DESPITE apparent protections for all LGBTI people in the laws of South Africa, homophobia is rife in that country and takes on an extremely violent form with beatings, rapes and killings.

The latest news item about such violence concerned the “corrective” rape of a 13-year-old girl, and it was preceded by the rape and murder of numerous other South African females for the “crime” of loving women.

Anti-intersex discrimination, intersex genital mutilation (IGM), violence and killings are primarily motivated by homophobia.

VoANews.com: South Africa Establishes Team to Respond to Homophobic Crimes

At the moment South Africa is the only country in the world with legal protection against intersex discrimination by virtue of intersex being included in the Sex Discrimination Act.

We are told by LGBTI activists in South Africa that such laws have not resulted in actual protection of those who are born different, especially when faced with constant attack on the right to be different by religious people and organizations.

External links:

• Department of Justice and Constitutional Development – Task Team Is Set Up to Attend to LGBTI Issues and Corrective Rape
• P2-INK – SA gets GLBT Task Team!
• SundayTribune – 13-year-old lesbian raped