Scores of women from Khayelitsha and the surrounding areas converged at Grassroots Youth Academy in Makhaza, on Saturday 26 August, for the launch of Isitha Women’s Organisation.
Isitha is a non governmental organisation (NGO) for parents whose children are in same-sex relationships. It is aimed at fighting for their children’s rights.
The organisation chair Nandipha Jovuka said it was time for parents to stand up and support their children.
She said it was heartbreaking to see families and marriages falling apart because parents fought each other due to a child’s sexuality. She urged parents to accept their children irrespective of their sexuality.
“As mothers who have children who are in same-sex relationships, we decided to unite and form an organisation that will support them. We realised that most parents disown their children once they discover that they are in same-sex relationships. Now, we are saying let’s love and embrace them the way they are. Let’s support them. Let’s stop discriminating against them because of their sexual orientation,” said Jovuka.
Jovuka, who has a gay son, said her family was divided and she had to stand up for her son. “My son is a gay. My husband and my brothers disowned my child. They don’t like him at all. I’m worried because my son has to go to the bush during the December holidays and his father and uncles do not want to partake in that,” she explained, adding that she feels heartbroken to see her son being marginalised because of his sexual orientation.
Jovuka accused men of being stubborn and citing that they were only thinking for themselves.
She denounced the stigma and the hatred targeted at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersexual + (LGBTQIA+) community.
According to Jovuka, more campaigns are on the cards to educate and empower parents.
Lesbian Siphokazi October labelled the launch as a dream come through for the LGBTQIA+ community. She said she wished other parents could follow Isitha members. “We are so happy to see that there are people who are supporting us. It is an honour for us to have such mothers that we can rely on. Their support will make us stronger,” she said.
The 31-year-old woman said she had been living a double life for a long time. She said she had to suppress her feelings to make her family happy.
“I noticed that I was attracted to other women when I was 13 years old. But at that time, I didn’t know exactly what was happening to me. When I grew up I dated both men and women. But I was more on men and I even got married,” she explained, adding that her marriage lasted for a year.
October accused her ex-husband of being abusive. She said when they divorced they already had a child. She said after she got divorced she dated other women.
“It wasn’t easy to disclose. My parents are Christians. I never told them that I had a girlfriend but they saw this particular person that I used to go with. I think my child is the one who gave the hint to my parents because he was always talking about my partner. The other day my partner visited me at home and my parents were there and saw her,” she stated.
According to October, her parents never had a problem with her partner. However, things began to change and they eventually did not approve of their relationship. She claimed they even threatened to disown her. October stated that there are many people who are in a closet because they are scared of being judged or disowned by their parents.
