Activists want education on gays in school

High school students in Gauteng could be taught about homosexuality in classrooms if authorities give the green light to a programme proposed by gay rights activists. Post-apartheid South Africa is already alone in Africa with its gay rights policies and last year became the first country in the region to legalise gay marriages.

But gays and lesbians say widely praised gay-friendly laws have not freed them from discrimination and sometimes violent abuse, and one way to remedy that is to educate the population about homosexuality.

If the plans are approved in the central Gauteng province, which includes the financial centre of Johannesburg, it will set South Africa further apart from the rest of the continent where homosexuality is taboo and, in many cases, even illegal. A spokesperson for the Gauteng education department, said activists had approached officials to incorporate homosexuality into life skills classes already taught in schools, but the plans are still in their "infancy". He said they have been given the request from the gay and lesbian community and at the moment are still at the evaluation stage. After its first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa became the first country to recognise gay rights in its constitution.

Gay marriage is "un-African": religious group
South Africa last year passed laws allowing gay marriage amid a storm of protest from religious groups and politicians alike who decried the legislation as "un-African". Even members of the ruling ANC which prides itself on its liberal record had to be strong-armed into approving the law, said local media reports. OUT, a gay rights group that put forward the school proposals yesterday released a booklet to educate authorities on these issues.

"Understanding the Challenges facing Gay and Lesbian South Africans" recounts some disturbing tales of violence against homosexuals. "Thando is a high school learner. He is perceived to be gay and as a result he is verbally abused and physically assaulted at school by both students and teachers. On one occasion he was raped by a group of boys, one story related. When he went to the local police station to lay a charge he was told that men cannot be raped and that he must not waste their time. "In another story, Nonhlanhla, a lesbian, was raped by a group of men who discovered her sexuality and wanted "to make her normal". Her family convinced her that she had brought the rape upon herself and that she should keep silent about it," the booklet said. - Reuters