By Melanie Nathan, April 30, 2013.
Botswana a country which, unlike many African countries which still boast old Colonial anti-gay penal codes, has shown a measure of tolerance towards its LGBT community, by not pursuing laws that could be interpreted against homosexuality. That would account for the fact that a Miss Botswana pageant contestant enraged the audience with her unseemly response to a basic question at the national event held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre on April 27, 2013.
Contestants Sharon Seno Mathers at the ‘top five stage’ stirred things up with her comment on homosexuality. She was asked by one of the judges to state 2 challenges that face Botswana youth. To the dismay of the audience Mathers listed homosexuality as the first challenge. Apparently the audience booed loudly before she could even complete her answer. As things heated up in the audience, Mathers herself continued to add fuel to her fiery answer and she went further , over the booing, saying:
“Homosexuality is a disease that can be cured”. “This attracted an even more angry response from the audience as they roared with anger and ranted in disapproval. She finished her answer with a shaking voice and said that she believes homosexuality can be cured because it doesn’t add up to the already low population of Botswana. She said that with homosexuality there is no reproduction to increase the population. In proceeding to conclude her answer, Mathers was almost inaudible as the screams of disapproval to her answer defeaned the hall. The second challenge to Batswana youth she listed was alcohol and drug abuse but she did not go further to elaborate as the odds were not in her favour.”noted Botswana Monitor.
The obviously shaken Mathers who had changed from keeping a smiling face to a sombre mood had to keep up appearances and wait for the other four girls to finish answering their questions, as she was the first to have been asked a question. She did not win the beauty contest and we know for sure she did not win the popularity contest either.
It would not surprise me if she thought her comments would be popular amongst the audience, as in a previous year an anti-gay comment received applause. However this shows that Botswana has come a long way toward tolerance and its Colonial penal code is probably now unpopular and outdated. Botswana is on the Northern border of South Africa, which enjoys a fully inclusive constitution. Botswana is a peaceful society and a great place for safaris.
Rosemary Keofitlhetse won the title of Miss Botswana 2013 and will compete in Miss World 2013, scheduled to take place in Jakarta, Indonesia this September 28. The first runner-up was Betty Seatlholo and the second runner-up was Khumo Leburu.
Miss Botswana 2013 Top 5 Finalists:
Tseo Seitiso
Rosemary Keofitlhetse
Betty Seatlholo
Khumo Leburu
Sharon Seno Mather
By Melanie Nathan
[email protected]
@melanienathan1
![speaker mel nathan](http://oblogdeeoblogda.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/africanhrc.png?w=300"%20alt="africanhrc"%20width="300"%20height="300"%20/></a>)
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Are Ў☺ΰ guys pro gays?
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
What pro-gays? We support equality for all sexual orientations and the fact that homosexuality is a natural born orientation- just like heterosexuality! welcome to OBLOGDEE
Ha! U said it all Melanie.
Good one
Oopps!! … for the contestant!!!! Love your answer … Melanie. Not only welcome to your blog, welcome to the world you live in!!
Ha! Thanks
This is so encouraging to read, I hope it goes for the population as a whole!
I guess they were looking for beauty that went all the way through. She disqualified herself.
I dunno about Botswana, but Beauty pageants are the last place to present the fake mantra about curing gay people. Think “make-up artists, hairdressers, stylists, clothing and accessories people, lighting, etc etc. She should be grateful she wasn’t sent out on her next round looking like medusa in a burlap bag!!
Let me guess…Christian?
haha
well look where she’s from Botswana – a LOW edcated populace / uber religion – thats a formula for radical fundementalism right there…….thats why religions like those under-developed countries – the people there – ARE easily Brainwashed!
I think it has more to do with Botswana having lower incomes like many developing countries. When wealthy evangelicals and fundamentalists sweep and provide aid, food, housing, and are accepted as part of the elite then that gives them influence. Western fundamentalism and catholicism has targeted many african countries mainly because the income gap gives them influence and authority.
I guess all attitudes and opinions of Africans can be attributed to colonialism, fundamentalism, poverty, poor education, brain washing and so on; unless they’re ‘politically correct.’
Whatever – Slavery in America was popular too. That does not make it right Shali./ Prop 8 in California was the WILL OF A BOGOTTED people that did not make it right. It was overturned buy the courts. The part you dont seem to understand is the ideal of international treatise that have very little to do with whats popular. What ISIS is doing could be popular to some and harmful to others. LGBTI people are a minority that needs protection and homophobic remarks dont help.
I’m curious to know what the difference is between evangelicals ‘sweeping in to rescue poor Africans’ while brainwashing them and international bodies that ‘sweep in to rescue poor Africans’ while attaching conditions to this aid; conditions that require constitutional changes that go against the will of the people.
Whatever – Slavery in America was popular too. That does not make it right Shali./ Prop 8 in California was the WILL OF A BOGOTTED people that did not make it right. It was overturned buy the courts. The part you dont seem to understand is the ideal of international treatise that have very little to do with whats popular. What ISIS is doing could be popular to some and harmful to others. LGBTI people are a minority that need protection and homophobic remarks dont help.
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