South Africa’s LGBTI community continues to face extreme discrimination and inadequate health care.
Every day, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people face violence, exclusion and discrimination in South Africa. To promote inclusivity, the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia took place on Sunday. Seoketsi, from Limpopo, was physically assaulted by a nurse. After laying a charge against the nurse, a doctor refused to examine Seoketsi or to sign a report about the assault. Getty Myeni, from Ermelo, knew the men who stabbed her to “fix her to become a real man”. She reported the attack at the local police station where she was ridiculed and mocked. Despite knowing her attackers, the police did not investigate the case. Thabo, from Bloemfontein, is mistreated by his stepfather who wants him to “toughen up and be a man”.