Postmodern Critic
Morgan Bell
Jeff MusallLesbian Rape Epidemic
October 25th 2008 15:30
The practice of "corrective rape" has become commonplace in South Africa.
Men are attempting to "convert" lesbians to heterosexuality through a series of systematic and gang rapes.
Zanele Muholi, a journalist for the lesbian and gay publication Behind the Mask, reported on the situation in Johannesburg in 2003 telling of 12 rapes of lesbians she knew that year.
A Soweto woman told of being raped multiple times
Yusoof Abdullah
veteran co-founder of the Johannesburg Pride March
In April 2008 a lesbian was dragged from her home where she was in bed sleeping and raped repeatedly at knife-point on the banks of a nearby river. The rapist was offended by the young womans "crossdressing" and raped her as punishment.
A research paper documented various responses from black lesbian victims of rape:
The Experiences of Stress and Trauma: Black Lesbians in South Africa
International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society
University of the Witwatersrand
Bathini (too scared to report being gang-raped to the police)
Raped For Who I Am (30 min documentary)
Men are attempting to "convert" lesbians to heterosexuality through a series of systematic and gang rapes.
Zanele Muholi, a journalist for the lesbian and gay publication Behind the Mask, reported on the situation in Johannesburg in 2003 telling of 12 rapes of lesbians she knew that year.
"I was raped because I was a butch child. I was 13 years old the first time it happened. My mother walked into the room soon afterwards and said to me 'this is what happens to girls like you'.
"The last time I was raped, I was 18 years old, it was a family friend who said to me that I had to be taught how to be a black woman."
A Soweto woman told of being raped multiple times
"We rarely hear of people being beaten up on campus anymore. But in townships, gay women are not accepted. The mentality is still that all they need is a penis to set them straight,"
Yusoof Abdullah
veteran co-founder of the Johannesburg Pride March
In April 2008 a lesbian was dragged from her home where she was in bed sleeping and raped repeatedly at knife-point on the banks of a nearby river. The rapist was offended by the young womans "crossdressing" and raped her as punishment.
A research paper documented various responses from black lesbian victims of rape:
"He did not understand, so he raped me."
"They are going to show you that there is nothing wrong with a prick."
"The men want to fix us."
The Experiences of Stress and Trauma: Black Lesbians in South Africa
International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society
University of the Witwatersrand
“He told me he was going to teach me a lesson and show me that I’m a girl”
Bathini (too scared to report being gang-raped to the police)
Raped For Who I Am (30 min documentary)
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Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
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I'm disgusted by this, but for some reason it comes as no surprise.
And that disgusts me even more.
~Dianna
Comment by Morgan Bell
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these are truly despicable acts
paired with the likelihood of HIV, South Africa has become a very risky place for young gay women who are being victimised
thanks for reading and sharing your opinions
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
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It's very true. It saddens me to see what humanity really is-and it shows itself best in places where life isn't as good as ours.
I'm glad I read this, as much as it depresses me. It's good that somebody's actually speaking up about things like this.
~Dianna
Comment by Morgan Bell
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ive been a bit slack with my PADSOC posting but whenever i read about human rights violations like these i try to pass on the info . . . i consider every little bit of visibility adds up!
even forwarding a link might open someones eyes!
thanks for the support!
Comment by Dianna G
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Very true. Keep doing what you're doing.
You're welcome
~Dianna
Comment by RubySoho
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Uggh. Honestly, it all comes down to education.
Comment by Postmodern Critic
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I have been quite busy myself so it means a lot that you care about PADSOC, thanks for reminding me about the difference it can make to get these things out. You're fabulous.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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beautifully put!
the ability to accept and appreciate differences is something every parent and teacher should be instilling in the children they are responsible for
hi Epiphanie,
ive missed your posts!
but when this came to my attention i thought PADSOC was the perfect place to bring some attention to the matter . . . the documentary looks particularly interesting, i wonder if ACON keeps a copy of it to share on info nights?
glad i could help with a contribution!
hi Jeff,
i think it is very fitting that you have used the word "devalue"
i think thats exactly whats happening in South Africa, these gay women are viewed as sub-human and the men are using tactics to "break" them or deter them from being true to themselves . . . conformity seems to be an important quality in their culture for some reason
hi Always Eighteen,
yes crazy indeed . . .
thanks for stopping by and reading
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks for that statistic!
i didnt realise it was so high, but it is important to remember women can be perpetrators of violence too!
i think South Africa has one of the highest (if not the highest) rates of sexual violence across the board
that link had some other really interesting stats too:
Sexual violence is more common among LGBT hate crimes – assailants may use rape to “punish” victims for what they view as their sexual transgressions
the page contains links to other fact sheets if anyone is interested in browsing
thanks for stopping in Ahmed - hey where have you been lately?
Comment by Ahmed
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Been working, studying, and putting up with my boyfriend...
(that last part was a joke)
...he's really a wonderful person...
...ok, ok, so the joke was I don't have a boyfriend because I'm not gay but still, it was a semi-amusing one, you have to admit and I bet it got at least some of you people XD
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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hey that was a good one!
imagine how my eyes bulged when i saw the word "boyfriend" haha
ive never scrolled so fast!
and Ruby i believe the anti-Ahmed anonymous person who pops up every now and then generally refers to him as a "bigotted little Egyptian" lol
Comment by RubySoho
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im sure we could find plenty of people who think homosexuals dont exist in Australia!
although the Iranian statement was a classic for the vault!
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While the same thing might not happen here in Australia, I wonder how many people actually believe something similar? That lesbians just need to find the 'right' penis?
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"I was raped because I was a butch child. I was 13 years old the first time it happened. My mother walked into the room soon afterwards and said to me 'this is what happens to girls like you'
Imagine the trauma. A degree of social approval allows violence to be inflicted on those who are 'different' In this case it is the girl's sexuality; but it might just as well have been race, religion or a failure to conform. The oppressed often become the most vicious oppressors
Comment by Neems
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We can only imagine what this has driven a lot of them to do.
Thank you for this post- the more people made aware of it, the closer we get to finding ways of putting a stop to it!
Neems
Comment by Morgan Bell
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haha "Sarah Palin's America"
sounds like a scary place!
i can never quite understand why some people think gays have the ability to "convert" others . . . just as nonsensical as trying to "convert" a gay to being heterosexual!
hi Cibbuano,
i used to live near the red light district in Newcastle and many of the older gay people told of a time where men (the kind who get drunk and cruise for hookers) targetted lesbians for sexual assault as a method of anti-gay punishment . . . apparently one of the brothels was closed due to an incident where a rapist brutally attacked the sex workers . . . i guess the sentiment is that these people are "trash" or "freaks" . . . scary stuff!
hi Louie,
i think humans are definately the cruel species . . .
Comment by Morgan Bell
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its a bit disappointing really, repression is repression whether it is due to skin colour or sexuality . . . perhaps there is an element of the perpetrators feeling disenfranchised left over from the days of apartheid?
still no excuse, but there may be some cultural explanation for the acceptance of violence
hi Mister Smith,
that is very true what you say about oppressed becoming oppressors . . . it is a vicious cycle that can only continue while the wider society turns a blind eye
hi Neems,
ive read something similar about that superstition of raping virgins to cure HIV, i believe there were some cases of babies and small children being raped due to the myth . . . not sure if it was South Africa, but it was occurring in some parts of the continent . . . i think African communities could benefit from being educated about the disease
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BAHAHAhahaha thats the stupidest thing ive ever heard! lol
i dont suppose she noticed that most gays are born to heterosexual parents?
that made my day!
Comment by Postmodern Critic
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Most people assume they're heterosexual until they have reason to believe otherwise, and often it'll be 'that special someone' that comes along and they reconsider their orientation, which can lead to outsiders feeling that they were perfectly happy being heterosexual beforehand. Or something.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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you are right, and apparently South Africa promotes itself internationally as a queer-friendly holiday destination
i think what is going on in South Africa is that there is a culture of sexual violence being an acceptable method of settling differences and disciplining people
Carol Bower told the conference: "There are about 50,000 reported cases every year in South Africa, 50% of which are against children. The police's child protection unit estimates that only one in 15 child rapes are reported..."
It is estimated that 500,000 rapes take place in South Africa every year, although this figur is said to be a minimum, with too many cases going unreported.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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there might be some correlation between city and country dwellers, or general access to education