Mankind may have originated on the African continent, but homophobia certainly didn't. That's what South African gay activist Nonhlanhla Mkhize said in a statement commemorating International Day Against Homophobia.

Mkhize definitely has a point. The idea of homosexuality came from the West, a special colonial social import. So, too, are declarations of homosexuality's sinfulness and, thus, homophobia. Indigenous or not, homo-hating sure did stick...

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South African homo Michael Barend van Zyl has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his former real estate broker lover, Andre Weitz. Barend van Zyl killed Weitz with an ax in June of 2004, after they had broken up. It seems Weitz went on with his life, taking a new lover and living happily in a Cape Town suburb. Van Zyl didn't take the news too well and appeared on Weitz doorstep to talk things out. Weitz didn't want to talk, however, and drove his ex-boyfriend to a bus stop for a trip to Durban.

Unfortunately, Van Zyl didn't board that bus. Instead, the 29-year old went back to Weitz's house, broke in, attempted to kill himself and once Weitz and his lover went to bed, Van Zyl took it upon himself to take Weitz life.

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African queers of all colors will gather in Johannesburg, South Africa to discuss the continent's homophobic pandemic. The International Lesbian and Gay Association in Africa will address the thirty-eight African nations that still legally prohibit homosexuality and plan on releasing a comprehensive report on the matter. An ILGA press release remarks:

Although many of the countries listed in the report do not systematically implement those laws, their mere existence reinforces a culture where a significant portion of the citizens need to hide from the rest of the population out of fear.
...
Whether imported by colonial empires or the result of legislations culturally shaped by religious beliefs, if not deriving directly from a conservative interpretation of religious texts, homophobic laws are the fruit of a certain time and context in history. Homophobia is cultural.

It's no coincidence the group has chosen South Africa for its first conference - the "Rainbow Nation" has the world's most progressive constitution, including the right to same-sex marriage. Hopefully this conference will help spread the love.

A British man by the name of David Murray has just been jailed for lighting former friend Richard Clark's house on fire after Clark told Murray's daughter they were gay lovers. That sounds fair...

The two men were once great friends - confidantes, if you will - and perhaps Clark got the wrong idea, because he told Murray's daughter they were, again, more than friends. Upon hearing the news, Murray threatened Clark, telling him, "You'll be dead by lunchtime." Later that day, poor Clark - who suffers from chronic bronchitis - heard a bang on his door, went to investigate and found himself trapped. That wily and vengeful Murray, you see, had secured the door with a pipe, through which he poured petrol and, as you can guess, ignited.
Clark suffered minor burns, singed hair and, we're assuming, a bit of a broken heart.

Speaking in Murray's defense, lawyer Seth Levine argued:

Mr Murray considered Mr Clark to be a very close friend indeed, whom he confided in. His relationship with his daughter is extremely precious to him. The way the victim targeted that relationship was premeditated and done out of spite and vengeance.

The judge didn't buy it and sentenced Murray to an undisclosed amount of jail time. He can apply for parole in three-and-a-half years. That's what you get when you don't value a good friend. And, of course, try to kill them by fire...

Arson revenge for 'gay slur' [IC South London]

To describe Steven Cohen’s performance art as “shameful” would be true on two levels. First, the South African artist shames himself – for example, he caused a stink during 2000’s Limping Into The African Renaissance when he shat on the Dance Umbrella Stage. Cohen’s work can also be described as shameful in a slightly different, slanted way: it is, quite literally, full of shame. The 54-year old’s elaborate and highly personal pieces force the viewer to confront and digest shame.

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South Africa has the world's most progressive constitution. Some students looking to defend that constitution, however, aren't so progressive. An anonymous pupil at the University of Stellenbosch's Military Academy alleges his classmates pummeled him after finding out he's gay.

The Independent reports:

In postings on the university's website, a student claims he was targeted after "someone" at the campus discovered his sexual orientation and "spread" this news.
...
"That evening, they got me in the street. They started pushing me and hitting me with sticks and said that they do not want a 'fag' in the army.

"I had a broken rib and fractured arm when they eventually stopped."

A school spokesperson insists that they would never "condone victimization" and encourages the perpetrators to "come forward". Um, right...

The secretary of the University's gay group, Lara Aucamp says:

At Stellenbosch (University), people are quite accepting and things like that generally don't happen, but it seems to be happening at the academy quite a lot, and there are no channels for support.

One hopes that now some people will start asking and telling at this military academy. Can't have a bunch of homo-hating thugs defending the Rainbow Nation, now can we?

South African police are taking "equal opportunity" to a whole new level. As the country mulls legalizing prostitution, coppers are asking the government to import at least 2500 male hustlers for the 2010 World Cup. Though there are enough female sex workers, the Rainbow Nation's in dire need of more M4M sex workers. Police Commissioner spokesperson Renato Thabethe insists:

Our constitution demands equal opportunity for gay sports fans. South Africa is fast becoming the gay friendly capital of the continent, and we need to ensure that this remains the case in 2010.

Don't worry, though, the fuzz are dedicated to ensuring visitors get an authentic "African experience" by recruiting men from the continent:

We want to ensure that this is an African experience. What kind of African welcome will we offer to international visitors if they simply end up with the same sex workers that they left behind at home?

How thoughtful. Nothing tops a South African adventure like real life African hooker!

While the news may please gay soccer fans, South Africa's indigenous hustlers aren't feeling so international. Gay Association of Sex Worker's Guy Forheir issued a statement:

Everyday we are outlawed and oppressed by the government, and when we are finally about to be legalized, they are preparing to take our very living away from us. Why should ordinary South African sex professionals make way for foreigners? All we want to do is make a living... We have a right to make a quick buck on the 2010 World Cup just like every other South African.

The costumer always cums first.

GOV TO IMPORT GAY SEX WORKERS [Mamba Online]

While American homos are fighting for their marriage rights (and largely losing), a South African duo have enjoyed - and now discarded - their gay marriage. Despite a running bet on the lop-sided relationship between Richard Thornton and Andries Jacobs, Kenneth Henning-Hattingh and Jaco Johan Henning-Hattingh have the distinct and disgraceful honor of being South Africa's first gay divorcees.

The couple married at the beginning of the year, when the Rainbow natio's Civil Union Act went into effect, thus allowing gay nuptials. Apparently the Henning-Hattingh's didn't have what it takes, because just two months later, social worker Kenneth started divorce proceedings for the ever-reliable "irreconcilable differences".

The break-up was amicable and they reached a settlement agreement, which was made an order of court by Judge Chris Botha.

In terms of the agreement both agreed that the marriage was over and that a divorce was the only option.

They agreed that neither would demand any maintenance payment and Kenneth undertook to pay the legal costs.

Don't worry about a messy drama - the boys have agreed to part with their own belongings and make the dissolution as peaceful as possible. Kenneth's lawyer says, "He does not want to make a fanfare of this and hang it out in the public domain."

No word on how they'll split their names...
Gay marriage ends in swift divorce [IOL]

• Speaking to visitors in Bethlehem, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini (pictured) seemed to blast Pope Benedict XVI's recent edict insisting Catholic politicians vote according to Catholic ideology. Martini insisted, "The Church does not give orders... It is necessary to listen to others, and when speaking to use terms that they understand." Word. [Catholic World News]

• Gay rights v. human rights in Fiji. [Fiji Times]

• Jonny McGovern's up to his old tricks. And we do mean tricks. [Daily Motion]

• Hedi Slimane's furniture. [Reluct]

• This pleases us not: "New data released by the city's department of health show that the highest rates of new HIV infections are among gay men 35 to 49 years old." [Gay City News]

• Would we be better off ignoring Peter Pace's comments? [NY Blade]

• Staffers at London's Carlton Tower complain that Michael Jackson - who checked in under a woman's name - doesn't tip enough. Or, really, at all. What do they expect? He's broke. [Daily Mail]

• A South African journalist has come under fire after outing two restaurant owners. [Mamba Online]

• Rosie even answer interview questions in her patented poetics. Weird. [AfterEllen]

• Vermont's Senate passed a bill to protect against gender discrimination. [Rutland Herald]

Oh main squeeze Archbishop Desmond Tutu's at it again. The outspoken theologian, liberationist and all around mensch has again spoken out against church-based homophobia. Speaking with journalists at the World Social Forum, Tutu insisted:

I am deeply, deeply distressed that in the face of the most horrendous problems - we've got poverty, we've got conflict and war, we've got HIV/AIDS - and what do we concentrate on? We concentrate on what you are doing in bed.

He went on to use the lessons of apartheid to make the controversial correlation between racism and gaycism:

To penalize someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalized for something which we could do nothing [about] - our ethnicity, our race. I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted.

Spoken like a true Christian. Or, at least, a true human being. Thanks Tutu, you're a star!

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Bishop Desmond Tutu says anti-gay discrimination is just like what blacks faced in South Africa under apartheid [AMERICAblog]

Reading this story, one wonders if South African homo Richard Thornton needs some tough love. The 53-year old former producer/director met his husband, Andries Jacobs at a mall, where the 20-year old Jacobs worked as a security guard. They married a few weeks later, committing themselves to a life together. Well, Thornton did, at least...

Though Thornton tells the Sunday Times that he and Jacobs agreed to share financial responsibility, he also admits that more often than not, he shelled out the dough: "He would beg me to buy things. It was all on my neck." Thornton's love-laden largesse apparently wasn't enough for Jacobs, because a few measly weeks into their marriage he shacked up with another man. Gee, what a shocker!

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