South Africa: LGBT Rights in Name Only?
Violence, Discrimination Against Black Lesbians and Transgender Men
December 5, 2011
http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/12/05/south-africa-lgbt-rights-name-only(Johannesburg) – Black lesbians and transgender men in South African townships and rural areas face an overwhelming climate of discrimination and violence despite protections promised them in the country's constitution, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The 93-page report, "'We'll Show You You're a Woman': Violence and Discrimination Against Black Lesbians and Transgender Men," is based on more than 120 interviews conducted in six provinces. Human Rights Watch found that lesbians and transgender men face extensive discrimination and violence in their daily lives, both from private individuals and government officials. The abusers of people known or assumed to be lesbian, bisexual, or transgender act with near-total impunity, Human Rights Watch found.
