The group discusses religious discrimination in South Africa related to sexuality, culture, and apartheid. Sizwe talks about how religion can unite or divide people based on sexuality and how religious teachings often endorse heterosexuality, making sexual minorities feel marginalized. Matthew agrees and adds that religion has been used to justify immoral decisions like apartheid. Religious teachings have also been misinterpreted to discriminate against groups. Lesego discusses how while South Africa's constitution protects LGBTQ people, homosexual acts are still socially controversial and LGBTQ individuals face discrimination, poor mental health outcomes, and calls for violence against them from some religious groups.

1. Diversity in
South Africa
Assessment 1: Part 1

2. Group
members:
Louie Buytendach
Nqobile (Sizwe) Mathatho
Matthew Tempest
Lesego Nare

3. Louie’s words:
• Hello everyone, and welcome to the first episode of HarmonyTalk: Bridging Differences in South Africa.
• So today, we're coming together for an important conversation about religious discrimination in South
Africa. We’re a group of first-year students currently studying at the South African College of Applied
Psychology, and we’re very passionate about addressing issues like this. Joining today’s conversation,
we have Mathew, Lesego, Sizwe and me, your host, Louie. We will be discussing two of the most
common types of religious discrimination found within our nation.
• Our aim here is to have an open and honest conversation. We may not be experts, but we're South
Africans who care deeply about making our society more inclusive and accepting.
• Firstly, we'll be discussing discrimination against sexuality, particularly within the LGBTQIA+ community,
and the fact that in a diverse country like ours, it's crucial to understand and combat prejudice related
to sexual orientation.
• We'll also be exploring discrimination based on cultural differences, which is deeply intertwined with
our country's diverse cultural tapestry. South Africa's multitude of cultures should be a source of
celebration, not division. Our goal with this is to shed light on the real experiences and perspectives of
those affected by this form of discrimination.
• So, join us for this discussion as we delve into the complexities of religious discrimination and its
intersections with issues of sexuality and culture within our nation. Please note that we're not looking
to assign blame, but to drive change and raise awareness. And we hope that together, we can make
strides toward a more harmonious and equitable South Africa.
• Sizwe, over to you.
(words: 267)

4. Sizwe’s words:
• Religion can have an enormous influence on an individual’s perspective.
Religion can unite and divide people in different ways (Dickson, 2011) for
example sexuality. Religion is often looked at as incompatible with queer
sexualities and genders ( Ncube,2023). Religions frequently impart
advice about appropriate sexual behaviour, usually endorsing
heterosexuality such advice is in opposition to the rising number of
people who identify as sexual minorities (Wolf & Platt, 2022). People
who stray away from normal heterosexuality might feel a certain way
because some churches have marginalised and ostracised those sexual
and gender identities ( Ncube, 2023). Religion should always be
egalitarian and not show bias towards a minority group. This attitude
towards people who are sexual minorities can lead to poor health
outcomes like psychological distress and suicidal ideation (Wolf & Platt,
2022). Conversations about sexuality in religious space need to happen
so that people can be more educated on people who identify as sexual
minorities so that they do not feel marginalised and ostracised.
(words: 165)

5. Matthew’s words:
• I agree with Sizwe's points about how religion can impact people's perception
of the world but I think It goes a lot deeper than just sexuality. Religion
impacts decisions made by the government and it has been used to justify
some immoral decisions such as the racism and segregation of Apartheid
(Beyers, 2015)d. Much like how religion is currently being used to discriminate
against sexual minorities. I think that we as a society need to educate people
about religion so that when people use misinterpreted messages from religion
we can spot them for what they are.
• In South Africa, the misuse of religious text has been a huge problem. The
most known example is in apartheid some of the Christian churches used
religious text to justify apartheid (McEwen & Steyn, 2016). This is why during
Apartheid, Christianity was the religion that was mainly taught in schools.
• After Apartheid there has been a movement to teach more about world
religions to prompt diversity the problem with this is that in South Africa there
are not enough people who are qualified to teach about religions other than
Christianity (McDonald, 2015). Even today 80% of South Africans are Christians
which isn't in itself a problem but the lack of education about other religions is
(Burchardtbut, 2017). The more educated people are about different beliefs
and spirituality the easier it is to look at one's own beliefs from a non-biased
viewpoint. In South Africa, there is a need for qualified individuals to teach the
younger generation about a diverse range of religions (Chidester, 2018).
(words: 263)

6. Lesego’s words:
• Although South Africa's Constitution protects sexual orientation, homosexuality
is socially and culturally controversial and unaccepted (Ojilere, 2022).
Numerous research in Sub-Saharan Africa show that a lack of societal support
and acceptance of LGBTQ people is linked to poor mental health outcomes and
risk behaviours (Ojilere,2022). South Africa has a liberal constitution that
includes equal legal protections for LGBTQ South Africans . However,
homosexual, bisexual, and other Black Men who have sex with men in South
Africa do not have the same social standing as their heterosexual counterparts.
Many South African LGBT persons are commonly labelled as "sinners," "devils,"
or "demon possessed." They are also subjected to a variety of discriminatory
behaviours, including denial of financial and healthcare assistance, as well as
threats and/or rape (Mudzusi, 2015). despite the threat of homocapitalism,
popular Afrocentrism and religions reject these forms of "new rights" as sinful,
ungodly, unnatural, and un-African, highlighting the sub-region's human rights
limitations (Ojilere, 2022). In extreme circumstances, religious leaders have
called for killings and hate crimes against members of the LGBTQ community.
While not all religious institutions purposefully promote violence and hate
crimes, they do excuse transphobia and homophobia by their members. The
Gay and Lesbian Alliance of South Africa (GLASA), CIVICUS, and the Hate Crimes
Working Group all have the same mission: to fight for equal opportunities,
justice, and rights for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as to
educate members of society on issues involving queer bodies. The LGBTQIA+
community is speaking up, and they must be supported (YPC Gender Working
Group, 2021).
• (words: 258)

7. References:
Sizwe
• Dickson, J. (2011, April 30). Does religion unite or divide
us? - Centre for Public Christianity. Publicchristianity.
https://www.publicchristianity.org/does-religion-unite-
or-divide-us/
• Wolf, J. K., & Platt, L. F. (2022). Religion and sexual
identities. Current opinion in psychology, 48, 101495.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101495
• Ncube, G. (2023). Queer, Christian and Afrikaans: The
libidinal, sexuality and religion in Kanarie and
Skeef. Tydskrif Vir Letterkunde, 60(1), 22–30.
https://doi.org/10.17159/tl.v60i1.14054

8. Matthew
• McEwen, H., & Steyn, M. (2016). Politics of faith: Transforming religious communities
and spiritual subjectivities in post-apartheid South Africa. HTS Theological Studies,
72(1), 1-8.
• McDonald, Z. (2015). The Classroom, an Inadequate Mechanism for Advancing
Diversity via Religion Education in the South African Context. Journal for the Study of
Religion, 28(2), 202–219. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24805698
• Beyers, J. (2015). Religion as Political Instrument: The Case of Japan and South
Africa. Journal for the Study of Religion, 28(1), 142–164.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/24805684
• Chidester, D. (2018). World Religions in the World. Journal for the Study of Religion,
31(1), 41–53. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26489081
• Machinga, M. (2019). The Impact of Indigenous African Thought on Pastoral
Counseling. In J. L. Snodgrass (Ed.), Navigating Religious Difference in Spiritual
Care and Counseling: Essays in Honor of Kathleen J. Greider (Vol. 2, pp. 151–166).
Claremont Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvwrm4c3.13
• Burchardt, M. (2017). Statecraft, Witchcraft, God’s Craft: Religious Diversity and the
Forces of Law in South Africa. Journal of Religion in Africa, 47(2), 257–284.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26571885

9. Lesego
• Mavhandu-Mudzusi, A. H., & Sandy, P. T. (2015). Religion-
related stigma and discrimination experienced by lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender students at a South African
rural-based university. Culture, health & sexuality, 17(8),
1049–
1056. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2015.1015614
• Ojilere A. (2022). Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual
Orientation and Gender Identity: The Limits of Human
Rights in Africa. Journal of homosexuality, 1–25. Advance
online
publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2022.21325
77
• https://saiia.org.za/youth-blogs/hate-crimes-against-
members-of-the-lgbtqia-community-in-south-africa/