examples of what you can do about it in your personal capacity
Displaying all 3 posts by 3 people.
Post #1
1 reply
Jeanine wroteon July 23, 2008 at 7:54am
1) write to vodacom (they had an ad on the page the article was printed) to put pressure on the newspaper to print a retraction:
email: corporate.affairs@vodacom.
Dear Sir / Madam
It amazes me that Vodacom would share advertising space on the same page as someone spouting hate speech in a free and democratic South Africa. I am referring to the publication in the Sunday Sun dated 20 July 2008 of the column ‘Call me names, but gay is NOT ok’ written by Jon Qwelane.
His words add fuel to a homophobic fire, that leads to hate crimes such as the attacks in the townships of Eudy Simelane, Zoliswa Nkonyana, Madoe Mafubedu, Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Masooa who were brutally raped and murdered because they were gay. Why not google their names to find out more.
As a Vodacom customer, I have to say that I will not renew my contract when the time comes, and I will advise all of my friends and colleagues to do the same, unless Vodacom can give me assurances that they will not advertise in a publication that advocates homophobia.
Kind Regards,
Your Name
2) send a letter to the editor of sunday sun:
'pmasiba@sundaysun.co.za'
'sduplessis@naspers.com'
email: corporate.affairs@vodacom.
Dear Sir / Madam
It amazes me that Vodacom would share advertising space on the same page as someone spouting hate speech in a free and democratic South Africa. I am referring to the publication in the Sunday Sun dated 20 July 2008 of the column ‘Call me names, but gay is NOT ok’ written by Jon Qwelane.
His words add fuel to a homophobic fire, that leads to hate crimes such as the attacks in the townships of Eudy Simelane, Zoliswa Nkonyana, Madoe Mafubedu, Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Masooa who were brutally raped and murdered because they were gay. Why not google their names to find out more.
As a Vodacom customer, I have to say that I will not renew my contract when the time comes, and I will advise all of my friends and colleagues to do the same, unless Vodacom can give me assurances that they will not advertise in a publication that advocates homophobia.
Kind Regards,
Your Name
2) send a letter to the editor of sunday sun:
'pmasiba@sundaysun.co.za'
'sduplessis@naspers.com'
Post #2
1 reply
Eon replied to Jeanine's poston July 23, 2008 at 8:44am
Great stuff - sent vodacom a mail.
Post #3
Coenie replied to Eon's poston July 23, 2008 at 9:04am
PRESS RELEASE:
JON QWELANE’S HOMOPHOBIA, SUNDAY SUN, 20 JULY 2008
Released by: www.gayspeak.co.za E-zine and website
Author: Coenie Kukkuk, Editor
Tel: 012.3466220
Contact: wbvd@law.co.za
JON QWELANE’S HOMOPHOBIC ARTICLE DRAWS UNPRECEDENTED REACTION:
Jon Qwelane and his acting editor at the Sunday Sun, one L. Rulashe, and their big bosses at Media24, never expected this much reaction, boycotts, charges and law suits when they caused the article “Call me names, but gay is NOT okay” to be published in the Sunday Sun on 20 July 2008, in which gays are equated to animals, and Mugabe’s hate mongering and violence against gays is lauded.
Mr Qwelane, who has been dragged before the Press Ombudsman before, and got away with his homophobic hate speech in 2006, thought he had a license to sweep up the masses against gays through this very popular tabloid, that he can thumb his nose at the Human Rights Commission, by blatantly saying already he will not apologise, and that he can apply the Constitution of the Republic as he deems fit.
Not so.
Steps that have been taken so far include:
Charges laid by www.Queerlife.co.za editor David Olivier at the Press Ombudsman and Human Rights Commission, supported by similar charges laid by Joburg Pride Board and hundreds of letters of support written. ( see a previous press release by Joburg Pride Board);
2. An hotel group has ordered all Media24 ads and products to be removed from their rooms and lobbies;
3. Protests have been lodged at Vodacom because their ad was on the same page plus further calls to businesses to remove their ads from Media24 and particularly the Sunday Sun;
4. The Facebook group ‘APPALLING homophobia in our midst!!’ has risen to over 500 members within 48 hours, with 45 wall posts on action taken (as at 1 pm) (See http://www.facebook.com/wa
5. Seeing that the Press Ombudsman and the HRC can only do a slap on the wrist, a request has been sent to Lawyers for Human Rights, requesting assistance for a civil damages suit ("class action suit" is American and not part of our law yet, but there are ways around it). An attorneys firm will assist with the collection of funds, free of charge, which has already begun pouring in. It will be a first of its kind in South Africa. Funding from abroad is also being lobbied for this. If the LHR will not assist, then other avenues will be pursued, but the suit will be instituted;
6. A request will be sent by roll players to Print Media SA to revoke Qwelane's Nat Nakasa award.;
7. A full Media24 boycott was started with various steps e.g. on Facebook, "remove homophobic News24 from your favourites and add IOL.co.za" was added to hundreds of members’ Facebook status updates; requests for advertisers to withdraw from the Sunday Sun in particular and Media24 in general and various other boycotts;
8. Calls for the dismissal of both the editor of the Sunday Sun and Qwelane;
9. Calls for the suspension of Qwelane’s column on News24;
10. A request to all members of the community to mail the following letter”
“TO: lrulashe@sundaysun.co.za; mvink@sundaysun.co.za; tmokone@sundaysun.co.za; kenosi.modisane@sundaysun.
"I hereby condemn the homophobic article written by Jon Qwelane in the Sunday Sun, 20 July 2008, as hate speech and urge the Press Ombudsman, the Human Rights Commission and the editor of the Sunday Sun to take action against Mr Qwelane.
Yours
(Your name)."
It is very ironic that, months before this hate-filled article, the Joburg Pride Festival announced its theme for 2008: “LOVE, NOT HATE”, in support of the homophobic hate crimes and murder of black lesbians recently.
We request Qwelane, Media24 and the Sunday Sun to explain this concept to the dead lesbians.
ENDS
Released by: www.gayspeak.co.za E-zine and website
Author: Coenie Kukkuk, Editor
Tel: 012.3466220
Contact: wbvd@law.co.za
JON QWELANE’S HOMOPHOBIA, SUNDAY SUN, 20 JULY 2008
Released by: www.gayspeak.co.za E-zine and website
Author: Coenie Kukkuk, Editor
Tel: 012.3466220
Contact: wbvd@law.co.za
JON QWELANE’S HOMOPHOBIC ARTICLE DRAWS UNPRECEDENTED REACTION:
Jon Qwelane and his acting editor at the Sunday Sun, one L. Rulashe, and their big bosses at Media24, never expected this much reaction, boycotts, charges and law suits when they caused the article “Call me names, but gay is NOT okay” to be published in the Sunday Sun on 20 July 2008, in which gays are equated to animals, and Mugabe’s hate mongering and violence against gays is lauded.
Mr Qwelane, who has been dragged before the Press Ombudsman before, and got away with his homophobic hate speech in 2006, thought he had a license to sweep up the masses against gays through this very popular tabloid, that he can thumb his nose at the Human Rights Commission, by blatantly saying already he will not apologise, and that he can apply the Constitution of the Republic as he deems fit.
Not so.
Steps that have been taken so far include:
Charges laid by www.Queerlife.co.za editor David Olivier at the Press Ombudsman and Human Rights Commission, supported by similar charges laid by Joburg Pride Board and hundreds of letters of support written. ( see a previous press release by Joburg Pride Board);
2. An hotel group has ordered all Media24 ads and products to be removed from their rooms and lobbies;
3. Protests have been lodged at Vodacom because their ad was on the same page plus further calls to businesses to remove their ads from Media24 and particularly the Sunday Sun;
4. The Facebook group ‘APPALLING homophobia in our midst!!’ has risen to over 500 members within 48 hours, with 45 wall posts on action taken (as at 1 pm) (See http://www.facebook.com/wa
5. Seeing that the Press Ombudsman and the HRC can only do a slap on the wrist, a request has been sent to Lawyers for Human Rights, requesting assistance for a civil damages suit ("class action suit" is American and not part of our law yet, but there are ways around it). An attorneys firm will assist with the collection of funds, free of charge, which has already begun pouring in. It will be a first of its kind in South Africa. Funding from abroad is also being lobbied for this. If the LHR will not assist, then other avenues will be pursued, but the suit will be instituted;
6. A request will be sent by roll players to Print Media SA to revoke Qwelane's Nat Nakasa award.;
7. A full Media24 boycott was started with various steps e.g. on Facebook, "remove homophobic News24 from your favourites and add IOL.co.za" was added to hundreds of members’ Facebook status updates; requests for advertisers to withdraw from the Sunday Sun in particular and Media24 in general and various other boycotts;
8. Calls for the dismissal of both the editor of the Sunday Sun and Qwelane;
9. Calls for the suspension of Qwelane’s column on News24;
10. A request to all members of the community to mail the following letter”
“TO: lrulashe@sundaysun.co.za; mvink@sundaysun.co.za; tmokone@sundaysun.co.za; kenosi.modisane@sundaysun.
"I hereby condemn the homophobic article written by Jon Qwelane in the Sunday Sun, 20 July 2008, as hate speech and urge the Press Ombudsman, the Human Rights Commission and the editor of the Sunday Sun to take action against Mr Qwelane.
Yours
(Your name)."
It is very ironic that, months before this hate-filled article, the Joburg Pride Festival announced its theme for 2008: “LOVE, NOT HATE”, in support of the homophobic hate crimes and murder of black lesbians recently.
We request Qwelane, Media24 and the Sunday Sun to explain this concept to the dead lesbians.
ENDS
Released by: www.gayspeak.co.za E-zine and website
Author: Coenie Kukkuk, Editor
Tel: 012.3466220
Contact: wbvd@law.co.za