EFF statement on Pride Month

2 June 2022

The EFF wishes all members of the Queer community a revolutionary Pride Month. It is encouraging that we are in a democracy that is legislatively advocating and legalising same sex marriage through the Civil Union Amendment Bill. All South Africans should be free and happy to love and relate with whomever they so wish, without fear of victimisation and even death.

However, there is still a lot of educating that needs to take place in as far as this country is concerned; as well as those who are in public service domain. We have seen many crimes committed against the Queer community. There are now talks of so called corrective rape mainly because criminals who brutalise in this country act with impunity when committing crimes.

This year we approved and passed the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters). Amendment Bill, the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill, and the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill, yet the scourge of gender based violence crimes continue to rise. The police department refuses to act decisively on criminals of sexual violence in particular.

We salute Queer activists who continue to stand up for themselves and their quest for justice. We further reiterate that representation matters, that the EFF will continue to advocate for easy access to gender-reaffirming treatment, for schools to be inclusive of Queer families who sit on the school governing bodies.

The EFF will continue to advocate for harsh treatments of those who commit hate crimes, and call on Minister Bheki Cele to take the people of this country seriously by prioritising cases pertaining to violence against the LGBTQI+ persons.

Pride Month should be a celebration of Queer people, not a reminder that the LGBTQI+ community is still fighting for a basic right to freedom of expression, protection from hate crimes, and a govemment that refuses to act decisively.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 2 June 2022