Submitted by Lakisha David on 11 April, 2009 - 17:33
I wish to inform you of an issue that has become very heavy on the hearts of the women of Uzima Collective. We have decided to make a stand against this and to invite every country to do the same. This is about the corrective rape on lesbians in South Africa. It seems that the men are raping these women in hopes to cure them of their sexual orientation. The women in towns like Johannesburg and Cape Town are reporting massive accounts of these brutal attacks. However they seem to fall on death ears. According to the website Action Aid of every 25 reports, 24 men walk free; these numbers are well over acceptable. Africa has turned into the rape capital of the world with a quarter of all women are being raped by the age of 16. No woman regardless of sexual orientation should fall victim to this grotesque and inhumane acts of hate. They aren't the only ones that are suffering; there are children that are suffering because of this as well. Nonhlanhla Zwane reported that her 13 year old twin daughters were gang raped because her sexual preference. She also stated that the rapist told her daughters " we just wanted to show you that you don’t have to be like your mother" one of the twins committed suicide shortly thereafter. Another account was on Sizakele Sigasa who was a lesbian activist and outreach worker with the Positive Women's Network who was found dead with her friend. Her hands were tied behind her back with her pants and her ankles tied together by her shoelaces with three bullets to the head and to the collarbone. Simangele Nhlapho along with her two year old daughter were raped and murdered, her daughters legs were broken as well. Madoe Mafubedu who was 16 at the time was raped and stabbed repeatedly until she died. These are just some of the accounts of this behavior and it has turned into a major epidemic. I truly believe that whether you agree to gay rights or not there should be something in your heart that tells you that this is not right. There should be something within you that should make you want to reach out to these women. I am a OUT lesbian with children and I could not imagine not being able to walk the streets with the woman that I love and I surely cannot imagine my twin daughters being raped because of who I am. ...This is our outreach...this is our mission, and we invite you....gay or straight to unite with us against this epidemic. This could be you, your daughter or a loved one.No woman regardless of sexual orientation should fall victim to this
grotesque and inhumane acts of hate.
We URGE you to be a face in the race against hate. Please sign the petition directed to the new President of South Africa. You can choose to not have your name shown. The petition can be found at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/becauseofwhoIam.
My best regards,
grotesque and inhumane acts of hate.
We URGE you to be a face in the race against hate. Please sign the petition directed to the new President of South Africa. You can choose to not have your name shown. The petition can be found at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/becauseofwhoIam.
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