Oct 06, 2007Quickie Link: 'We are forced to live in fear'
By vanrozenheim
(South Africa) - As Gay Pride comes of age on Saturday, Gauteng gays and lesbians toast civil unions, adoptions, gender-neutral definitions and a protective constitution.But with hate speech and hate crimes on the increase, these liberties are under threat. Dawie Nel, director of gay and lesbian organisation OUT, says violence towards gay people in South Africa is "way out of line" in terms of international findings. "Yes, we live in a violent society," he says, "but the levels of violence on lesbians and gays seem to be uniquely South African, as are the levels of HIV among black lesbians, which is almost unheard of anywhere else in the world."
