
Conservatives fight plans for LGBTIQ learners in South AfricaGroups in South Africa are intensifying efforts to prevent the education department from creating safer environments for LGBTIQ learners.
by The Conversation
24-11-2022 10:00
in LGBTQIA
The groups are zeroing in on two elements of the guidelines to stoke panic. These are the provision of unisex toilets, which would not replace existing single-sex toilets, and the elimination of gender pronouns. Photo: PEXELS
Advocacy groups in South Africa are intensifying their efforts to prevent the country's education department from creating safer environments for children of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. Some of the advocacy groups have ties to conservative US Christian groups.
--
Representing conservative organisations, Freedom of Religion South Africa, the Family Policy Institute, the African Christian Democratic Party and Freedom Front Plus are creating controversy about draft guidelines on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. The guidelines have been made public through consultations with communities that began earlier this year.
The groups are zeroing in on two elements of the guidelines to stoke panic. These are the provision of unisex toilets, which would not replace existing single-sex toilets, and the elimination of gender pronouns.
ALSO READ: Survey shows the majority of the LGBTQIA community is single
--
Claiming the guidelines are godless and anti-family , the groups argue that the rights of Christian learners and their families would be violated. The groups claim their opposition is grounded in religious belief, not hatred for LGBTIQ people.
But their objections contradict South Africa's constitutional mandate to create a society free of discrimination.
In a media statement, the education department has expressed its disappointment that the narrow focus on unisex toilets is being used to create controversy. This distracts from the bigger debate about eliminating gender discrimination in all spheres of society.
--
Homophobia and transphobia on the rise Researchers and journalists have documented increases in incidents of homophobic and transphobic bullying in the country's schools in recent years. Some children facing discrimination have tragically taken their own lives.
Disinformation campaigns claim that gender diverse learners pose a threat to cisgender (straight-identifying) female learners. But research shows that it's queer and transgender individuals who experience extreme levels of anxiety and fear within bathrooms and other school spaces.
The lobby against queer-friendly education Last year, the African Christian Democratic Party staged a picket against the guidelines. Placards read Down with the gender identity and sexual orientation guidelines , Down with unisex bathrooms and God created male and female .
Freedom of Religion South Africa is now attempting to block the implementation of the guidelines through legal means. The organisation claims they are unconstitutional and violate parental rights and traditional values . Claims like this normalise the discrimination that many learners face in schools.
Freedom of Religion South Africa director Michael Swain claims the department is importing foreign agendas. His group aims to put religious freedom above the right to equality and dignity. US Christian anti-LGBTIQ advocacy groups, such as Alliance Defending Freedom, have tried to do the same.
The Family Policy Institute in South Africa has been working with US hate group Family Watch International in a campaign against Comprehensive Sexuality Education in schools. They plan to reveal harmful content in the programme and call it dangerous sexual indoctrination .
Family Policy Institute founder Errol Naidoo has admitted to having been mentored by the US Christian right Family Research Council. The council argues that homosexuality is harmful to society at large and should not be protected by policy. Naidoo has also been associated with the World Congress of Families, a US-led Christian right organisation.
Our research shows that US Christian right organisations have grown their networks in African countries. They've invested millions of dollars in anti-LGBTIQ campaigns in Africa and elsewhere. They also provide mentorship to set up organisations and campaigns such as Stop CSE.
A global trend Campaigning against the department's guidelines for safer learning spaces reflects a broader trend. Far right actors are using child protection rhetoric to manufacture moral panic. Making it about children enables anti-gender groups to air their prejudice in public. This tactic has also been observed in Europe and Latin America.
Our research has found that far-right attitudes to LGBTIQ people are becoming part of the normal view in basic and higher education. We argue that homophobic and transphobic bullying in these spaces extends South Africa's apartheid-era discrimination, which was grounded in Christian ideology.
These narratives claim that LGBTIQ learners are deviant , unruly sinners in need of conversion and civilising. This creates a climate of fear and hostility in classrooms and communities more broadly. Research with teachers shows that a lack of guidance from the department on the creation of inclusive curricula and school environments puts the safety and security of gender diverse and queer learners at risk. It also undermines the promise of equality in South Africa's constitution.
As the Global Interfaith Network has demonstrated, Christianity is not an inherently homophobic or transphobic religion. Those who use religious justifications to promote anti-LGBTIQ intolerance do not represent all Christian communities. The weaponisation of sexuality and gender-based differences in sc
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
16/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
16/06/2026
Free Program Supports IPMX Education from Foundational Concepts Through System and Network Design
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today announced t...
16/06/2026
Share your views on Screen Australia and the future of the industry 15 June 2026
Your feedback matters.
Following the instrumental insights provided in 2025,...
15/06/2026
One of the more exciting internal video production divisions within a college at...
15/06/2026
The deal valued at $22 Billion is expected to close in the first half of 2027...
15/06/2026
Golf Channel and the Arnold Palmer Cup have announced a partnership to livestream the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup on Golf Channel Mobile and GolfChannel.com. The tou...
15/06/2026
TikTok and Panini have announced a partnership to bring a digital collectible ca...
15/06/2026
Cosm and Monster Energy have announced the debut of the first full-dome immersiv...
15/06/2026
Real American Freestyle (RAF) and Fox Nation have announced an exclusive streaming agreement for three RAF international events, beginning with RAF Georgia on J...
15/06/2026
FanConnect has announced a partnership with Extreme Networks integrating FanConn...
15/06/2026
Ten Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25 Will Start Fellowship Year at Ignite Lab from June 14-19
LOS ANGELES, CA, June 15, 2026 - The nonprofit Sundance Institut...
15/06/2026
Innovative three-band soft synth introduced
UVI's latest synth takes an interesting approach to synthesis, offering a trio of synth engines that each op...
15/06/2026
Applications now open for 2026
The Oram Awards have returned for 2026 to celebrate the unusual, unique and unfiltered creative worlds of women and gender-di...
15/06/2026
New intelligent auto-fader plug-in revealed
PSPaudioware's latest release offers automatic level adjustment and provides more detailed control than many...
15/06/2026
4.78M AUSSIES TUNE IN FOR SOCCEROOS WIN OVER T RK YE ON SBS
15 June, 2026
Media releases
Match had a Total TV average audience of 3.035 million, with over ...
15/06/2026
SBS Head of Commissioning John Godfrey to depart after 18 years
15 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Head of Commissioning John Godfrey will depart the broadca...
15/06/2026
Greater Manchester Police installs Rohde & Schwarz security scanner for custody ...
15/06/2026
Insights from NAGRAVISION's latest industry webinar featuring One Hungary, Liberty Global and Media Press Group
In this blog, Laura Rognoni explores the k...
15/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/06/2026
Clear-Com has introduced Avalon , a purpose built 1RU IP intercom communication platform for modern networked production, designed to simplify and scale workfl...
15/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/06/2026
MiLB Club Deploys LDX 110 Cameras at CarMax Park to Deliver A New Standard in Engaging Fan Experience
Grass Valley today announced that the Richmond Flying Sq...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
15/06/2026
Techtel Completes Media Production Setup for a major AFL sporting organisation
Sports
15 June Written By Suzanne Costello
(Sydney, Australia 15 June 2026)...
15/06/2026
Monday 15 June 2026
Sky News takes viewers inside Minab in new film investigati...
15/06/2026
Fox Corporation to Acquire Roku, Inc. Combination Creates a Scaled Media and Technology Platform with Superior Reach, Engagement and Monetization Capability
...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...