A schoolteacher in
Swaziland is being hounded out of her job because parents think she is a
lesbian and a danger to their children.
It highlights the prejudice
members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI)
community in the kingdom face in their daily lives.
The Swazi News reported on Saturday (23 March 2018) that the teacher in a school it
did not name in the Shiselweni Region dressed like a man.
The newspaper reported, ‘Interviewed
pupils confirmed that they now have to address the teacher as Mr and no longer
Miss, which was the case before.
‘While the pupils have come
to terms with the teacher’s sexual orientation, the community is having none of
it and want her removed.’
The newspaper said parents
complained that the teacher being a lesbian would affect their children. The
parents are demanding the teacher be transferred.
LGBTI people suffer
discrimination throughout Swaziland which is a deeply conservative society
ruled by King Mswati III as sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch.
In June 2017 Swazi Senators
threw out a motion to make a report on access to health facilities for LGBTI
people because it was ‘discrimination’ in favour of them.
The Times of Swaziland reported at the time the debate threw the Senate
into ‘chaos’. It said, ‘As they made their submissions, the senators turned the
House into a place of laughter as they would use examples to describe how
LGBTIs engaged in sexual games, which they said was wrong and put them at risk
of infections.’
There is a great deal of prejudice against LGBTI
people in Swaziland. In May 2016,
Rock of Hope, which campaigns for LGBTI equality in Swaziland, reported to the United Nations Universal Periodic
Review on Swaziland that laws,
social stigma and prejudice prevented LGBTI organisations from operating
freely.
The report, presented
jointly with three South African-based organisations, stated, ‘In Swaziland
sexual health rights of LGBTI are not protected. There is inequality in the
access to general health care, gender affirming health care as opposed to sex
affirming health care and sexual reproductive health care and rights of these
persons. HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care services continue to be
hetero-normative in nature only providing for specific care for men born as
male and women born as female, thereby leaving out trans men and women as an
unprotected population which continues to render the state’s efforts at
addressing the spread and incidence of HIV within general society futile.’
The report added, ‘LGBTIs
are discriminated and condemned openly by society. This is manifest in negative
statements uttered by influential people in society e.g., religious,
traditional and political leaders. Traditionalists and conservative Christians
view LGBTIs as against Swazi tradition and religion. There have been several
incidents where traditionalists and religious leaders have issued negative
statements about lesbians.
‘Human rights abuses and
violations against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
intersex population continue to go undocumented, unreported, unprosecuted and
not addressed.’
It added, ‘There is no
legislation recognizing LGBTIs or protecting the right to a non-heterosexual
orientation and gender identity and as a result LGBTI cannot be open about
their orientation or gender identity for fear of rejection and discrimination.
For example, the Marriage Act, only recognizes a marriage or a union between a
man and a woman. Because of the absence of a law allowing homosexuals to
conclude neither marriage nor civil unions, same-sex partners cannot adopt
children in Swaziland.’
The report made seven
recommendations to the Swazi Government, including to review laws that
undermine LGBTI persons’ rights in particular and human rights in general
especially as they conflict with the Constitution; and to ensure prosecution of
State agents who commit human rights violations against LGBTI individuals and
their organizations.
See also
LESBIAN AND GAY MURDERS IN SWAZILAND
SWAZI MINISTER LIES TO UN ON GAYS
GAY PREJUDICE RIFE IN SWAZILAND
COMMUNITY POLICE BANISH GAY MEN
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2013/08/community-police-banish-gay-men.html
NO RIGHTS FOR GAYS: JUSTICE MINISTER
NO RIGHTS FOR GAYS: JUSTICE MINISTER
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2011/11/no-rights-for-gays-justice-minister.html
PRESS VILIFIED OVER LESBIAN’S DEATH
http://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2010/01/press-vilified-over-lesbians-death.html
PRESS VILIFIED OVER LESBIAN’S DEATH
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