Our Gretha Wiid Article Goes Viral – and now she is back-peddling while really doubling down! But still no real correction or apology – just excuses!
This past week, after my article broke the story condemning Gretha Wiid’s false assertions about homosexuality, it went viral. We demanded an apology and a correction to her damaging manual. Many people reported personal harm which they assert was a direct result of her teachings and influence, and after finding out that several people have since reported her to the South African Human Rights Commission, and after thousands contacted her, it seems that she has attempted what many may construe as a backhanded apology or a mere excuse that doubles down on her lies and myth.
OUR INITIAL STORY and LETTER OF DEMAND can be read HERE
Here is the excuse which some may try tout as an apology, as reported by Mambaonline:
Christian celebrity relationship guru Gretha Wiid has offered an apology of sorts while justifying her youth advice book that includes contentious views on homosexuality.
In a video posted on Facebook, Wiid said that she wanted to put the book, aimed at those between the ages of 10 and 13, into perspective; explaining that it was written and published in 2009.
An excerpt on the topic of homosexuality went viral this past week on social media, alarming many who believe that it offers inaccurate and dangerous information that could negatively affect young LGBT people and their families.
In the video, Wiid says that she has numerous qualifications in psychology and human sexuality, and that she has been presenting courses on these topics for 20 years.
She then reveals that the topic of homosexuality is actually very close to her heart because “my own brother is part of the homosexual community. My brother is gay and he has a long-time life partner. We are very close”.
Wiid insists that she’s not going to defend her book or herself, but wants to instead share part of her heart with viewers. She also claims that the excerpt on homosexuality was misunderstood.
With regard to her explanation of the word “moffie” (faggot) to the young readers, Wiid points out that she later urges them in the book to never use such a word, even in a joke.
However, in my opinion, it is clear that because she was bombarded as a result of our outcry, she is trying to escape the consequences of her distortions – by circumventing her true intention and meaning with excuses and attempts at justification. This all proves her guilt – her fear of hate speech connotation.
Here is an example:
“Wiid urges young people struggling with their sexuality to speak to someone because gay people are often rejected around the world… “and I don’t believe in my whole heart that this is Jesus’ plan”.
That is not how it read in her manual and that is her distorted explanation: It flies in the face of her assertion that men and woman are expected to be in relationship only with the opposite sex. She fails to correct this. And so when she speaks here of the gay teen’s struggle and needing to seek help – she is in essence referring to her initial assertion where she notes being GAY is a choice and not innate, suggesting people can change their sexual orientation. It is clear that she truly believes such struggle must end in change. She does not apologize for saying that being gay is a choice and here all she does in endorse her tacit notion that change is possible – therein lies the dangers that actually face teens -as often their inability to change, as touted via religious dogma, results in suicidal thoughts and actual suicide. So her teachings reflect that the ‘struggle’ to which she refers, must end in altering one’s sexuality! That is how it read and that is what she meant. No amount of pivot can change that. Instead of trying to dance around her own words and insert meaning via her so called “heart” – she should simply say she was wrong and apologize. She should withdraw and burn those hurtful manuals!
This is no apology. This is an excuse. Do not fall for it! You can see she admits the impact of our article, saying she has heard from thousand s of people this past week:
FACEBOOK: Ek het nou die opinie van duisende oningeligte mense die afgelope week gehoor. Hier is my opinie, my hart en dit waarvoor ek staan. Luister gerus as jy die #waarheid en die #korrekte konteks wil verstaan.
Wat die dood wat oor my kinders en gesin uitgespreek is betref? Geen wapen wat teen ons gesmee is sal tot uiting kom nie. Ons dien n soewereine God – Een van waarheid en outoriteit. Die wêreld kan kies om polities korrek te wees, ek en my huis kies om die Here te dien. Wat die kommentaar van mense op my blad betref? Kommentaar op sosiale media sê meer van die een wat dit gee, as die een waaroor dit gegee word. Nietemin kies ek om diesulke mense te vergewe en sonder bitterheid te staan. My geveg is nie teen vlees en bloed nie!Ongeag wat gesê word – ons sal gemeet word aan ons vrug.Dankie aan elkeen van die gay gemeenskap wat my genader het vir my opinie op ‘n billike en ordentlike manier. Ek eer julle en het baie respek vir julle vrymoedigheid. Wat die ongenaakbare klomp betref wat in sulke swak taalgebruik verval het? Ek is dankbaar dat julle nie verteenwoordigend is van ‘n hele gemeenskap nie.
Share sommer die video as jy voel dat dit iets vir iemand kan beteken
Gretha Wiid
ENGLISH TRANSLATION VIA FACEBOOK: I now have the opinion of thousands oningeligte people heard the last week. Here’s my opinion, my heart and what I stand. Please listen if you the #truth and #correct context would understand. What is the death of my family and children about? No weapon that is against our gesmee uiting will come. We serve a soewereine God – one of truth and authorities. The world can choose to be political correct, and my house, I choose to serve the Lord. What the comments from people on my page rule? Comments on social media to tell more of the one giving it, as the one that it is given. Nietemin Diesulke I choose to forgive people and without bitterheid to stand. My fight is not against vlees and blood! Be said no matter what – we will be measured to our fruit.
Thanks to all of the gay community who approached me for my opinion in a fair and decent way. I honour you and have much respect for you courage. But it ends for those who use poor language are unapproachable group . I’m thankful that you aren’t representative of an entire community.
Right share the video if you think this can mean something to anyone. (NOTE I AM FIXING THE FB TRANSLATION TO BE MORE ACCURATE)
Gretha wiid
All I can say by watching her bumble her justification, is that Wiid has a motive. She is trying to divert, so clearly impacted by the over 25,000 reads which our article led to, causing outrage and demanding an apology – and her response – a feeble double down excuse! Is she trying to save her lucrative enterprises? Save face?
She never responded to African HRC’s letter which was sent to directly to her, (see below) – where we demanded correction and an apology – and she also banned me from her Facebook page where I politely alerted her to the fact that we were still waiting for her response. She also received many tweets and has been hit on Instagram. No direct response, no discussion, no discourse, no earnest engagement. Instead a ramble in Afrikaans that merely doubles down on her lies and myth about homosexuality. To post that disconnected unilateral video on Facebook is nothing but pompous cowardice – she should be ashamed! She has done nothing to engage the LGBTI community. She is self important and distant from those she harms.
No Ms. Wiid you are still wrong and we still demand correction and apology. We the LGBTI community do not fall for the dicta “its not the sinner its the sin.” We also do not fall for your patronizing assertions where you purport to thank those of us who are polite and chastise those who are not! We are all good people. And some are angry – justifiably so! Withdraw your manual and have the strength of character to apologize! YOU are the problem – not the solution!
I repeat African HRC letter to her. Here it is again. We stand by our request for an apology and a correction to the mythological manual. I don’t care whether she has 700 gay brothers whom she loves with all her heart.
Stop hurting other people’s families and do the right thing. retract your manual:
Dear Ms. Wiid,
It is with deep concern that I am writing to you.
I was sent a copy of a page from a manual which you apparently have written with regard to the raising of children, wherein you discuss homosexuality in a manner that conveys absolute ignorance and sets parents and children up for great harm. Homosexuality is not a choice.
You cannot have a “feeling” about what you think “causes” homosexuality – anymore than you can have a “feeling” why God gave some people black skin and others white skin. In the old days this type of “feeling” was used to justify Apartheid and now you use the same basis to reflect on why people are lesbian or homosexual. The danger of your dicta (notably your feeling in print) is the homophobia that results from it.
You have said you do not believe that people are born homosexual and much more – and it is this very type of talk that serves to justify the bullying, persecution and violence LGBT people are subjected to. However what makes your publication even more insidious is the fact its directed to parents, who are often on the frontline of the love and care needed to nurture children/teens when they come out. You direct your work at these parents who when believing homosexuality is a choice often kick kids out of their homes, resulting very often in homelessness and worse yet, suicide.
I am the Executive Director of the African Human Rights Coalition. Our organization was constructed as a direct result of the persecution caused by Christian Evangelicals, who in the name of Jesus and God invoke lies and myth which have resulted in the direct persecution of LGBT people. Everyday we are dealing with young people who have been banished from villages, evicted from homes, fired from jobs, assaulted, or blackmailed and tortured by police. These victims of persecution are borne from the language and myth that you have perpetuated in your written manual. These are not people who gleefully want to be gay as so shamefully portrayed in your writing. In fact when given the awful intolerance many fight off the urges of their innate sexuality and gender identity in attempts to be who they are not! This is anything BUT a choice! Without these teachings – where you assert that homosexuality is not innate but rather a choice, none of this persecution would be happening. But myth serves to scapegoat and it creates a climate of fear and divisiveness instead of inclusion, and love. I do not think Jesus preached the former, but imagine that he would have preferred the latter!
I would also like to point out that the perpetuation of untruths which serve to cause direct or indirect harm can be interpreted as “hate speech’. In South Africa LGBT people are considered equal to all other South Africans and their protection as such includes the right to their sexuality, and an ability to live without fear of the violence brought on by hate speech.
You have your absolute right to your freedom of expression – so long as it is truthful and does not hurt anyone else. And no one is stopping you from freely practicing your religion. There is nothing stopping your belief in Jesus and God. And your ability to pay homage, pray, and speak in the name of your religion. However when the manner in which you convey message, when you assert blatant lies and insert your “feelings” as if truth – it can crush others and so you are stepping on dangerous turf.
There is a scientific explanation behind homosexuality. You would better serve God if you wrote about this subject in an informed educated way. Lest we forget, that if you choose to quote the bible in this context, it is indeed an ever evolving work, that can indeed handle scientific parallels and contextual interpretations.
Please let me know if you would be willing to review your material and revise your publication with corrections, and also if you would be willing to issue an apology to the LGBT community. I am not sure how much harm has been done at this point, yet it is never too late to right a wrong.
Sincerely,
Melanie.
MELANIE NATHAN, Esq.
Executive Director
AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COALITION
www.AfricanHRC.orgCC. GLAAD SOUTH AFRICA
OUR INITIAL STORY and LETTER OF DEMAND can be read HERE
Melanie Nathan
@melanieNathan1
Commissionermnathan@gmail.com