O-blog-dee-o-blog-da

By Melanie Nathan. July 18, 2012. At precisely noon today, South Africa sang Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela. Thousands of  school children sang in classrooms and South Africans walked out of stores onto the streets, as car radios blared, all singing in unison,  celebrating Nelson Mandela day. However this was a somber day for South […]

South Africa’s Gay Flag flies in London,  amidst the threat of revocation of equality and heightened violence precipitated by homophobia By Melanie Nathan, July 08, 2012. LONDON- More than 250000 people turned out to celebrate World Pride 2012 in London last Saturday (7 July) and marching in the crowd was The Gay Flag of South […]

A must watch moving video of South African lesbian activists calling on President Zuma to stop the slaughter By Melanie Nathan, July 05,2012. South African Traditional Leaders, under the leadership of MP Patekile Holomisa, comprised of members of Parliament and tribal chieftains, impart license to violence with their current parliamentary discussions to revoke equality and […]

South Africa must change its tune for LGBTI citizens The South African constitution should be used and enforced, not changed to freeze out gay and trans citizens, says lesbian human rights campaigner Melanie Nathan 03 July 2012 | By Melanie Nathan on GAYSTARNEWS Read the full Article…… CLICK HERE The truth is that, for over […]

No one could imagine the pain of losing a child, the victim of  a brutal murder, but worse yet being  murdered for how God made him. By Melanie Nathan, June 06, 2012. A  most heinous hate crime –  the story of a father and a son – the son who confided in his loving father, […]

Intolerance encourages violence as traditional leader chiefs try to rob LGBT South Africans of their entrenched constitutional rights –   Are the Traditional Leaders providing a license to rape lesbians? By Melanie Nathan, June 04, 2012. In September 2010 Nontsikelelo Tyatyeka a young 21 year old lesbian disappeared in Nyanga township, Cape town. Her body […]

DA Party Manny de Freitas calls protests Gay Pride Parade and Helen Zille remains silent by Melanie Nathan, May 22, 2012. Pursuant to nationwide protests in South Africa this weekend, the opposing Democratic Alliance (DA) party has failed to issue any official  press statement in support of the South African LGBTI community which held events […]

What happened to the Madibe and ANC assurance that all South Africans will be protected from persecution? Now SA Gays are under attack by members of the ANC. By Melanie Nathan, May 20, 2012. South Africans may have been surprised today as hundreds of people took to the streets of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg and […]

South African LGBT Community and allies marching to protect the South African Constitution By Melanie Nathan, May 19, 2012. Hundreds of people took to the streets of Johannesburg , Saturday, as the LGBTI community in South Africa today marched, protesting against the Traditional leaders of South Africa’s decision to review the rights of Lesbian Gay […]

By Melanie Nathan  May 18,2012, In many countries, around the world LGBTI people face harassment, intimidation, violence, ostracism, hate crimes, and even death, just because of their sexuality. Today at least 100 countries are commemorating International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia with meetings, praying, rallies and vigils – We are here at United Nations Plaza […]

This is about protecting the Constitution for ALL South Africans and so whether LGBTI or not, all South Africans should participate. By Melanie Nathan, May 16, 2012. A powerful and unified coalition of South African LGBTI groups have formed to promote nationwide marches to protest the House of Traditional Leaders to Parliament’s Constitutional Review Committee […]

We celebrate the founding principles of the new South Africa, a country that knows what courage means. : Democracy, Justice,  Equality, and  Human rights. By Melanie Nathan, May 14, 2012. While South African traditional leaders ignore South Africa’s importance in the world with their draconian ideals, as they question the validity of their own equality […]

Holomisa is saying that LGBTI people should not be protected by the Constitution because some people believe they are not entitled to those rights. He is forgetting that thinking is the very reason why their rights are so protected.

What remains is the question of what next – while traditionalists ought to have a voice in South Africa’s Parliament, they should be banned from sitting on committees where they have an inherent conflict of interest. Which means they should be excused from serving in positions where they risk impacting the entrenched rights of minorities such as gays, lesbians etc.

WATCH VIDEO The UN  human rights Commissioner’s view of gays vs traditionalist South African view of gays (LGBTI) By Melanie Nathan May 08, 2012 South Africa emerged from the Apartheid era with a “never again” zest; but now that fervor is being tested with members of the South African Parliament, who took oaths to uphold […]

By Melanie Nathan, May 07, 2012. South African ANC Member of Parliament  Nkosi Patekile Holomisa is in the hot seat; he is faced with a conflict of interest, a controversial issue and a remark that renders him unfit to serve in any elected and appointed positions. The comments followed a submission by the House of […]

Explanation and Comments by Mr. Gay South Africa By Melanie Nathan, May 07,2012. On Friday last week I reported that the  South African Constitution  has been lauded for its lead on the entrenchment of anti-discrimination rights that renders it one of the few in the world to protect sexual orientation and gender identity in its […]