Local and global homophobes gather in Cape Town to attack same-sex families
Brian Brown, President of IOF (Twitter)
Anti-gay zealots from around the world have met in South Africa to issue a declaration opposing same-sex marriage and families.
The World Congress of Families Regional Conference took place last week at The Westin hotel in Cape Town; the city that’s often dubbed Africa’s gay capital.
The event was hosted by the recently formed International Organisation for the Family (IOF), an offshoot of the notoriously homophobic World Congress of Families; designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center in the US.
The conference saw the launch (appallingly, on International Human Rights Day) of the IOF’s “Cape Town Declaration“. The manifesto has been signed by hundreds who view same-sex marriage as an aberration that’s a threat to “traditional” families and humanity in general.
The document affirms “healthy marriages” as “the conjugal bond of man and woman” and commits the signatories to “firmly resisting every push to redefine marriage: to include same-sex or group bonds, or sexually open or temporary ones.”
The declaration, clearly seeking to find favour in countries in which homosexuality is seen as a foreign import, also rails against the “cultural imperialism of Western powers whose governments seek nothing less than the ideological colonisation of the family”.
Brian Brown, President of IOF, commented to right-wing site Breitbart News: “Forcing the agenda of same-sex ‘marriage’ on nations by manipulation of foreign aid or the like is a deplorable practice.”
His statement is a blatant distortion that continues to be perpetuated by anti-LGBT campaigners. There is no evidence of any country using the threat of withdrawing foreign aid to force acceptance of same-sex marriage rights on another country, anywhere in the world.
The declaration concludes with the statement: “Bowing to no earthly power, using every just measure, we shall not falter or flag until the truth about marriage is embraced in our laws and honoured in our lands.”
Among the international participants and organisers was South African’s very own Errol Naidoo, the Cape Town based crusader against LGBTI equality and leader of the Family Policy Institute.
Naidoo has long been a thorn in the LGBTI community’s side. He’s warned against “the gay agenda”, lobbied against same-sex marriage and the Pink Loerie Festival in Knysna and slammed Cape Town city authorities for supporting the annual MCQP queer party.
In 2012, Naidoo was widely slated for cynically linking the “death culture” he said was perpetuated by gays and lesbians with the massacre of 34 protesting miners in Marikana.
Another prominent South African who attended the event was the Reverend Kevin Meshoe, head of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).
Nigeria’s Ambassador Uche Ajulu-Okeke signs the declaration (Twitter)
The ACDP is known for its anti-gay views. The party previously blocked LGBT-affirming motions in Parliament and voted against the passage of the Civil Union Bill that legalised same-sex marriage in 2006.
Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa, Uche Ajulu-Okeke, shamefully also took part in the conference; a sign of disrespect to South Africa’s laws and its Constitution. Speaking to Vanguard, she warned that, “Youths should be sensitised on the dangers of homosexuality”.
Ajulu-Okeke went on to claim: “Many Nigerian youths abroad are now becoming gay because of economic inducement, either to legalise their documents or to get jobs and they bring back diseases like HIV/AIDS back to the country.”
Hendrik Baird, Station Manager of GaySA Radio, told Mambaonline that he was appalled that The Westin hotel had hosted the conference.
“After so many South African businesses refused to host Pastor Anderson when he was about to visit South Africa earlier this year, it is really disappointing that a known hate group is being hosted by a respected hotel in Cape Town,” he said.
“This raises the questions of if LGBTI people should choose to stay at that hotel in future,” Baird added.
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The Westin Hotel has made the choice, I hope that no LGBTI would stay there.
Thank you for the article. Please ask The Weston to comment/respond/explain.
The Westin, I mean. ☺️
I am a past employee at The Westin and know, for a fact that, they would NEVER have allowed this. My assumption is that the booking was made on behalf of these organisers or under a different pretence. All staff and management at The Westin are very proud of THEIR hotel and it would be a sad day if people associated The Westin with this absolute ludicrous topic of discussion!
Keep in mind that I have absolutely nothing to gain from my comments and feel that people who read this, should know facts before making decisions about the hotel.
@ Robert, I’m pretty sure a formal statement will be released but find it odd that you would make that request considering the topic of discussion. Is that not far more disturbing to you than where it was held?
Yes, we should hold companies and venues accountable who wittingly or unwittingly host these gatherings. But they are not who our main fight should be with. They make easy scapegoats because they have social media and care about their image, but our fight should be against those who organise these events and those who attend them. Because if they really wanted a place to hold their conference, they would find it. What actions can we take against the IOF and the likes of Errol Naidoo and the Family Policy Institute and the ACDP, etc. That should be our focus. Thoughts?
Why don’t you publish my comment of 15December2016, administrator, its been awaiting moderation for more than 24hrs, or are you afraid of publishing comments that hit home too hard and objectively? Anyhoooo, whoever is moderating, well is point made
Soooo, it’s ok for a political party that misrepresents its electorate whose leader is both a philanderer and polygamist be permitted to use Westin as a venue?
Gay couples just want to get on with their lives – not interfere every one else’s lives. I’d rather have a married gay president than Zuma any day.
What a bunch of hateful, loser fuckers!!!!
SHAME ON SOUTH AFRICA!!! Twice this country has refused to grant a visa to the DALAI LAMA but this bunch of hate mongers were all allowed into a country that, nominally at least, guarantees LGBTI rights in its Constitution!
Apt pseudonym, Mamba Writer! Which raises the question, Hendrik, How is this not Hate Speech?? Your poison has clearly worked, MW, if you look @Vic’s response. Mission accomplished!
The threat to these families and members is one word – Inheritance !!!
To all LGBTI groups make your wills valid today – dont wait !!!! so that all families that have gay persons will not inherit if it is your choice ?
Without a valid will families automatically inherit – the High Court Judgements that LGBTI persons inherit refers to the party that took application to the High Court and does not protect everyone- if an LGBTI persons deceased estate is intestate an application needs to be taken to this court, which costs thousands of Rands, never mind all the trauma of loosing a loved one and vultures landing on your roof. The Master of the High Courts Deceased Estates act has not been amended since the Gory Judgement in 2006 – what a joke !!! and guess what nothing is been done about it !!! – Protection by the Constitution – another joke ! 22 years later – the other joke – why should the Constitution not be in place to protect LGBTI persons since 1994 or soon afterwards. Once again a reminder – make your will – do not wait it is your choice who should inherit !!!
Why are these people entitled to their own opinions? There’s a lot more to this than opposing Gay marriage. I challenge you to look into this further, and not just be offended and offensive before judging.