Mmusi Maimane forced to defend views on gay rights
Mmusi Maimane
The DA’s new leader, Mmusi Maimane, has been forced to defend his position on LGBT rights.
Maimane’s views on LGBT equality and same-sex marriage have been questioned after it was recently revealed that he is a pastor at an anti-gay church.
His Liberty Church views gays and lesbians as sick sinners and marriage as only being possible between a man and woman.
While Maimane has insisted that he does not personally share these views, he did in at least one 2014 sermon appear to suggest that gay people, along with Muslims, are sinners who can be saved through Christianity.
In a recent televised debate, Maimane asserted his support for same-sex marriage but also said that, if the public demanded it, he would agree to a referendum on the issue.
On Tuesday, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini claimed in Parliament that Maimane does not support LGBT rights and asked him to explain his stance.
The question was undeniably opportunistic. The ANC-led government has a particularly spotty record when it comes to responding to LGBT abuses in Africa and in effectively tackling hate crimes at home.
After being accused of misleading Parliament by the DA, Bathabile told the media on Wednesday that she stood by her statement, citing last week’s Mambaonline report.
“To confirm the veracity of my statement, I refer you to an article posted on Mambaonline which outlines the views of the DA’s leader on the matter. This article cites a sermon delivered by the DA leader who is a pastor at the Liberty Church,” said Bathabile.
“The article quotes Mr Maimane as suggesting gays, lesbians and muslims as sinners or ill who can be healed by the church. This is the source of what I said. It is up to the DA and Mr Maimane to clarify this issue. It smacks of homophobia and religious bigotry.”
Maimane told eNCA in response: “I support gay rights. I’ve always upheld… I’ve always believed that gay South Africans must be entitled to civil unions – to the rights that any married heterosexual couple must have.”
During Wednesday’s highly publicised #AskMmusi Twitter Town Hall session, the topic once again came up. Maimane was asked by Anna-Marie de Vos (@kraaibos): “What is your personal opinion on homosexuality?”
He replied: “I support the rights of gay people as espoused in the Constitution.”
While the DA’s rising star insists that he backs LGBT equality and same-sex civil unions, he doesn’t appear to believe that these unions should be defined as marriage, fully equivalent to heterosexual marriage. It’s a widely held view among many Christians.
In an interview with Business Day he asserted “that marriage and civil unions are distinct”. In other words, gay couples are not deserving of full marriage equality. This remains a contentious issue that he needs to be called out on and asked to explain.
Now in the full glare of the spotlight, Maimane will find it increasingly difficult to maintain his identity as pastor of an openly homophobic church separate from that as the leader of the liberal opposition party. A party that’s actively courted the LGBT vote.
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Nope…..move on from this one! The picture would have been different if one could notice change in attitude on the matter with time but if you look at the broader picture on his stance as a whole it simply does not seem like a man growing and changing his opinion through time. It does however seem as if he is great at being a politician by back tracking on some and forgetting what he previously said or felt on others! The fact that he is a Pastor and a Politician simply does not gel in my books. Having a religion is one thing…..but being in a position where you can want to enforce your views on others from a powerful platform simply sound like a recipe for disaster. And I am sure every true Christian out there would love to see their leader, a so called true Christian, at the helm of their party but still, it alienates many others from a specific political party. If you stand on your church podium in 2014 preaching against homosexuality it means that you are as a politician trying to enforce your personal/church believe on others! I see those 2 as going hand in hand. I am interested in the Democratic Alliances’ views and what “IT” stands for…..personally I care NOTHING for Mmusi’s hateful personal views. In my opinion he can shut his mouth on ANY of his personal views and only open his mouth when he talks about what the DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE stands for!
Agreed Xuan. I’ve been an avid DA supporter for MANY years but now my support is getting a little shaky. We’ve come too far as a community to allow someone to pull us back several notches. He needs to drop the political act and let us know where he truly stands on this issue.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, mambaonline.
Personally though gay, I don’t give a fig for gay marriage. A civil union is good enough -I don’t WISH to emulate a heterosexual marriage nor do I wish to have a Christian marriage. It’s for the birds in my opinion.
But some people do and they should have that right, the same as others
Looks as though this guy has a lot in common with our current president; both change their rhetoric according to the audience to whom they speak. You have squandered my vote DA, you are no longer a party supporting democratic principals and values. You will not get my vote again!
And then who will you vote for?
I feel like the DA is the only party that is gay and lesbian-friendly. Mmusi may be their new leader but do his beliefs reflect that of his party?? That’s the question we need to have clarified come voting time
I shudder to say it, but at least the ANC helped usher in the very equality we are enjoying today, and are making a clear statement as to where they stand on this issue, regardless of what a few in party bigots in their own ranks may say or believe. I think the community needs serious clarification from Mmusi so as to be put at ease.
The LGBT community should stop blaming… why don’t we have our own political party – to speak with our own voice… I’m tired of being marginalized by the heterosexual community. We should stand up and fight for our own rights!
A referendum? Since when do we allow the majority decide the rights of a minority. Say what you want about the ANC but they knew this wasn’t right, hence our constitution.
If the DA wants to go down this route then I will definitely re-evaluate my vote with them.
Although interesting, both this article and the one cited in this link are very naive and ill-informed. Civil Unions in SA as per the Civil Union Act of 2007 are given the exact same rights and constitutional protections as civil marriages. The act also goes so far as to say that couples in civil unions are to decide to refer to their union as a civil union or civil marriage.
What we should be questioning more clearly is the position of the DA with regards to larger LGBTIA/Queer issues, like corrective rape and homeless LGBTIQ /Queer youth etc.
Let’s not be mistaken that Maimane’s, bigoted and extremely antiquated views, on a constitutionally protected right, will change the recognition of that right. The DA would require a 2 thirds majority to amend the Constitution, and let’s face it a privileged elitist party will never come close to those numbers. Especially not with an obvious attempt to try and fool the public into thinking they are diverse and embody the spirit of democracy by appointing a new ‘black’ face to their party.
Nice try DA, but no cigar.