BOTSWANA’S OWN MISS CALIFORNIA
Sumaiyah Marope, a business student from Gaborone, has been crowned Miss Botswana 2009 despite her anti-gay comments.
During the pageant earlier this month, celebrity judge DJ Fresh asked Marope what she thought of gay marriage. She replied: “It is an unnatural act. God made us men and women… It is only proper for men to have relationships with women as God created us.”
The crowd erupted in cheers of approval, and Marope went on to win the contest. The incident was similar to one in which a recent Miss USA contestant, Miss California Carrie Prejean, was also asked her opinion on same-sex marriage.
Prejean’s response against gay marriage is thought to have led to her not winning the Miss USA crown and instead being chosen as the runner up. Her continued anti-gay comments since the event could see her lose her runner-up title.
Sumaiyah will represent her country at the Miss World 2009 competition, which will be held in Johannesburg on 12 December 2009.
Homosexual sex is illegal in Botswana, with penalties including a seven year jail term. It was recently reported that two members of the Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana Organisation (LEGABIBO) have given the government notice that they will sue it for discrimination.
Prisca Mogapi and Caine Youngman intend to go to court over section 164 of the penal code, which criminalises same-sex relations.
In 2007 the country’s Registrar of Societies dismissed an application seeking to register LEGABIBO, stating that the organisation might be used for unlawful purposes.
….. Pity there are no laws that make her illegal for being naturally what she is: ignorant & dumb.
I hope she trips & falls at the Ms. World Competition. Maybe her and Ms. California can get together and twitter their opinions to other mindless twits who follow such boring and mundane pageants. Climb down from your moral pedestal and get a real job for God’s sake.
Ama afrika. I hate Africa and will leave as soom as Im financially independent. I hope it always stays poverty stricken and illness infeted for the rest of time. How was that for my opinion? Oh and she’s not even pretty. She looks like the lady who works in our kitchen…
Ama afrika. I hate Africa and will leave as soon as Im financially independent. I hope it always stays poverty stricken and illness infected for the rest of time. How was that for my opinion? Oh and she’s not even pretty. She looks like the lady who works in our kitchen…
Sam…. Your comment is rather narrow-minded… you do realise that her anti-homosexual attitude isn’t only limited to Africans. Miss California did, after all, also express similar sentiments towards gays. You can move elsewhere, but you’ll always find bigots like this.
It is sad that public figures/celebrities are able to express such antiquated opinions about things like homosexuality and yet still be voted in as winners of a pageant or other high statures. It almost in a sense validates what they say, and in effect hampers the efforts of gay rights activists and such.
Pikachu, I simply stated something as hate-infested as she did. I’m very much aware of bigots all over the world, but Africa is 400 years behind the rest of the world on way too many levels and that is something I will not associate my self with. I am not an African and I am ashamed to live on this continent! This is just another perfect example why…