Durban — This weekend, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health and Vryheid Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex+ (LGBTQI+) will tackle homophobia and health issues plaguing the sector.
The department said anecdotal evidence showed that members of the LGBTQI+ were still subjected to a number of social ills, such as homophobia, discrimination, “corrective rape” and murder.
The Department of Health said many LGBTQI+ members still faced discrimination when trying to access healthcare services, while scores of others were not even aware of the existence of safer sex assistive devices such as dental dams and finger cots.
It said that many still did not have easy access to lubricants either.
MEC Nomagugu Simelane is committed as ever to change this status quo.
On Saturday, October 1, 2022, at Ekasi Car Wash, Simelane will lead a walk, the “LGBTQI Pride Parade” through the streets of Vryheid, to speak out against homophobia, and promote better access to health and general health awareness for the LGBTQI+ community.
The walk was a partnership between the department and the Ubunye be-Vryheid LGBTQI Community Organisation.
In her 2022/23 budget speech, Simelane said the department was piloting a programme of making its healthcare facilities more welcoming and gender-affirming for the LGBTQI+ community. One of these pilot projects was in Durban (in a section of the KZN Children’s Hospital), while another was being set up in Pietermaritzburg, with many more to follow. The department was now at an advanced stage of procuring the above-mentioned assistive devices for the LGBTQI+ community.
This year, even the Department of Social Development has spoken out against the number of LGBTQI+-related murders in the province.
MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza said it was difficult to comprehend why LGBTQI+ activists and other members of that community were under attack in the province.
“We cannot claim to have freedom while some sectors of our communities live in fear and constant attack. We have an increasing number of people who have been murdered because of their sexual orientation. The list of victims of homophobic violence and murder increases daily,” Khoza said.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual provincial director Hlengiwe Buthelezi said she would speak to the relevant government department to assist in organising the summit to discuss ways and means to stop what she termed the slaughter of members of her group.
Buthelezi said the government needed to do something about the soaring levels of violent crime against their members, saying the summit urgently needed to be convened to fight the scourge.
Daily News