Photo via: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp
ACDP marches against gender policy while queer people fight for their lives
The ACDP marched to parliament to hand over a memo against a draft policy by the WCED that seeks to create a more inclusive environment.
Photo via: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) took to the streets of Cape Town on Monday morning, 26 April, in protest against the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) draft policy on gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools.
At the same time, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the LGBTQI+ community were also marching to put an end to the hatred queer and transsexual people are subjected to in South Africa.
ACDP PROTESTS WCED’S DRAFT POLICY ON GENDER IDENTITY
The ACDP said that the Democratic Alliance’s is “planning to actively mislead and confuse” pupils in the Western Cape with the draft policy on gender identity and gender orientation.
The party picketed outside provincial parliament and handed over a memorandum to a senior official at the provincial education department.
“Biological sex is binary – male & female. Science confirms the Bible – always has and always will,” said the conservative religious party.
“We are aware of a peaceful protest that was held outside the Western Cape Provincial Parliament this morning by the ACDP regarding the WCED’s draft Guidelines on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation in Public Schools,” said spokesperson to Minister Debbie Schafer, Kerry Mauchline.
The WCED confirmed that the memorandum was accepted by Granville Stander, the Metro South Education District Director.
WCED SEEKS TO CREATE ‘A MORE INCLUSIVE‘ ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL LEARNERS
The draft policy was released by the WCED for public comment in 2020. Comments were received from different organisations and individuals from across society and responses were mixed, according to the department, some people were in favour of the policy, while others were against it or offered suggestions for adjustments.
“There have previously been no guidelines or policies for schools to follow to support transgender learners in the Western Cape or in any other province in this country,” said the department, explaining the purpose of the draft policy.
The WCED said some school governing bodies have “addressed the issue” via their diversity and inclusivity policies but it is their duty as the provincial department of education to help all in schools to create “a more inclusive environment for all learners, regardless of gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.”
The Guidelines on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation in Public Schools remain in draft form for the time being.
VIOLENCE AGAINST THE QUEER COMMUNITY ON THE RISE
There has been a steady increase in the number of members of the LGBTQIA+ community that have been killed or attacked in South Africa over the last few weeks. Just last week, in the Western Cape, Lonwabo Jack, 22, from Nyanga was murdered, which led many to question the timing of the ACDP’s protest.
“You obviously don’t have a clue what’s happening in the real world with all the homophobic murders that have happened over the last two months, you’d think you’d stand up and fight for LGBTQA+ rights,” said Cape Town Pride in reply to one of the ACDP’s tweets about the protest.
“Education is the only way people are going to be enlightened,” added Cape Town Pride.
The party “condemned” the murders when questioned by another Twitter user who criticized the protest. “Obviously 12 is too many. Even 1 is completely unacceptable. We condemn all of these murders,” said the ACDP.
