments on the state of equality for LGBTQI+ communities can be sent to LGBTI@cge.org.za or Javu@cge.org.za.