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Hear Our Plea!
By Milestah
Submitted on 19 February, 2010 - 08:46
ShareThisAs part of the constitutional reform process currently underway in Zimbabwe, GALZ has produced a 15-minute documentary on LGBTI people calling for inclusion of their rights and recognition as citizens of Zimbabwe in the new Constitution.
The documentary, which is entitled Tinzweiwo (Hear our plea) is a plea to Zimbabweans who have always brushed the issues of homosexuality aside as non-existent or unnatural.
About 10 GALZ members are interviewed narrating their stories as gays and lesbians who were born and bred in Zimbabwe, and have not been influenced by any foreigners -- contrary to the myth that homosexuality is a Western import. Although most the interviews are in Shona, the video has English subtitles.
The rather heart-rending DVD also contains testimonies of homophobic experiences in the hands of family, society and law enforcement agencies. The members also highlight their reasons for advocating for the decriminalisation of homosexual acts as well as their call for an end to state-instigated homophobia. This has led to constant attacks and threats to gay and lesbian people who at times run the risk of being blackmailed once their sexuality is discovered.
This DVD will also be distributed as part of the sexual orientation indaba information pack to representatives from other NGOs, policy makers and members of some religious sects. Plans are also in the pipeline to submit copies of this DVD together with the GALZ submission, to the Constitutional Committee.
The current Zimbabwean Constitution brokered at the Lancaster House Conference in 1979, does not forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Under current Zimbabwean law, homosexuality is outlawed, and gays and lesbians can face jail time or heavy fines if prosecuted.
