KAROO TOWN UP IN ARMS OVER GAY FESTIVAL
Plans to hold a gay festival in the Karoo town of Oudtshoorn have been met with outrage by the town’s church leaders, reports the Sunday Times.
Municipal employee Rodney Gelant recently announced his plans to organise a festival in Oudtshoorn along the lines of the Pink Loerie Festival in Knysna and has applied for funding and sponsorship.
Pastor Kobus van Zyl of the Apostolic Faith Mission Klein Karoo Congregation, however, denounced the plans in a letter published by the local newspaper.
“We as a church condemn a parade or festival that celebrates homosexuality in public … We ask that the hosting of a gay festival in Oudtshoorn be reconsidered and strongly opposed,” wrote Van Zyl.
The letter, which was backed by four other church leaders, also described homosexuality as “a horror.”
Gelant told the Sunday Times that he was “expecting that letter” but that “it was still a bit of a shock.”
He added: “See, I’m also a Christian and I go to church. I’m conferring with someone on how I shall respond to these dominees.”
Van Zyl also spoke to the newspaper, saying: “We don’t want to debate the matter. We just feel that it is fair that we, as churches, also get the chance to air our views.”
My my my but are we bigoted…
f**k them, im getting so sick of bible bashers and their warped views, utter c**ts
And this from the town that gave the world fabulous feathers! What are we to make of that erect steeple unashamedly poking the sky? Grow up Pastor Van Zyl; you do your congregants no favours with your bigoted views.
Leave that backward town and welcome Knysna – let them have their KkNK tent brigade and we will spent our pink rands in Knysna.
These dominees should be reminded that they live in a Democracy and not under Apartheid anymore. I, as a moffie, would like to smack these men silly!
I find that all these churches play martyr with their “we would like a chance to be heard too” comments. If anything they should be restricted, publicity is the least any church needs. They should be concentrating their efforts on creating a less JUDGE-FILLED society… Hypocrites.
The funny thing is that the KKNK is already such a gay festival, the hundreds of gays that attend are just too overshadowed by the thousands of inbreds that also love the trashier parts of the fest. These gays include half of the singers and actors who stay closeted to keep their “tannie” fanbase.
It comes as know suprise how these dick-head overun churches Christianity has a ‘come as u are’ policy to everyone because Christ came for everybody. Sadly these assholes who are raping the word of God didn’t read the fine print. U don’t stay a bigeot or a hate monger using the pulpit, then u become The devil’s bitch insteas of the servant of The Lord
oh well , it gives some excitement to their sorry existence
I am a 21 year old gay man that did my high school years in Oudtshoorn and I fully support the idea to have a gay festival in Oudtshoorn. In fact I think every little “dorp” on the planet should have an annual gay festival. Because, without talking about how I experienced being gay in Oudtshoorn, I believe that the drama humanity has with homosexuality is purely because they’re not exsposed to it. And my intention is not to convince them they’re wrong, only to educate. Everybody knows knowledge is power.
This last Christmas I saw my 13 year old brother holding hands with his girlfriend in front of my family – something as simple as holding the hand of the person you love openly in front of your family.. Something I am yet to experience – simply because I grew up in a community that are uneducated. under-exposed and to be quite frank, out-dated.
I would be the first to take my Drag Show to a gay festival in Oudtshoorn!!
I miss feeling at home in my hometown!
Samantha Knight