The Reitz Four....

I recently read the opinion of a Women24 Contributor regarding the Reitz Incident and must say I totally agree with Lili...

The ideas of such persons and those in tune with them certainly need to be addressed. It is not a light-bulb moment to question if it were "white" cleaners would they have done the same...

The fact that we still see black people as cleaners, street sweepers and people that are only good to do "slave related work" is enough to teach these young white adults just that!

I was listening to a couple of white 16 year olds discussing people, and to hear how condemning and racial the discussion was, certainly didnt make me think that this came from their brains alone.

It is a reality that apartheid lives on in these young ones. just like the need to have something that you cannot afford is... We need to break this cycle, but we cannot do so when our parents and grandparents are not at peace with the idea of a rainbow nation. To in harmony with the rest of us who occupy this land.

As much as we fight AA & BEE, the country needs to equalize the balance in workplaces and business opportunities’, thus making it a little easier for non whites to apply for such benefits.

We need to be patients with the country and its efforts to yield fruit. Jumping and seeing every effort from an ANC government as a threat certainly does not advance democracy, but rather aids as a hindrance to it.

The actions of these four certainly needs to be frowned upon, whether black or white, and the notion of "us" and "them" needs a little downplay from both parties, but to exclude the obvious does nothing to stop address future related issues. Good writing, a well voiced opinion.

Jou Ma Se Pride?

It is with interest that we, as LGBTIQ people, have to endure the lack of consideration of the Pride Committee.

I am glad to see a changing face in the Chair this year, Glen De Swaart, I believe will bring wonderful changes, many we can be proud of in time to come, but this year I am not proud of his leadership, lack of inclusiveness and consideration towards coloured people by assuming that we all take on the derogatory statement of the subject line.

I am sure, better insight and clarity could have been sought months ago regarding the theme for this year and how it would affect Gay Proud People... What a laughing stock we will be with such a theme. Absolutely no correspondence were ever sought by the community it affects, and these white males - like the Apartheid years, take on the superior role by going with a theme decided among themselves.

Although I have no objections to the appointment of a new Chairperson, I believe a time has come to elect a leader who truly represents the greater demographics of the Cape Town districts, one who understands the issues of the community and who is in tune with the festivities it warrants.

There are +- 30-40 events at this year’s Pride festival and about 10 of it is classified "Free", so where’s the inclusiveness in that? Surely someone had to tell these people that not all Gays are middle aged white males, with pockets filled deep. To be quite honest, the "free" ones are not really that interesting. Not all poor gays want to listen to seminars, book reviews and attend church services - they also want to see the glamorous Diva`s and be able to party at least to one free event of its kind - an opportunity lost forever.

I think more thought and planning would have proved a different outcome, and it seems there was a lack of interest and consideration to include people from different backgrounds.

So due to all of the above, the derogatory statements and the lack of inclusiveness in taking Cape Town Pride to all communities, leaves little to be proud about, and so my presence at the Pride Festival certainly cannot support such a decision.

For those brave enough to ignore the obvious, I wish you well with the festivities.

Its CHRIST-MAS Dammit!!!

Hi everyone...

The all latest in my moan session is... the word Xmas...

In mathematics, the letter or symbol stands for something thats unknown, IE: solve for X etc...

It is therefore well documented as such, and therefore it is insulting to us Christian believers to encourage and accept the word Xmas - I would say. However, I have discovered recently another reason why it has been used.

The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning "Christ's mass". It is derived from the Middle English Christemasse and Old English Cristes mæsse, a phrase first recorded in 1038.[5] "Cristes" is from Greek christos and "mæsse" is from Latin missa. In early Greek versions of the New Testament, the letter Χ (chi), is the first letter of Christ. Since the mid-16th century Χ, or the similar Roman letter X, has been used as an abbreviation for Christ.[8] Hence, Xmas is often used as an abbreviation for Christmas.

So dear brothers and sisters, there you have it.... My views have been changed, a rare occasion indeed. But i still beleive we need to include "Christ" as it is his mass that we celebrating.

Some other concerns of mine are directed to the City of Cape Town. Now the festive light will be officially switched on the 30th November, we dont really know who`s gonna be doing the "switching on" as the Mayors name does not appear on the posters. So it might be our Lesbian Premier, Lynne Brown, or our feisty Madam Helen Zille!

Anyways, thats besides the point really, the festive lights - as we`ve seen them been put up recently, bears no images of the baby Jesus, Mary or Joseph....

Wheres the wise men, the star that led them to him?

We see protea flowers, a bright sun and many other figures, but the prominent and most important bits are not there? Yes we a diverse city, rich mixture of Christains, Muslims, indians and hundu`s.... The figures of the western cape show quite clearly that Christians make up 60% of this province, so why are they not being considered?

I feel we are being way too sensitive towards other religions in this regard. The very reason for this celebration and festivities are because of Gods gift - Jesus Christ.

When Muslims Celebrate Eid, we see visual signs thereof - The rising moon...

When Jews Celebrate their Festivals, we see the Star of David, and the candles...

When Hindu`s celebrate Diwali - we see the outward signs of light, radiating from the rooftops

and one can go on...

Why now, a day of great joy, a celebration of Christ`s birth, we are not allowed to display outward signs of his birth...

We as christians need to stand united against these decision and voice our concerns in this regard.

GAY LIBERATION - This speech is ©1998 Dr. Fr. Larry Kaufmann CSsR. Fr. Larry addressed Catholic Tertiary Students in South Africa.

I believe there is no difference between an authentic, genuine homosexualorientation and an authentic, genuine heterosexual one. And both require adegree of affection and physical expression.

I know this will be difficult for many people to accept. It is askingpeople to come to terms with a kind of human sexuality which for themajority of them is alien to their own disposition and desires. It iscalling for a new consciousness not much different from the one that wasneeded to reject the practice of slavery or polygamy which the Bible tookfor granted with little questioning for hundred, even thousands, of years.

On this question of human sexuality, as on the question of war and violence,the Society of Friends, known as the Quakers, is decades ahead of most ofus. The Quaker Report of 1963 states: It is the nature and quality of a relationship that matters: one must notjudge it by its outward appearances but by its inner worth. Homosexualaffection can be as selfless as heterosexual affection, and therefore wecannot see that it is in some way morally worse.... The same criteria seemto apply to us whether a relationship is heterosexual or homosexual.

Some would argue that homosexuality is contrary to the teachings of theBible. I take that argument seriously and have done some investigation intothe insights of contemporary Scripture scholars on what the Bible actuallysays about homosexuality. The first thing to note is that the Bible saysvery little. The word 'homosexuality' itself is never used. Nowhere doesJesus himself mention the phenomenon in the Gospels. When it is discussedin the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), it is done so mainly in thecontext of being a practice associated with idolatry (the worship of falsegods).

The key texts (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13) fall within the samesection on codes of holiness that permits polygamy; forbids the eating ofpork, rare meat or shell fish; bans the wearing of blended materials - allfor the same reason: an association with idolatry.
Some passages that are often quoted as condemning homosexuality are, infact, irrelevant. Genesis 19:1-19 (the story of Sodom) was a case ofostensibly heterosexual males, in defiance of the virtue of hospitality,planning to humiliate strangers by treating them "like women".

This act of"demasculinising" was also often carried out by the soldiers of victoriousarmies. Because women were considered a lower form of humanity than men,the best way to humiliate the defeated was to rape them as if they werewomen.

This sort of brutal behaviour has nothing to do with the question ofwhether genuine love expressed between consenting adults of the same sex islegitimate or not. Indeed, the Bible simply does not understand thedistinction between homosexual orientation and homosexual activity, whichthe Catechism of the Catholic Church itself accepts in the light of modernhuman sciences.

In the New Testament, when Paul mentions homosexual activity, he refers tothe practice of heterosexual men (as we would understand it today) havingintercourse, against their nature as heterosexual men, with other men in away that was common in pagan religious ritual. His primary concern, in thesame spirit as the teachings of the Old Testament, was to avoid any form ofidolatry on the part of Christians.

The question I would want to ask is: what is the idolatry of our time? Inwhat social attitudes and practices is idolatry manifesting itself today?

I believe we will find it in the Nazi idea of the superior Aryan race, or inthe apartheid idea of white superiority. We find it in the patriarchalmentality of male superiority, and, yes, in the homophobic mentality ofheterosexual superiority. This is idolatry. Worse than the idea of beingsuperior is the active discrimination against anyone who does not fallwithin one's own idea of the norm for being human.

And so you have a town councillor in Britain, a country that fought againstthe idea of Nazi superiority, stating as recently as 1986: "90% of queersshould be gassed." Or a member of the British House of Lords writing that"all buggers should be castrated and all lesbians put in state brothelswhere they will learn the proper use of their sex organs." Thatintolerance, and the homophobia behind it, is the modern idolatry.

It ispart of an idea that the norm for being human is to be white, male,intelligent, able-bodied, and ... heterosexual. Anything less than that isa biological mistake. Such a mentality undermines the fundamental humandignity of being created in God's image.

I believe the real ethical issues today around homosexuality are not about"same-sex unions" or homosexual behaviour, but about ignorance and fear ofthe subject, as well as about the prejudice and social discriminationsuffered by homosexual people. The real moral issue is a social one, and itis probably on the scale of that global shift of mentality required by theabolition of slavery 150 years ago. The moral issue is about accepting thefull humanity of gay people, and exploring the social and legalramifications of doing so.

My letter to the Pink Tonque, Cape Towns Gay Community Paper..

To the Editor of Pink Tongue

As Cape Town Celebrates its Gay Pride, I’m saddened by the attitudes of the LGBTI community and its racial agenda’s. As a coloured gay man I have experienced all types of “racial” tension in places that ought to be “gay” friendly, a place where one would think you will be treated equally irrespective of race or colour.

Bronx, Beulah and loft are great places to socialize, have a drink and dance, but there’s more to it than meets the eye where patrons are concerned. I have a relatively mix group of friends, and my partner being white, ads to the fuel – where “white gays” are concerned. We either get treated with disrespect, crude comments gets passed or a discussion group forms close to us – to discuss how a white guy could possibly date a coloured guy, and make no mistake – these groups make their concerns known.

Being a South African, brought up during the late years of apartheid, entering freedom together with all other South Africans was indeed a milestone reached for all South Africans alike. Gays in the apartheid years have suffered similar, if not the same way as blacks for being and living out who they are – being human.

The Rainbow flag is associated as a sign of diversity and inclusiveness, of hope and of yearning. It is interesting to see how many organizations will try to captivate the black and coloureds as a form of unity and inclusiveness during the pride events, one now ask the question, how many of them speak out against these racist actions on the account of the minority. Does these “gay” venues advertise “diversity and inclusiveness” when flagging the pride flag? We hear of Bronx, denying access to a black man and now claims it was because a neighbouring shop-owner had pointed him out as "someone who brought in the wrong element" and who resembled a "problem client". - What utter nonsense and lies.

Whenever the black/coloured LGBTI community enters these places, we go there in the hope that we enjoy ourselves and mingle with people who shares in our sexual diversity – being our gay brothers and sisters, this is for us, a far fetched idea of gaily love, and seriously needs to be addressed by organizations who’s so prominent in identifying other issues of interest.
I think for us to move on and accept one another for who we truly are, irrespective of race and colour, needs a total mindset change as required once to abolish slavery many years ago, maybe then will we be able to celebrate Cape Town Pride in a true spirit of diversity and inclusiveness, of hope and of yearning.

Adding to Africa`s 2% of online content!

So where do i begin? I have never quite seen myself as a blogger, but being in the Multimedia business, I'm sure I'm in some way warranted to contribute to the the lack of online content coming from Africa.

In profession, I'm a Qualified Web Designer (yeah, they actually offer this course at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology), and I work as such - for the City of Cape Town. I must say my work is rather satisfying at the moment. I'm part of a project called "Ubusha", we aim to improve the figure quoted above, to increase African online content by placing small business, specific SMME, in the www.

Its a "City Sponsored" project, and we do quite a bit of outreach to communities that are left "gone and forgotten". Promotional work as such.

Anyways, I have lots to say regarding Cape Town, its administration, the current affairs in government, why people are so scared of Zuma, the Homophobic people in Cape Towns pink district, White South Africans attitude and AA/BEE.

So its gonna be a busy Blog, watch out for it all, until then, ciao!