A lawsuit two years in the making has finally been filed in Botswana this month challenging the country’s ban on gay sex. Is sodomy finally coming to South Africa’s northern neighbor of two million? South Africa’s Times Live relays:
The court case was filed on March 4 by Caine Youngman, founder of a group called Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (Legabibo), which the government refused to register in 2009. He argues that the sodomy law violates his constitutionally protected freedom of expression, and he has won support from the Botswana Network on Ethics, Law and HIV (BONELA) and other civil forums. “I never freely express my sexuality because of the law that criminalises sex between people of the same sex,” Youngman said in an affidavit. He originally announced the lawsuit two years ago, but delays in gathering paperwork for the court meant it was only filed early this month.
Enter the likely suspects opposed to legalizing gay sex.
Parliament’s deputy speaker Pono Moatlhodi told local media that gays were “demonic and evil” and had no place in African society. “On this point I would agree with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who once described that behaviour as that of Western dogs,” he said. “I don’t like those gay people and will never tolerate them. They are demonic and evil.”
Conservative religious leaders have also claimed that homosexuality runs against Botswana’s culture. “Our nation has done well to keep these legally and customarily unacceptable, and we must resist any suggestions that would lead to homosexual marriages in our nation,” said Biggie Butale, head of the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana.
But what about President Ian Khama? Actually, he seems to have the most “progressive” stance on the right of two men getting it on: Gays are fine by him so long as they “do their things” where nobody can see them.
Paul F
Mom always said that if you have nothing “nice” to say abut someone, you shouldn’t say it. I have nothing “nice” to say about thier countries leaders. Nothing nice at all.
Paul F
Oh crap, for the want of a functional spell checker! Mine doesn’t recognise the English language. The notice is written in English. Go figure. ABOUT not abut, my bad.
Jim Hlavac
@Paul F: Um, not to mention “thier” for “there” and “recognise” for “recognize” — which English might this be you are referring to? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Jim Hlavac
or actually: thier for their isn’t it?
it was so confusing, what with a butt abutting my head too. 🙂
along with the article’s “is sodomy coming to Botswana?” – it’s already there, there’s gay folks there, that’s why it’s illegal.
but I can’t play teacher all day long.
soakman
@paul f: also “their countries’ leaders”
Also could not resist. ;p
the crustybastard
Funny how they’re always ready to bend over and accept a huge load of Western aid.
TomD
Actually, Botswana has one of the most efficient economies in Africa and receives very little by way of foreign aid.
RedickkJohnson
I guess automobiles, medicines, and harnessed electricity should only be for western dogs too. (Talk about picking and choosing).
The sane Francis
Hopefully Botswana does the right thing and moves into the 21st century.
TheRealAdam
By “Western” I think there is a clear implication of an attack on white/European people and their liberal culture.
the crustybastard
@TomD:
Botswana is a country of fewer than 2 million people and has received hundreds of millions of dollars of aid over the past few decades. That they beg less today than they did a decade ago doesn’t mean they don’t beg.
That the West has been so generous in building their infrastructure and economy gives me little patience for that “Western dogs” shit.
That Batswana were themselves subjected to some fairly hideous forms of legal bigotry in the recent past gives me little patience for them doing the same to others.
Oprah
LOOOOOOOL Guys you have to forgive these africans. As an African American, i have travelled to many countries in the African Continent, these Africans are an interesting species. LOL They live in a bubble of deeply religous societies, with extreme lack of liberal philosophy.They have villages with village witch craft practicing people–i have witnessed it myself. Essentially, Africans live in the 5th century equivallent to the Europes who lived in the same century, who experienced barbarism, witch craft, contrasting with deep catholic pope worshipings. For instance in Europe-when the black plague ravaged European cities and villages around 1347-50, Europeans barbarians went around killing jews and blaming them that they brought the black plague to their shores. LOL A dacade ago, in south Africa, grown up men who were infected with the HIV virus raped young virgin girls aged between 7-13 because they beleived virginity cured the devil’s disease. LOL Hence the african leader claiming homosexuality as ‘demonic and evil’! Dont hate them, hate the unfortunate ignorance that sorrounds them.lol
hephaestion
I know a woman from Botswana who is very pro-gay. I pray things improve there. All Africans are not anti-gay by any means. I have met pro-gay Africans from all across the continent, both urban and rural.
Oh boy
On a side note – interesting how third world people use the word “dog” as an insult – when in fact most dogs are kinder and do more for humanity than third world wastoids.
Dogs lead the blind. They rescue families from fires. They sniff out bombs. They can even anticipate epileptic attacks. And they are loving and loyal.
All third world people do is take foreign aid and reproduce without a thought. Sorry you have to put down gays and dogs to feel better about yourselves you perpetually stupid nitwits.
Paul F
Yes I saw ONE of the other spelling errors too, but had already pushed send on the abut correction. @3) I’z a referin to mericun englush not that thar funny tawk theyz speak on that lil island place. 😉 It’s been over 40 years since English classes which as you can obviously tell, I wasn’t very good at to begin with. (C averages) That being said, yes, it’s a sad situation which we’ve made worse by exporting our evangelicals with their own brand of anti-gay B.S.. (see Uganda) [Now maybe I’ll get off my figurative butt and find the patch to fix my spell checker because having to actually look things up to make teacher happy still sucks.]
Ms. Lame
@Oprah: Oprah, I think you must accept that change happens differently and at different times all over the world. The real reasons why people here are so opposed to the idea of man and another man together and a woman and a woman is actually because of Christianity. And we all know that in the West and in Europe in the past, Christianity was used to justify all sorts of terrible doings (the killing of innocent people). So, we are at a point where Christianity is used to justify the denial of Human rights for a certain group and that is the same experience that you went through. So it is important that we go through that process as well..it is progress.
I do not agree with you that we live in the 5th Century. In fact, there is quite a respect for democracy and the rule of Law in Botswana. There is a way we do things here. In a population of about 2 million, we respect the concept of consultation. And so, we, as LGBTI rights groups talk to our leaders about the best possible ways of having our rights enshrined in all necessary Legislation. And believe me, our leaders are more open minded and progressive than you will think. Pono Moatlhodi is just an idiot really. We run an organization called LeGaBiBo.
Ms. Lame
Well, let me also just say that i can understand why the harsh comments about Africans but you guys must also understand that what you read is not truth in totality, it is just what someone decided to write about. I am scared for LGBT people in other countries in Africa (Uganda, Malawi) coz they have it worse but Botswana is not like that at all. Maybe it is because we prefer it calm here and maybe it is because, in truth, our government is not homophobic. They just need to be made to understand why it is important for us to challenge the Penal Code. And we have done that and many of the committees of the National Assembly are quite supportive of our movement as LeGaBiBo.
And yeah, the thing about Western Dogs, that is pure ignorance. The truth is that, homosexuality existed even before the missionaries came here so no one can claim that it was brought by the “white” people. Damn, it is even part of some cultures in Africa so the question ” Is homosexuality unAfrican” should never be asked!
the crustybastard
@Ms. Lame:
Thanks for providing a view from the inside. I appreciate it. I do wish you and you LeGaBiBo colleagues nothing but the best.
Soupy
Thank you Ms. Lame. You should know that Oprah is a christian who believes that homosexuality is a sin. And soon, a woman named Cassandra will swoop down upon you. You have my support, but keep your head up.
J.P.A.
@TomD:
Nope. They receive a lot even by African standards. Check the USAID, CIDA, and EIB websites.
jazz
Everything in the world is subgect to interpretation..This explains the many view points even on a subject that when viewd objectively forms subjective derivatives. Because we are a confluence environmental forces, we will formulate ideas according to various vantage points. Just because a thing is accepted in one communiy, it does not make it right, neither does it mean because such a community sees it as right it is infact right. In some parts of the world society accepts and deems it right for women to completly cover themselves and not show any part of their bodies. Just because they accept it and deem it right it doesnt make it right, neither is it wrong. it is simply a matter of what is acceptible to that society. in the same way, as a Motswana, i happen to know that Botswana society does not accept homosexuality (this is the mainstream view).As far as freedom of expression, do individuals who do not accept homosexuality not have as many rights as those that do (and vise versa). This is not an issue of majority, right, wrong, aid, and all that stuff. While one does not want to be prejudiced against a fellow man, we as Batswana do not expect homosexuals to be prejudiced against our views that homosexuality is wrong. what should prevail in this case is not an opinion of right or wrong, but what is acceptible by the standards of our own sovoreighn society, reguardless of how others see it. Americans have their own ideals, we too have our own. And we do not accept homosexuality. Thats what matters