Profile of GALZ

GALZ was formed in 1990 with a membership of around 70 largely white, middle class people. In the first five years it set up a counselling hotline, explored ways of challenging homophobic laws and started HIV/AIDS campaigns.

Having failed to get its counselling advert published and finding itself under attack by government, GALZ decided to enter the 1995 Zimbabwe International Book Fair which had as its theme that year ‘Human Rights and Justice’. Government banned GALZ from participating but the publicity surrounding the attacks on gays and lesbians by the President threw GALZ into the limelight both locally and internationally.

In 1996, GALZ applied again to be at the Book Fair. As expected, government imposed a ban but GALZ took the government to court and won the right to participate.

Thanks to the publicity surrounding the Book Fairs, by 1997, GALZ had changed drastically from being a largely white, middle class social club to an activist organisation truly representative of the social mix of Zimbabwe.

In 1998, GALZ again caused controversy when it applied to participate at the Padare of the 8th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches which took place in Harare in December.

In 1999, GALZ participated in two processes towards producing a new national constitution for Zimbabwe, one led by the National Constitutional Assembly (which GALZ had joined in 1997); the other being the government-led Constitutional Commission. Although GALZ failed to have the phrase ‘sexual orientation’ included in the government’s proposed constitution, the phrase ‘natural difference or condition’ was widely interpreted to include gay and lesbian people. The constitution was rejected in a referendum in 2000, not because it protected gays but because it did not reflect the wishes of the people.

Since 2000, GALZ has become somewhat quieter and has avoided its issue being used as a red herring for the real woes in this country around good governance. Besides, the organisation does not excite public fervour as it once did and with the deteriorating economic situation, GALZ now focuses more attention on assisting its members to improve their social and economic status.

The two major programming areas in GALZ are gender and health. The Gender Department is responsible for ensuring the visibility of women at all levels within the organisation and in positions of leadership. The Health Department focuses much of its attention on matters of HIV/AIDS and offers access to affordable treatment for all members living with HIV or AIDS.

In 2002, GALZ launched its Affinity Group programme which, to date, has seen the establishment of a centre in Bulawayo and a number of organised activities in Mutare and Masvingo.

More information about GALZ and its activities may be found on the GALZ website www.galz.co.zw.