Monday, November 26, 2012

Sun Stroke Revisited


Everybody looking forward to having a nice Christmas? Ever think about the tradition of Christmas and where it comes from? I did, and decided to find out. I must say, what I found reinforced my misgivings about organized religion, after all, Christmas is a good time to point out Christian hypocrisy - because "peace on Earth and goodwill to all 'men'" very easily turns to "take all you can" and "hang 'em high!" and "it's God's will".

[Back in 2009, I wrote an article called Sun Stroke, which described the deception rampant in modern "Christianity" as a religion, and also exposed the ignorance of the average Christian - who either takes for granted that the religion they follow always was the way it is today, that their doctrine is "inerrant", that every aspect of their faith is unique and different and sets their religion apart from the rest, which they frequently attack, deplore and undermine - and that everything they are told by their clergy is true. I originally wrote the article at a time when I was still considering myself a Christian, and on a path to rediscovering my own self, as well as redefining my belief system. I have since gone from being a Christian, to agnostic, and since then, Paganism. These days I identify as a practicing dark pagan witch. As a human rights activist, I often find myself referring back to some of my past articles - especially this one - and so I thought it time to revise it some, to bring it more in line with my subsequent growth and advancement.]

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Interview With The Vampire Journalist




Concerning the article in today's Weekend Post, one which I was interviewed for on Thursday regarding the new SAPS anti-alternative religion unit, euphemistically called the "Occult Related Crime Unit". 

This unit, which is really just a bunch of Christian missionaries gifted with a 5 day course on "the occult" to make them "experts" in the field (of harassing innocent citizens for their beliefs) and wearing badges. 

The whole thing just reeked of Christianist propaganda, being an example of completely skewed and biased reporting. I felt I had to respond to the "journalist" who interviewed me for it.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

SAPS "Occult Related Crimes Unit": Christianist Threat To Religious Minorities In South Africa


Over the past week a serious issue has come to light over the reformation of the SA Police's "Occult Related Crime" units. In a press release last week, the SA Pagan Rights Alliance, representing the Pagan community of South Africa, revealed that the SAPS is forming these units to address so-called "occult related crimes", based on information obtained from a SAPS internal memo. 

Monday, July 9, 2012

Personal Statement: Divisions Within The Community



In the past I have called for more active interest and participation from the Pink Community, and I am happy to say that in recent months the community has risen to the challenge by and large, with new Pride events taking place, new community support projects springing up, and new activist voices shouting from within the wilderness to speak out against the injustices faced by our community. However;

There is an ongoing feud between the organizers of a community pageant  and other members of the community, a feud which is both unproductive and insensible, and which threatens to tear a rift right through the community. I also find it puzzling and disgusting how many people who wouldnt be seen dead voting or supporting anything political openly in defense of their own rights, have jumped in neck-deep in supporting either of the parties in this recent dispute which has been threatening to divide and weaken us as a community.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

My Brief Delusional Time As A Lesbian




This morning I was lying in bed considering what to wear. I sleep naked these days, because I've enjoyed the new found freedom that being physically female brings. 

What I was wondering was, what to clothe my body with once I got out of bed, and despite the personal style I've developed over the past few years, I'm now totally at a loss for what to pick in my closet.

Being female, albeit a transgender female now 6 years post-op, the choice should have been clear to me. The reason for this dilemma is that I was told last night by a person of some prominence in the local lesbian community, that I "dress like a drag queen".

Monday, May 28, 2012

The Right Fundamentals?



The question often arises in my mind, when dealing with biblical literalists and fundamentalists, exactly WHAT their fundamentals are? What is it that makes them stand at the head of a crowd and whip them into a frenzy, spitting hatred for others - and doing so in the name of a god they claim is a god of love, and who is the personification of this all too cheap, commercialized emotion?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

An Inconvenient Home Truth




It's odd how for years, articles by Melanie Nathan have been highly prized and circulated and promoted by local human rights advocates, and how for years we have welcomed her campaigning to assist our cause, and her application of public pressure from outside the country - and now we can turn around and say something like this:

"A condescending American [Melanie] Nathan based in America, who has no jurisdiction whatsoever in dictating to South Africans what to do (as what so many Western countries are prone to do), even if she was born in South Africa, she left this country three decades ago and has no business interfering. We're not listening - go write about the problems LGBTI face in the US. There's lots." - GaySpeak Ezine

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Change Is As Change Does



The DA is virtually the only party in this country which includes the rights of people on the basis of gender, identity, gender identity and sexual orientation in its policies and manifestos. 

To this day, I feel that there is no viable alternative to the DA in securing the promises in the Constitution of South Africa, which pertain to freedom, equality and equal opportunity for all.

However, the recent events surrounding the matter of the Traditional Leader's Bill, and the careless statement made by Mr de Freitas as a representative of the DA - whether he himself is gay or not, have cast a different light on the Democratic Alliance and its stance on civil rights and protection issues.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Self-Hatred Is Not Therapy



My good friend Tanya and I were having a chat yesterday. She's a straight Christian friend to a pan-romantic transsexual dark Pagan - me. Our chat took the direction of discussing Christian gay people who believe they are condemned to Hell because of their inborn sexuality. I thought I would add my two cents using some information I have been collecting over a number of years, pretty much because I have been fighting a war of words with people who seek to condemn gays, lesbians, bi's and transgender people to "Hell" from a "Christian" perspective.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Protect the Constitution Johannesburg Protest On SABC News


Kudos to all involved - this was a very unbiased video news insert.
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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Down Memory Lane


The following is an article I wrote back in 2010, and which was published by the National Secular Society (UK). 

I was reminded of it again this past week in an email, and thought as it didn't appear on my blog "Sour Grapes: The Fruit of Ignorance" the first time, now would be a good time to look back at how we got to this place in South African history, with conservatives vying to be the first to rip and tear human rights protection clauses out of the Constitution. 

Of course, since I have been writing and distributing my articles and warnings since 2008, there is a certain amount of "I told you so" in re-posting this article. Nevertheless, here it is, for your reading pleasure:

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Burning Question



A general look at similarities between some persecuted minority groups in SA, based upon differences in  race, sexual orientation, and religion or spiritual beliefs - and the similarities in the methodology of their persecution.

In this article I will broadly discuss my perception of the current situation in South Africa, in conjunction with general reference to "the Stanton Report", a model which assesses the make-up of a genocide, and to which the UN also refers. Broadly, the Stanton Report, developed and presented to the UN in 1996, demonstrates the different stages of the development of social discrimination into a full-blown genocide. There are 8 of these stages in the model, and these show how the removal of civil rights and legal protections of a social minority group is usually followed by vilification and persecution of that group, and that the persecution of the group is the real intended goal of removing such legal protections in the first place. 

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Stand With Us!



CALLING ALL HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND ACTIVISTS, of whatever association, be it religion, sexual orientation, gender, or cultural - it's time to stand together for our joint human rights! The SA government is debating the removal of sexual orientation protection against discrimination clauses from the SA Constitution - if they succeed in this, who will be next?

Thursday, May 3, 2012

SA Govt Body Discusses Removal Of Sexual Orientation From Constitution




An article in the Beeld newspaper yesterday explains that there is a move in government encouraging the removal of sexual orientation protection clauses from the SA Constitution. 

Not to say "I told you so", but I've been warning about this eventuality for the past 5 years.

...So, "I fucking told you so!" 

The fact that there is a government body with power over the Constitution giving serious consideration to un-Constitutional suggestions which would not only violate the human rights of a significant portion of SA citizens - but would also stand in contradiction to several important UN mandates on human right as well, and is cause for significant concern indeed. It would set in motion a cascade-effect that would collapse the culture of human rights protections for numerous communities.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

So You Think You're A Good Person?



Self-acceptance -  the acceptance of the person we are, with whatever defects and flaws - imperfections - and even our perfections, determines who we are and who we become. How can we work towards becoming anything else if we don't even know who we are now? How can you chart a course from A to B if you don't even know where A is, or where B is in relation to you? If you don't even know what your own strengths and weaknesses - and character flaws are - how can you know what to work on, and where to improve, and what to leave behind?

Whatever we are now, we all began as something else. Personally, I'm far more partial to the view that "I am what I choose to accept I am", and "I am what I want to be". 

I am what I am. Nice sentiment that. But is it that simple? 

Sunday, March 18, 2012

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

WARNING - contains honest opinion of the author about ChristianISM (i.e. Christian terrorism), righteous indignation, and some good, down to earth home truths. 

The willfully ignorant may be offended.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Cry, Emo Kid - They Really ARE Out To Kill You



I was shocked and saddened today, when I saw news articles of STATE SANCTIONED AND ENCOURAGED MASSACRES in Iraq

The target of these unholy act of unspeakable barbarism? LGBT people, feminists - and Emo kids. That's right - Iraqi religious police assisted by fanatic religious militia have been abducting and murdering people - including children - because they don't approve of their hairstyles, dress, or if they happen to appear a little too masculine or feminine to their liking, for their idea of "appropriate" gender! 

Nobody is safe from their brutality and terrorism - not even children! 

Monsters!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Apartheid Is Dead, Long Live Apartheid!



I am angered by the attitude of some people in this country. It seems that one can't even enter into a rational debate with people of other races here without it descending into a war of words, where prejudices and stereotyping come to the fore. (You are correct in assuming that this is going to be a rant. 

If you disagree with me on this topic, it is your democratic right to do so. 

However, I then urge you to also exercise your other democratic right to not read it, while I exercise my right to express myself freely.) Why am I angry? Because it amazes me how many black people still live under the assumption that because I am white and have a car and a house that I am somehow "rich" and that I have "stolen" something from them in order to get it.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Let's See How Long This Post Stays Up



I saw a post on Facebook, wherein the poster asked what a political party's position was on legalizing the drug trade in South Africa. The poster was of the opinion that legalizing the trade would make things better and more controllable.

In my opinion, the only thing that legalizing this trade in human dignity, suffering and lost lives will help is that the government would be able to claim its share in tax proceeds from the profit made by these obscene monsters masquerading in human form - something which, in my opinion, could explain why law enforcement agencies struggle so to clamp down on this dangerous and illegal trade in the first place - corruption. 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Traditional Hatred


What an interesting holiday season this has been! 

Three weeks went by so fast that I once again find myself writing the first article for the new year! 

I hope you all had a wonderful time, and whether or not the silly season held any special or even religious significance for you, I hope it was peaceful and filled with love and the company of not just family and friends - but people you really wanted to spend time with, and hopefully, enjoyed their company.