THE Commission for Gender Equality has joined the fray and flayed the "homophobic" statement that has been attributed to King Goodwill Zwelithini.
In a statement, the commission's spokesman Javu Baloyi said they were concerned about the statement.
"This falls against the backdrop of hate crimes that are flaring up in our country due to other people not wanting to accept others who have different sexual orientation contrary to theirs.
"Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered and intersexed people are constantly being discriminated against, and at times killed, regardless of the fact that the Constitution affords them equal rights like everyone else in the country.
"We cannot continue to blindly hide behind culture whilst infringing the gay and lesbian community's rights, which are enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution.
"The commission is calling for the retraction of that unfortunate and improper statement by King Zwelithini.
"We will also be writing to him personally highlighting our discomfort at a leader in his position not promoting what is contained in the Constitution, but who uses his cultural morality to entrench discrimination against the gay and lesbian community."
Commission joins homophobia fray
THE Commission for Gender Equality has joined the fray and flayed the "homophobic" statement that has been attributed to King Goodwill Zwelithini.
In a statement, the commission's spokesman Javu Baloyi said they were concerned about the statement.
"This falls against the backdrop of hate crimes that are flaring up in our country due to other people not wanting to accept others who have different sexual orientation contrary to theirs.
"Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgendered and intersexed people are constantly being discriminated against, and at times killed, regardless of the fact that the Constitution affords them equal rights like everyone else in the country.
"We cannot continue to blindly hide behind culture whilst infringing the gay and lesbian community's rights, which are enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution.
"The commission is calling for the retraction of that unfortunate and improper statement by King Zwelithini.
"We will also be writing to him personally highlighting our discomfort at a leader in his position not promoting what is contained in the Constitution, but who uses his cultural morality to entrench discrimination against the gay and lesbian community."
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