Statement of the Joint Working Group:

The Congress of Traditional Leaders challenge of the clause in the South African Constitution that protects sexual orientation

The Joint Working Group, which represents the formal sector of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Community in South Africa, writes in protest of the suggested changes to the Constitution as proposed by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa). The JWG also calls on the ANC to do more than just distance itself from the statements of ANC MP Patekile Holomisa who, coincidentally, not only chairs Contralesa, but is also the Chair of the Constitutional Review Committee, which considers all public proposals for amendments to the Constitution.

In 2011, the House of Traditional Leaders submitted a proposal to the Constitutional Review Committee of the National Assembly to amend Section 9 of the Constitution, which protects many minorities from unfair discrimination, specifically targeting the clause that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Why now has this committee considered a proposal that will erode the rights of a significant percentage of the population? And referred it to the political parties for review? This has never happened before. A recent Die Burger report notes that Holomisa has confirmed that in 17 years the Constitutional Review Committee has rejected all public proposals for amendments to the Constitution.

This is not the only assault planned on the Constitution by Conrtralesa using the vague arguments of ‘tradition’ and ‘culture’. The proposed Traditional Courts Bill too, is an unconscionable effort to erode the rights of South African citizens, particularly women. This Bill would centralise executive, administrative and judicial powers in one person. The constitutionality of certain sections of this proposed Bill are already being challenged by civil society.

The Daily Dispatch reports that the Contralesa leader in the Eastern Cape, Xolile Ndevu, has denied the existence of LGBTIQ people. In his jumbled defence of the Traditional Courts Bill he has said that gays and lesbians have nothing to fear from the traditional courts as traditional leaders want nothing to do with homosexuality.

Where is the sense in this when increasing levels of gender-based violence, particularly against black lesbians and transgender people, has resulted in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development setting up a government-led task team to investigate these crimes and how they are dealt within the criminal justice system.

In the first instance, Holomisa should have recused himself from the Constitutional Review Committee. As he did not, the process is already flawed. Regardless, it continues apace. We are dealing with Conservatives, who resist change, and use the excuse of culture and tradition to perpetuate their sexist, misogynist, classist, and patriarchal agenda.

We call on the Government to immediately intervene and put an end to this process

For further comment please contact:

Following its phenomenal success at Syracuse Stage in Central New York, the powerful drama The Brothers Size by one of America’s hottest young award-winning literary voices, Tarrel Alvin McCraney, comes to the Baxter Flipside for three weeks only from 18 May to 9 June at 7pm nightly.

Timothy Bond directs the cast, featuring Rodrick Covington, Sam Encarnación and Elijah Joshua Reese, with set and costume design by Jessica Ford, lighting by Mannie Manim, sound design and composition by Michael G. Keck and choreography by Patdro Harris.

This production is an American-South African collaboration between the Baxter Theatre Centre, the Market Theatre in Johannesburg, Mannie Manim Productions and Syracuse Stage, with support from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation and the American Embassy in South Africa.

The Brothers Size has been hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “the greatest piece of writing by an American playwright under 30 in a generation or more.” The New York Times said, “Listen closely, and you might hear that thrilling sound that is one of the main reasons we go to the theatre, that beautiful music of a new voice.”

This hot-blooded drama laced with music is well placed to usher in the Cape winter as it swirls together Louisiana bayou and West African mythology in an unforgettable theatrical event that will leave audiences breathless.

The play deals with the relationship between the two Size brothers Oshoosi and Ogun, on very different paths, who live in the bayou section of Louisiana, and it uses character names that represent West African deities. Although it is possible to follow the play without knowing this, it adds resonance to the events taking place in the story while the poetic language and evocative music further heightens the emotional tension inherent in these relationships.

Essential metaphoric elements are deeply rooted in this simple contemporary tale, which combines humour and heartbreak, about what unites and divides the two brothers. Biblical and West African mythology and ritual are craftily woven into the layers and textures of the story.

Oshoosi (played by Covington), the younger sibling, is the ‘black sheep’ recently released from prison and taken into the care of his elder brother Ogun (Reese), an auto mechanic, who tries to instill the value of hard work and help to get him back on the right path. However, when ex-con Elegba (Encarnación), who ‘looked after’ Oshoosi while he was in prison, rocks up, the brotherhood is threatened.

Critics have raved about the production and the performances when it opened at Syracuse Stage recently. One reviewer called it “A Masterpiece of Modern Theater”, while another said “This early work from a playwright with a bright future is bound to become a modern American classic.” Others have described it as a “riveting and brilliant play” and “explodes with action and emotion.” Further praise came in the form of “Directed to stunning and powerful effect by Timothy Bond”, and “Each actor delivered a rock-solid performance and deftly portrayed their characters’ complexities and motivations.”

The play is the second of McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy, all set in the Louisiana Projects and all exploring Yorùbán mythology.

Thirty-two-year-old McCraney is an award-winning American playwright and actor. He is a member of Teo Castellanos/D Projects Theater Company in Miami and in 2008 became RSC/Warwick International Playwright in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company. In April 2010, McCraney became the 43rd member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble.

Timothy Bond is the Producing Artistic Director at Syracuse Stage, which is the theatre-in-residence at the Syracuse University and is Central New York’s premier professional theatre. Since 1974 it has offered an adventurous mix of new plays and bold interpretations of classics and musicals.

Former Baxter CEO and award-winning lighting designer Mannie Manim is responsible for overseeing the South African tour.

The Brothers Size previews at the Baxter Flipside on Friday, 18 May, opens on Saturday, 19 May and runs for three weeks only until 9 June, at 7pm nightly.

Ticket prices range from R90 (Mondays), R110 (preview) to R130 (Tuesday to Thursday) and R150 on Fridays and Saturdays. Booking is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000, online at www.computicket.com or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For discounted corporate, block charities and fundraisers, contact Sharon Ward on 021 680 3962 or email sharon.ward@uct.ac.za.

After its run at the Baxter Flipside, The Brothers Size transfers to the Market Theatre from 14 June to 1 July.

For further media enquiries, pic or interview requests contact Fahiem Stellenboom on 021 680 3971, cell 072 2656 023, email fahiem.stellenboom@uct.ac.za or Alethea Patterson Cordiglia on 021 680 3974 or email alethea.patterson-cordiglia@uct.ac.za.

For more information visit:

• www.baxter.co.za;
• www.facebook.com/BaxterTheatre;
• www.twitter.com/BaxterTheatre
• www.syracusetosouthafrica.org

Here are some of the reviews and responses to the run at Syracuse Stage:

CNY Café Momus

“Directed to stunning and powerful effect by Timothy Bond.”

“Riveting and brilliant play.”

“Explodes with action and emotion.”

“Lets us see into the inherent nobility of some human souls.”

“A brilliant play, and a powerful one as well.”

“A powerful and touching production.”

Daily Orange

“Raw emotion, subtle staging set heavy tone for gripping genre.”

“Entrancing performances and gut-wrenching emotion make the play an unapologetic and realistic exploration of the enormous difficulties faced by prisoners and their families once their sentences end.”

“Each actor delivered a rock-solid performance and deftly portrayed their characters’ complexities and motivations.”

“A bare, honest and risky play that needed a small yet passionate cast to succeed, and they did so with ease.”

“This play isn’t for theatergoers looking for big production value and pizazz but for those who want a pure show driven by committed performances that don’t pull any punches.”

GreenRoomReviews.com

“A Masterpiece of Modern Theater.”

“The play’s kinetic energy is evident from moment one.”

“Each member of this small cast commits to his character with veracity.”

“Rodrick Covington shines as Oshoosi. He embodies every paradox of childhood; he is troublesome yet endearing, lazy yet carefree, confident yet helplessly adrift. Covington’s facial expressions and genuine reactions reveal all of these subtleties. His is a performance you won’t soon forget.”

“Jessica Ford’s scenic design revels in beautiful simplicity.”

“This early work from a playwright with a bright future is bound to become a modern American classic.”

The Post-Standard

“The play’s themes (like all drama of quality) are universal in nature, and these deal with family relationships, responsibility, discipline, temptation, and the struggle between good and evil.”

It happens in New York, it happens in Cape Town.

On 17 May, International Anti-Homophobia Day, Bo Petersen, Nicole Franco, Rachel Wood, Pope Jerrod, Mwenya Kabwe, Carl Beukes and Edward Serrano invite you to join us for a FREE staged reading of “Stop Kiss.” Following the play there will be a discussion with the theatre and social activist community, including Jay Pather and Melanie Judge.

We would love your participation.

For full details, download the Press Release.

With valuable and much appreciated support from the Goethe Institut, OIA will organise two Satellite Festivals in 2012 – Kimberley and East London, where constituted LGBTIQ organisations are involved. The 2012 Satellite logistics and costs have proved to be an even greater challenge with less available budget than in previous years. OIA seeks real partnerships with its existing Satellite local organizers which entails those organisations assisting in raising funds towards transport, venue hire and catering.

What is the point of a relationship with an expiry date? To quell the loneliness, I answer.

Jo, a professional photographer, and Leigh, a pop singer meet in Johannesburg. Shortly afterwards both their lives fall apart.

After a bitter family fight, Jo is cut off from her niece and nephew. It is this loss that frames her views and informs much of her work that is to follow. She flees to London, where she bumps into Leigh again.

With Leigh’s encouragement Jo exhibits her photography in a London gallery. She becomes close to the two-year old son of the gallery owner, which opens up old wounds.

Leigh has her own demons to fight, but a romance nevertheless develops between the two, even though they both know Leigh’s relationships rarely lasts longer than three months. Can the love between them survive? The old fashioned courtship that follows forms the core of this novel which will holds the attention of the reader to the last page.

Warrington manages to photograph that which is not there. The empty spaces ask the viewer to see what the camera cannot. In Oktober Warrington does the same with text. – Izak de Vries.

B) ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Warrington and her spouse are both photographers living in Johannesburg. Some of ‘s photographs form an integral part of her debut novel. She will shortly exhibit her second solo show.

C) LAUNCHES

1. Stellenbosch

2012 Stellenbosch Woordfees
Erfurt House
7 March 2012, 10am

2. Johannesburg

Love Books, Melville
14 March 2012, 5:30 for 6pm
RSVP to 011 726 7498 / kate@lovebooks.co.za
Love Books, The Bamboo Centre, 53 Rustenburg Road, Melville
GPS: 26º 10′ 27,64″ S 28º 0′ 49, 66″ E

3. Out in Africa Book Signing – JHB

Hyde Park Nu Metro
24 March, 6pm onwards

I will do a short introduction before the 6pm screening of the fabulous film Kiss me and be around for a book signing afterwards. For more info on the film and the OIA festival visit www.oia.o.za.

But guys and girls, if we want OIA to continue delighting us with films from
across the globe, we need to put our money where our mouths are. Have a look
at the 8333 campaign!

D) DETAILS

TITLE: Oktober
AUTHOR: Warrington
GENRE: Fiction
PRICE: R160,00 (VAT included)
RELEASE DATE: March 2012
ISBN: 978-1-86919-547-2
PAGES: 224
PHOTOGRAPHS: 20 page photo section containing colour photographs

E) SUPPORT UP TO THIS POINT

www.joostenberg.co.za
www.oia.co.za

MORE INFO:

The first seminar takes place in Jozi at the Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking on Tuesday 25 October from 10am to 12 midday. It would be beneficial for all who attend to have seen her film, which screens on Saturday 22 at 8.15pm at Nu Metro Hyde Park. There is a second screening of Pariah, after the seminar, on the evening of Tuesday 25 October at 7pm.

In Cape Town, also at the Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking, on Thursday 27 October from 10am to 12 midday, Dee Rees will conduct a second seminar for film students and interested members of the public. Pariah screens the night before the seminar at 8.30pm on Wednesday 26 October at the Nu Metro V&A cinemas. The second and last screening of Pariah, in Cape Town, is at 8.45pm on Friday 28 October.

Entrance to the seminars is free but it will be necessary to book. Please contact Arthur Mataruse art@oia.co.za to secure your place. Directions to Big Fish in both Jozi and CT are below.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

By Manuel Puig
Presented by Yellow Bunny Productions in association with the Joburg Theatre

Set in a turbulent future, Kiss of the Spider Woman is a scorching tale of forbidden love. Imprisoned for his revolutionary ideals, Valentin (Garth Collins) is placed in a cell with Molina (Brian Webber), a window dresser, imprisoned for gross indecency.

Throughout this much celebrated and acclaimed play the elusive spider woman weaves her web of enchantment. In order to pass the time and in a desperate yearning to escape their dismal confines, Molina narrates a classic film to his fellow inmate. At first, Valentin reluctantly listens to Molina’s narration of the melodramatic romance, and criticizes him for indulging in escapist fantasies rather than in political activism. But cell walls cannot contain the imagination, and Valentin finds himself irrevocably drawn to the story, and unknowingly, to Molina himself. Over the course of their confinement, through their shared ordeals, the two men fall in love and ultimately become lovers.

Directed by Lynne Maree, and featuring production design by Wilhelm Disbergen, Kiss of the Spider Woman will run at the Joburg Theatre from 26 October until 6 November 2011.

http://www.kissofthespiderwoman.org

After an absence of almost two decades from the recording scene, Heather Mac returns with a new album – Within

Booking is now open at Computicket for the launch concert at 9.00pm on Saturday 9th April

ONE NIGHT ONLY – FEATURING

Percussion and vocals: Tonia Selley
Guitars: Mark Harris, Tim Parr, Willem Moller
Bass: Ian Cohen, Peter Stein
Flutes and sax: Chris Tokalon
Drums: Kevin Gibson
Violin/viola: Terrence Scarr

Check out www.heathermac.co.za to watch the video of “Autumn”

Dear Friends

Please attend an emergency meeting today on the 14th of March to address South Africa’s opposition to a statement on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity to be issued by the UN Human Rights Council. On the 21st of March, 2011, the council will be delivering a joint statement on ending violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

This historic statement affirms the need to end violence and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It does not seek to create new rights but simply states that existing human rights standards should apply to all human beings, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

All states have been called upon to endorse the statement by no later than the 18th of March, of which 58 have already demonstrated their support. South Africa has however neglected to endorse the statement, something which is particularly concerning given the South African Constitution’s commitment to upholding the rights of all gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex people.

We have learnt that South Africa’s representative is not only refusing to sign-on to the statement but actively campaigning against the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity statement.

We request the attendance of LGBTI and related organisations at a meeting to discuss an appeal to the South African government to demonstrate its commitment to the human rights of all people and to endorse the HRC’s statement.

The meeting is to be held on Monday, the 14th of March at 4PM in the meeting room of Natural Justice, 6th floor of the Mercantile Building in 63 Hout Street, Cape Town.

The agenda for the meeting will be as follows:

1. Briefing
2. Mobilisation
3. Legal Action
4. Media

Your support will be appreciated in addressing this urgent matter.

Thanks.

Fritz Jooste & Zackie Achmat

In 1985 at age 52, after 22 years in the notorious Pretoria Central prison, Goldberg was released and went into exile in London where he continued to work for the ANC. His memoir, The Mission – A life for freedom in South Africa, was published recently.

It is an honour for Out In Africa to welcome a man of passion and compassion to open the Festival in Cape Town on Thursday 21 October in Cape Town.

In Johannesburg, on Thursday 14 October the Festival will be opened by Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, Director of the Legal Resources Centre’s Constitutional Litigation Unit and a member of the Executive Committee of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC).

Ngcukaitobi is an advocate with qualifications in law and politics from the Universities of Transkei (BA-LLB), Rhodes (LLM) and the London School of Economics (LLM). He writes regularly for academic journals on the questions of human rights, labour law and administrative law. He has served as a clerk at the Constitutional Court and is a former partner of Bowman Gilfillan.

Denis Goldberg was the guest speaker at the launch of CASAC on 16 September 2010 at the Lilliesleaf Farm, famous for the raid that led to the Rivonia Treason Trial.

For more information on CASAC visit http://www.casac.org.za/ and http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2010-09-17-casac-the-new-voice-of-constitutional-reason-in-south-africa