Elections a volatile season for LGBTI community

Zimbabwe is a highly conservative society where the LGBTIQ community is widely stigmatized and seen as a violation of cultural and religious norms. Many people in Zimbabwe also view homosexuality as a Western import and reject it as a result.

The history of LGBTIQ people in Zimbabwe is epitomised by violence and discrimination emanating not only from cultural and religious factors but prominently from the political discourse of the country.

During his nearly four-decade-long rule, Zimbabwe’s late President Robert Mugabe issued a string of homophobic statements, at one time describing gays as “worse than pigs and dogs” and whose conduct “is condemned by nature”.

When members of the US Congress sent Mugabe a letter of protest, he told his Zanu PF party supporters: “Let the Americans keep their sodomy, bestiality, stupid and foolish ways to themselves, out of Zimbabwe … Let them be gay in the US, Europe and elsewhere … They shall be sad people here.”

Additionally, political parties and candidates have used derogatory language and made discriminatory statements against the LGBTIQ community during electoral campaigns to appeal to conservative voters, contributing to a hostile environment for LGBTIQ individuals. This has led to discrimination, harassment, and violence against sexual and gender minorities and has resulted in a lack of protection and support from authorities.

An analysis of GALZ violation reports from 2012 to 2017, which drew data from a total of 170 violations extracted from 104 actual cases, shows that the most common categories of violations are assault (19%), threats (15%), blackmail (15%), and being outed (11%).

Some LGBTIQ members have reported voter coercion in rural and peri-urban areas. These violations have had a profound impact on the lives of LGBTIQ individuals in Zimbabwe, causing fear, trauma, and in some cases, physical harm.

The periods have also been coupled with unlawful detention, disownment, displacement and invasion of privacy. The number of violations reported is just the tip of the iceberg in relation to the many other incidences that go unreported due to intimidation and fear of discrimination.

GALZ has developed an Elections Manifesto, after conducting a survey to identify the key priorities of its community during this season. According to the Manifesto, nearly 70% person of LGBTI citizens are concerned about safety and security, appealing to the government and law enforcement to ensure that all citizens feel safe from violence and discrimination before, during and after the elections.

Get the Manifesto here: https://dochub.com/comms-txl7g7/Xv7zYW5RnljYvlpV2A9egx/zim-lgbtiq-general-elections-manifesto-1-pdf?pg=2

Issued by GALZ