LGBT rights in South Africa

==Living conditions==
{{See also|Pride parades in South Africa}}
[[File:Dying For Justice (8036294736).jpg|thumb|Soweto Pride 2012 participants protest against violence against lesbians with a "Dying for Justice" banner and T-shirts which read "Solidarity with women who speak out".]]
[[File:20140301-IMG 2321 (12886046384).jpg|thumb|right|A South African gay pride flag flown at Cape Town Pride 2014]]

In 1998, [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk denied accusations that he had paid a man for sex, by stating that he was a ''Boerseun'' (farmer's son), implying that homosexuality was not something to be found among [[Afrikaners]]. South African gay rights organisations called for an apology.<ref>[http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/south_africa/sanews001.htm National Party Member and Homosexual allegations] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060510204307/http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/south_africa/sanews001.htm |date=10 May 2006}}</ref>

There have been a number of cases in which gay women have been the victims of murder, beating or rape.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071126075109/http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/south_africa/sanews008.htm Only Protected on Paper], ''Behind the Mask'', April 2011</ref><ref>[http://www.citypress.co.za/SouthAfrica/News/Thirteen-year-old-the-latest-victim-of-corrective-rape-20110507 Thirteen-year-old the latest victim of ‘corrective rape’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113162304/http://www.citypress.co.za/SouthAfrica/News/Thirteen-year-old-the-latest-victim-of-corrective-rape-20110507 |date=13 November 2012 }}, Erna van Wyk, ''City Press'', 5 May 2011</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Johannesburg: Lesbian Duduzile Zozo Murdered With Toilet Brush in 'Corrective Rape' Hate Crime |author=Hannah Osborne |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/488060/20130709/johannesburg-lesbian-duduzile-zozo-murdered-toilet-brush.htm |newspaper=[[International Business Times]] |date=9 July 2013 |access-date=28 July 2013}}</ref> This has been posited, in part, to be because of the perceived threat they pose to traditional male authority.<ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/south_africa/sanews008.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126075109/http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/south_africa/sanews008.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 November 2007|title=Rape New Weapon Against South African Lesbians|date=26 November 2007 |access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> South Africa has no specific hate crime legislation; human rights organisations have criticised the South African police for failing to address the matter of bias-motivated crimes. For example, the NGO ''[[ActionAid]]'' has condemned the continued [[impunity]] and accused governments of turning a blind eye to reported murders of lesbians in homophobic attacks in South Africa; as well as to so-called [[corrective rape]]s, including cases among pupils, in which cases the male rapists purport to raping the lesbian victim with the intent of thereby "curing" her of her sexual orientation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.actionaid.org/pages.aspx?PageID=34&ItemID=447|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320205134/http://www.actionaid.org/pages.aspx?PageID=34&ItemID=447|url-status=dead|title=Hate crimes: the rise of "corrective" rape in South Africa|archive-date=20 March 2009}}</ref>

In May 2011, Professor Juan Nel told Amnesty International that according to studies of three of the nine provinces of South Africa, gay men are victims of homophobic sexual assault as frequently as gay women are, and suggested that under-reporting by male victims and the media has created the perception that they are at less risk of the crime.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr01/001/2013/en/ |title=Document |date=25 June 2013 |access-date=2016-12-04 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> As with female victims, gender non-conforming gay men are thought to be at the highest risk of violence,<ref name="web.archive.org"/> and activists have accused the police of negligent handling of incidents, including a series of nine allegedly related murders of gay men between 2010 and 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/ninth-gay-man-killed-suspected-serial-murders-south-africa180413|title=Ninth gay man killed in suspected serial murders in South Africa|date=18 April 2013|access-date=26 January 2017|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330205726/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/ninth-gay-man-killed-suspected-serial-murders-south-africa180413/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/07/south-africa-serial-killer_n_998442.html|title=Are Police in South Africa Ignoring A Serial Killer Who Is Targeting Gay Men?|first1=David |last1=Lohr |newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=7 October 2011|access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref>

Despite the occasional incidents of homophobia, gay people in major urban areas, such as [[Johannesburg]], [[Pretoria]], [[Durban]] and [[Cape Town]], are fairly accepted, and all of these cities have a thriving gay nightlife.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gayjohannesburg.blogspot.com|title=Gay Johannesburg|access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> Cultural, arts, sports and outdoor activities play a major part in everyday South African gay life. Annual Gay Pride events are held in [[Cape Town Pride|Cape Town]], Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria and [[Soweto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mambaonline.com/2013/09/17/1st-pretoria-pride-details-announced/|title=1ST PRETORIA PRIDE DETAILS ANNOUNCED - MambaOnline - Gay South Africa online|date=17 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.istc.org/sisp/index.htm?fx=theme&loc_id=130988&cat_id=16|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070527141430/http://www.istc.org/sisp/index.htm?fx=theme&loc_id=130988&cat_id=16|url-status=dead|title=Student Travel Information & Discounts - Events: Gay & Lesbian Events…|date=27 May 2007|archive-date=27 May 2007}}</ref> Smaller cities such as [[Bloemfontein]], [[Polokwane]], [[Port Elizabeth]], [[Mbombela]],<ref>{{cite web|title=1st Mpumalanga Gay Parade A Success|url=https://www.mambaonline.com/2014/09/11/1st-mpumalanga-gay-pride-success/|website=www.mambaonline.com|date=11 September 2014 |access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref> [[East London, South Africa|East London]], [[Pietermaritzburg]] and [[Knysna]], too, host LGBT-related events, clubs and bars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mambaonline.com/hotspots_list.asp?prov_id=3|title=Mambaonline - South Africa's most stylish gay lifestyle portal|access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> [[Knysna]] hosts the yearly [[Pink Loerie Mardi Gras]], which attracts gay people from all over the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of pride in South Africa|website=www.iol.co.za|url=https://www.iol.co.za/entertainment/celebrity-news/local/history-of-pride-in-south-africa-be2ee6d5-f801-4c14-9f93-7cb7c9876762|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref>

===Portrayal and representation in the media and society===
[[Television in South Africa|Television]] and [[Cinema of South Africa|film]] produces programmes which also focus on gay life. Multiple [[soap operas]] showcase/have showcased LGBT life, some of the more notable have been the long-running and now cancelled soap opera ''[[Egoli: Place of Gold|Egoli]]'' which featured a long-term gay relationship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mambaonline.com/article.asp?artid=43 |title=Mind the Soap |publisher=MambaOnline |date=2000-01-01 |access-date=2017-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304232809/http://mambaonline.com/article.asp?artid=43 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[SABC 1]] has shown itself to be comparatively representative of the [[Demographics of sexual orientation|LGBT community in South Africa]] in its programming. The [[sitcom]] ''City Ses Top La'' features a gay character for which [[Warren Masemola]] received a [[South African Film and Television Awards|SAFTA Award]]. One of the highest-rated soap operas on SABC 1 to feature [[LGBT characters]] was ''[[Generations (South African TV series)|Generations]]'', with the characters of star-crossed lovers Senzo (played by [[Thami Mngqolo]]) and Jason, who later married and had a child. In the soap opera's current reincarnation as ''[[Generations:The Legacy]]'', there is a [[transgender]] woman character by the name of Wandile and her host of LGBT friends and associates. The [[telenovela]] ''[[Uzalo]]'' also features a gay character by the name of GC (portrayed by [[Khaya Dladla]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/entertainment/celebrity-news/local/khaya-dladla-has-recovered-from-covid-19-51214652|title=Khaya Dladla has recovered from Covid 19|website=www.iol.co.za|publisher=iol.co.za|accessdate=2021-02-22}}</ref> who was embroiled in a church dispute about his sexuality, illustrating the rural and urban demographic perceptions about sexuality in South Africa. The channel has also seen other successes in shows with LGBT characters such as ''Society'', ''[[Intersexions]]'', and ''[[After 9]]'' amongst others. Other soap operas to feature major LGBT characters have been: Steve (played by Emmanuel Castis) in ''[[Isidingo: The Need]]'', Thula (played by Wright Ngubeni)<ref>{{cite web|title=Wright Ngubeni can't get bond right|url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sundayworld/news/2019-02-26-wright-ngubeni-cant-get-bond-right/|date=2019-02-26|publisher=www.sowetanlive.co.za|accessdate=2021-02-22}}</ref> in ''[[Rhythm City (TV Series)|Rhythm City]]'' and Jerome (played by Terrence Bridget, a gay actor) in ''[[7de Laan]]''. The 2016 [[Dstv|Mzansi Magic]] telenovela ''The Queen'' features [[Sello Maake Ka-Ncube]] playing a gay character.

''Somizi and Mohale: The Union'', which began streaming on [[Showmax]] on 24 February 2020, is a four-episode special focusing on the wedding of [[Somizi Mhlongo]] and Mohale Motaung.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/somizi-and-mohale-the-union-showmax/|title=Somizi and Mohale's 'The Union' breaks viewing records on Showmax|website=The South African|date=27 February 2020|author=Eren Oberholzer}}</ref> The first episode broke Showmax's viewership record as the show for the most views ever on its first day.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/entertainment/2020-02-27-what-a-hit-somizi-and-mohales-wedding-special-breaks-streaming-record/|title=What a hit! Somizi and Mohale's wedding special breaks streaming record|website=Sowetan Live|date=27 February 2020|author=Kyle Zeeman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/entertainment/tv/streaming/somizi-and-mohale-share-why-they-did-the-wedding-special-44797750|title=Somizi and Mohale share why they did the wedding special|website=iol.co.za|date=15 March 2020|author=Kedibone Modise}}</ref>

===Politics, law and activism===
The LGBT community in South Africa has a varied history of activism and representation in civil society, and all that pertains to social justice and the struggle for human rights as celebrated in February through [[LGBT History Month]]; [[Edwin Cameron]] and [[Kathy Satchwell]] being prominent judges of the [[Constitutional Court of South Africa]] and the [[High Court of South Africa]] respectively, including leading legal scholar [[Pierre de Vos]].

There are active and visible LGBT student organisations at South African universities, including the [[University of the Witwatersrand]], the [[University of Cape Town]], the [[University of Stellenbosch]], the [[University of Johannesburg]] and the [[University of the Western Cape]], amongst others.

[[Simon Nkoli]], [[Zackie Achmat]] and [[Funeka Soldaat]] are some of the more prominent LGBT rights activists in South Africa.

There have also been a number of LGBT politicians in the [[Parliament of South Africa]] and cabinet: [[Lynne Brown]] as Minister for Public Entreprises in [[Jacob Zuma]]'s Cabinet (and also served as interim [[Premier of the Western Cape]] in 2008-2009), [[Zakhele Mbhele]] as Shadow Minister of Police, [[Mike Waters (politician)|Mike Waters]] as the Opposition's Deputy Chief Whip from 2014 to 2019, MP [[Marius Redelinghuys]] and [[Ian Ollis]] as Shadow Minister of Labour from 2014 to 2017.

===LGBT tourism===
South Africa, due to its reputation as Africa's most gay-friendly destination, attracts thousands of LGBT tourists annually.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.safarinow.com/destinations/south-africa/pink.aspx|title=South Africa Accommodation|website=www.safarinow.com}}</ref> The official South African Tourism site offers in-depth travel tips for gay travellers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.southafrica.info/travel/surf/pink-route-241105.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529230628/http://www.southafrica.info/travel/surf/pink-route-241105.htm|title=Courier Market|archivedate=29 May 2008|website=www.southafrica.info}}</ref> Gay-friendly establishments are situated throughout South Africa and may be found on various gay travel websites.

===Pink Rand===
LGBT professionals are employed at major companies throughout the country. LGBT people are also targeted through various marketing campaigns, as the corporate world recognises the value of the [[Pink money|Pink Rand]]. In 2012, Lunch Box Media undertook market research (Gay Consumer Profile) finding the [[Demographics of sexual orientation|LGBT market]] to comprise approximately slightly above 4 million people.

===Religion===
Prominent religious leaders have voiced their support for the South African LGBT community. In the [[Anglican Church of Southern Africa]], the late [[Archbishop Emeritus]] of Cape Town [[Desmond Tutu]] was, and the current [[Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town|Archbishop of Cape Town]], [[Thabo Makgoba]], and Dr. [[Allan Boesak]] of the [[Uniting Reformed Church]] are vocal supporters of gay rights in South Africa.<ref>{{cite news|title=Archbishop Tutu 'would not worship a homophobic God'| newspaper=[[BBC News]] |date=26 July 2013|access-date=28 July 2013|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23464694}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.4him.co.za/pol/abgay.htm |title=Boesak Supports Gay Marriages |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061015192013/http://www.4him.co.za/pol/abgay.htm |archive-date=15 October 2006 |date=1 November 2006 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref>

The [[Dutch Reformed Church]] has ruled that gay members should not be discriminated against and can hold positions within the church. However, much criticism of the church still exists; in 2008 a court ruled against a church congregation for firing a gay musician; the issue provoked much uproar from the gay community and within liberal circles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freethinker.co.uk/2008/08/29/whoo-hoo-dutch-reformed-church-must-pay-damages-to-gay-musician/|title=The Freethinker - The voice of atheism since 1881 » Whoo-hoo! Dutch Reformed Church must pay damages to gay musician|access-date=26 January 2017|archive-date=1 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001193946/http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/08/29/whoo-hoo-dutch-reformed-church-must-pay-damages-to-gay-musician/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2015, the church decided to bless same-sex relationships and allow gay ministers and clergy (who are not required to be celibate). The decision was reversed in 2016, but reinstated in 2019.