The Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) has strongly condemned a protest at its offices by individuals claiming to represent various churches. The protesters defaced the perimeter wall of the GALZ offices with graffiti.
According to ZimLive, the group, comprising about a dozen men and women, scrawled “Say No” and “Down with Homosexuals” on the wall and gate of GALZ’s Milton Park offices in Harare.
GALZ issued a statement denouncing the protest:
“GALZ, an association of LGBTI people in Zimbabwe, categorically condemns the acts of vandalism and intimidation that occurred today (09 June 2024) at our Harare office around 3:30 PM.
A group of individuals claiming to represent various Christian churches descended on our Harare centre, chanting slogans against homosexuality. They proceeded to vandalize the property, painting hateful graffiti on the walls.
While we respect differences in values, it is utterly unacceptable to deploy acts of vandalism and intimidation against communities that hold different values.
GALZ has filed an official police report, and we are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigations. We call on the authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable for these criminal actions.
This act of violence has not been committed in isolation; it is a stark reminder of the ongoing discrimination and hostility that our community faces.
We urge religious and political leaders to condemn such acts of hate and to uphold the constitutional rights and freedoms for all citizens to be protected by law regardless of their diverse backgrounds including sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.
GALZ remains steadfast in its mission to ensure LGBTI people are treated as equal citizens in Zimbabwe and such attempts to deny our existence will not discourage us from further advocating for our rights.”
Zimbabwe’s Constitution, adopted in 2013, prohibits same-sex marriage but does not address gay relations explicitly.
In a 2018 interview, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, when asked about protecting the rights of gays, stated he would not provide special treatment but would follow the constitution. He remarked:
“Those people who want it are the people who should canvass for it, but it’s not my duty to campaign for this. In our constitution, it is banned — and it is my duty to obey my constitution.
With regard to areas that we felt we would not accept, it is issues of gays and homosexuality, which is unlawful in our country. We rejected all those.
There are a few countries from Europe which recommended we reconsider our position with regard to adults of the same sex marrying each other — that we rejected.”
