Like the ANCYL says, multiple concurrent partners are certainly not “fashionable” these days. HIV has made them decidedly untrendy. One thing that apparently is fashionable, however, and is getting a lot of southern African support, is homophobia. And polygamy. Goodness, that one is really hitting the headlines these days. The YL believe that Zuma is a responsible man and have said that the campaign is not aimed at him. I’m a bit confused about what responsible means to the YL?
For me responsible means watching what you say and using your public platform to promote the rights of others. For me responsible means acknowledging the problem of homophobia, acknowledging that gay and lesbian and bisexual people are people and have rights and can love and have sex with who they would like to. For me responsible is not taking a shower, but using a condom. Sheesh, I wonder what they do mean?
When you speak about one boyfriend one girlfriend, you are simply avoiding that not all men want a girlfriend, some want a boyfriend and not all women want a boyfriend, some want a girlfriend. That’s the reality. The voice of our president, and presidents around Africa, have contributed to this stigma. I think we need to have a look at how we can use public campaigns to make a space for gay and lesbian people and to ensure that our public campaigns around sexuality are inclusive.
On the plus side, the idea behind the campaign is good. It is simple to understand and communicates the message that multiple concurrent partners are not a great idea. So I must say I hope it’s successful.
One step at a time, Jen! First we sort out polygamy, THEN we can start thinking about homosexuality.
I think the ANCYL should be commended for coming up with this campaign. It is noble and relevant not only to the youth of this country but to the whole population at large. Let us all rally behind them and ensure that all South Africans heed to the call of the YL. Let us give credit where credit due and not just critisize for the sake of critisizing. If one one wants to raise awareness about the Gay and Lesbian issues by all means they should go ahead. There are a lot of issues which needs to be raised in this country but one issue should not substitute the other. Let us develop constructive ways of engaging each other and not be entangled in cheap point scoring gimmicks.
Human rights and tolerance shouldn’t be categorised, or afforded first or second place. If the rights of lesbians and gays aren’t taken seriously they will always end up at the back of the queue.
C’mon now Jen, get a life already will you? You decided not to understand what they meant. We all know what the 1 boyfriend, 1 girlfriend thing mean, it means one sexual partner.
And I thought Zuma had explained the shower thing already and it was not necessary to mention it anymore? Am I missing something?
If you have nothin to write don’t write at all.
Jen, while we support the rights of gay people to live lives free of sexual discrimination, we must remember that they make up less than 2% of the population.
Therefore in general terms, and on day to day issues, they do not require inclusion on every front.
Jen, you are absolutely right that framing political policy discourse as boyfriend/girlfriend, even if the intent is one sexual partner/one sexual partner as Tlanch Tau states, removes homosexuals from the picture. Change can not be prioritized into steps. Something will always be more important.
Polygamy is not a human rights issue (its a choice) whereas homophobia is.
Those who dont want polygamy should not practise it.If you are a woman and your husband wants to marry a second wife walk away if you dont agree.Its called adultery.If you cant walk away for any reason- then deal with it.I was in this job I did not like for 2 years but paid very well. I dealt with it.Its all about choices.
The YL is doing this to stuff Zuma up. Leave polygamy alone. If I could afford it I would marry 2 wives but alas!
In any democracy you always pitch your big-picture plans at the majority. Homosexuals aren’t the majority.
You jumped they gun again Jennifer: “The ANC Youth League has denied that its “one boyfriend, one girlfriend” campaign to discourage having multiple sexual partners was directed at President Jacob Zuma, who is married to more than one wife, the Sunday Times reported. ”
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-05-16-ancyl-denies-lashing-out-at-zuma
This is almost as much of a black comedy as making Jacob Zuma leader of the moral regeneration campaign. Where did that go again?
yes, i don’t think that one boyfriend/one girlfriend necessarily denotes/assumes a heterosexual relationship; it actually seems very open-ended in this regard. if you’re a gay man, then you’ld pay attention to the ‘one boyfriend’ part etc etc. Not the biggest fan of the ANCYL leadership, but your criticism on this issue seems off the mark. Indeed, the campaign actually seems to strike at the heart of the HIV/AIDS problem – there was an extremely important (but little commented on) article in the M&G last year by two academics from UCT that very cogently argued that the tendency for us to be involved with multiple partners simultaneously was the fundamental driver of the pandemic in sub-saharan africa.
the question that would arise for me here is the extent to which the leadership will visibly walk the talk on this issue rather than just producing lots of give-away t-shirts.
If the ANCYL wants to be taken seriously in its new campaign, it needs to stop apologising for to and for Zuma. This noble and long overdue campaign has nothing to do with Zuma but the general and commendable way of life for the rest of the nation. Zuma’s name need not have appeared at all in this campaign, lest it taints the campaign with seeking political favour or at least avoiding political backlash. Zuma’s behaviour, cultural or otherwise is his and like anyone else, he’ll pay for it one day. If I was a member of the YL, I would strongly advise against putting politics before the truth, which the YL always commits to (even if when convenient to it).
The one boyfriend one girlfriend vs gays and lesbians is neither here nor there. I think we all get the message. Like @Zibuse Austin puts it ” If one one wants to raise awareness about the Gay and Lesbian issues by all means they should go ahead.”
The ANCYL has suddenly crossed the floor in deciding what its public opinions are. After all Zuma already had 3 wives and 18 children when they backed him for president.
Now that he has 4 wives and 20 children (that we know of)and has rapped Julius on the knuckles, not for calling journos bastards and bloody agents, but for criticising him.
Its clear to anyone with half a brain cell that the ANCYL will rant & vent against anyone that doesnt agree with them, not because they have any particularly smart ideas.
My understanding in this young people’s campaign is not viewed with intention to find fault,simply put:one partner one partner.Whether you sleep with a snake or a brick,but it must be one.Now go back to work and stop whinning to just everything ANCYL as if you will make sense and get a medal
Jen, this campaign has nothing to do with sexual orientation it simply promotes one partner per person, whether you are gay, lesbian or heterosexual. you have missed the point completely and I think your utturances do nothing but create a perception that the Youth League is homophobic. Get a life Jen!!
BUT Jen, “1 boyfriend, 1 girlfriend” applies to homo and hetero and even bi-sexual relationships! That’s the beauty of its simplicty! So, for example if you’re lesbian, have 1 girlfriend. Let’s not rush into critiques without having fully considered what has been presented to us.
Just a quick question for R Sing around, where exactly did you get that interesting statistic of 2%? Wanted to read a bit more about it?
Jennnnifer…you really believe the ANCYL meant to say they are against homosexual relations? Why do i get a sense this was just another opportunity to sing the “bash the youth league” chorus.
I think it was the Roman writer Cicero who said “Nihil humanun a me puto” =I think nothing human to be foreign to me. if you are a humanist, which all should be, there will be tolerance of all differences
There’s a campaign? Where? When? How? Obviously I missed the boat on this one, probably because I don’t show any interest in ANCYL meetings (I’m excluded by virtue of my age). But if we all kept our sex lives locked in the closet, it wouldn’t do much harm, methinks. AIDS and STDs were far less of a problem when we did. Flaunting sexual orientation invites criticism, as does flaunting anything!
I am inclined to agree with everyone on here that this is really what the ANCYL should have been doing all along instead of trying to stir up hatred between people. The fact that they have very pointedly said it is not aimed at Zuma can be taken any way you want it to be but the message is easy and simple to understand which is more than can be said of some past attempts at it.. The sad thing is that it will be taken from whence it comes, from someone who is seen as a bufoon who has made our country look stupid one too many times and stirred up the past. I sincerely hope that it does some good and as someone pointed out from a language point of view, it really doesn’t aim itself at one sector of the population alone. It includes everyone without being offensive to anyone. This is huge to me. If the column was intended to support gat people it should rather have chosen the attack on a lesbian by a wwhite woman claiming to be a Christian. As it stands it really is just same old same old ranting using a name which is known to stir up controversy. By issuing a statement that it isn’t about Zuma subsequently the ANCYL has been very clever and left it for people to draw their own conclusions – think of it as the small print.
It may very well be the case that lesbian and gay people make up a tiny proportion of the population, however, the way in which a country treats is gay and lesbian citizens (and, indeed, the way in which it treats other minorities) is a good barometer of its approach to human rights. This is an important issue and gay people are rightly concerned about the fragfile nature of gay rights in SA.
I hear what you saying but I think its still gonna be a while before Africa as a continent looks at homosexuality without the stigma that is currently attached to it.
Sure we can blast the powers that be and call for change, but as a gay guy myself I am not holding my breath for anything groundbreaking or worthwhile happening in the not too distant future.
That being said, its not out of apathy or loss of hope, its just looking at things for what they are. Africa is not the most progressive place (well most of the 3rd World isn’t) and to be honest these leaders have more to worry about at the moment than if the gays get their say.
Thank you Jen
Jen, please get your head out of the clouds and create a controversy where there’s none. The one boyfriend/ one girlfriend statement doesn’t not exclude homosexuals. It also means homos can have one boyfriend or one girlfriend depending on which category they subscribe to. Let’s grow up please.
Great article. Well done.
RSing around: “Jen, while we support the rights of gay people to live lives free of sexual discrimination, we must remember that they make up less than 2% of the population.”
Atlas Reader: “In any democracy you always pitch your big-picture plans at the majority. Homosexuals aren’t the majority.”
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Democracy is also supposed to protect minorities. Remember, the Muslim population is only 1.5% of the total population of South Africa? (Wikipedia)