POWER & PARTICIPATION HOW LGBTIQ PEOPLE CAN SHAPE SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICS PUBLISHED BY TRIANGLE PROJECT & THE LGBTQ VICTORY INSTITUTE • FEBRUARY 2018 triangle project ISBN 978-0-620-77688-2 RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR Jennifer Thorpe CONTRIBUTORS Triangle Project Team: Matthew Clayton Elsbeth Engelbrecht LGBTQ Victory Institute team: Luis Anguita-Abolafia Caryn Viverito DESIGN & LAYOUT Carol Burmeister FIRST EDITION Printed in South Africa, February 2018 THANKS This study was made possible thanks to the support of the Astraea OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION Lesbian Foundation for Justice FOR SOUTH AFRICA and the Open Society Foundation of South Africa. The content of this material may be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopied or other means, provided the source is cited, that the use is non-commercial and does not place additional restrictions on the material. The ideas and opinions expressed in this book are the sole responsibility of the authors and those persons interviewed and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Triangle Project or the LGBTQ Victory Institute. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND LIMITATIONS 2 2.1 METHODOLOGY 2 2.2. LIMITATIONS 2 3 LITERATURE REVIEW 4 3.1 THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLITICAL LANDSCAPE 1994 – 2017: AN OVERVIEW 4 3.2 TRANSFORMATION WITHIN THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT 6 3.3 LGBTIQ MILESTONES SINCE 1994 AND SA'S COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS FOR LGBTIQ PERSONS 8 4 RESEARCH RESULTS 11 4.1 SURVEY 12 4.2 CIVIL SOCIETY INTERVIEWS 23 4.3 POLITICAL PARTIES' PERSPECTIVES ON LGBTIQ POLITICAL PARTICIPATION 34 5 BEST PRACTICE GUIDE AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LGBTIQ POLITICAL PARTICIPATION 43 6 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 48 7 REFERENCES 49 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In early 2017, Triangle Project (Triangle) and research on political participation in South Africa, and the LGBTQ Victory Institute (Victory Institute) political party manifesto and policy analysis. commissioned a research report into the political A broad range of methodologies were pursued in order participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, to get a deeper understanding of the opportunities intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) persons in South for, and barriers to, increasing political participation Africa. This research report reflects the process amongst LGBTIQ persons. and results of that study, conducted between April 2017 and September 2017. KEY FINDINGS This report has a number of key findings that reflect This report forms part of the broader work of both the interest of LGBTIQ persons in increased Triangle and the Victory Institute towards increasing political participation, the opportunities for political the participation of LGBTIQ people in democratic parties to draw voter support through having clear processes in South Africa, and achieving equality for and defined supportive positions on human rights for LGBTIQ people. LGBTIQ persons, and openness and support for LGBTIQ Additional elements of this work include training persons across political parties. Some key findings from LGBTIQ activists and advocates who are interested in the survey in particular include: democratic processes to get more involved in formal ● Voting is the most common way that respondents political spaces; and civil society forums to create a of the survey participated politically. The majority platform for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and voted in the previous three elections. Those who did best practice around the political participation of not vote primarily did not do so because they were LGBTIQ people. not registered, not interested, or disillusioned. This speaks to the need for political parties to engage MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT LGBTIQ constituencies around voter registration The project's main objective1 was to identify the time to try to increase participation. opportunities to increase the political participation ● Few respondents were members or volunteers of LGBTIQ people in South Africa. This included of political parties. There is thus the opportunity for six specific objectives as shown below. Specific political parties to draw voter support by engaging objective 5 was noted as the most important. with LGBTIQ issues, and ensuring that their party policies, manifestos, and practices are supportive of METHODOLOGIES human rights for LGBTIQ persons. The research included several methodologies, including structured interviews with nine political party 1 Triangle Project and LGBTQ Victory Institute (2016) Terms representatives2 and six civil society leaders, case of Reference: Best Practice Guide to Include LGBTI Issues into the Political Parties. 30 September 2016. studies, an online survey of over 800 LGBTIQ persons 2 Three from the DA, one from the ANC, one from COPE, two from detailing their political participation, desktop literature the EFF, and two from the EFF. SPECIFIC Identify trends in the Identify the voting Identify whether a political OBJECTIVES progress, challenges, behavior of LGBTIQ party or a candidate's OF THE and best practices of people in South Africa support for LGBTIQ political participation of PROJECT during the last two equality negatively affects the LGBTIQ population in national electoral cycles their support from voters South Africa 1 3 5 2 4 6 Identify whether having Identify opportunities openly LGBTIQ elected Identify to increase the number officials in South Africa has some best practices of LGBTIQ people that positively impacted the to encourage political are part of political advancement of equality participation from black parties' structures for LGBTIQ people LGBTI persons i ● Almost no respondents cited their sexual orientation respondents felt that these engagements could or gender identity as the reason that they did be beneficial, and noted a number of best practice not vote. recommendations for political participation, ● LGBTIQ respondents, like South Africans surveyed which are noted in full in this report. In addition in similar surveys, were most concerned with the to this, civil society respondents identified a issues of education, basic services and jobs when need for strengthening the LGBTIQ sector in voting though this varied slightly by race. For South Africa to ensure more meaningful political white respondents leadership, basic services, and participation that is inclusive and representative. jobs were listed as the most important. For black Political party respondents expressed clear support of respondents education, basic services and jobs human rights for LGBTIQ persons during the interviews were listed as the most important. They were also conducted for this research. However, few parties had the race group most likely to indicate that LGBTIQ developed explicit policies or dedicated structures to issues were important to them. This indicates that address LGBTIQ issues, or encourage the participation the black LGBTIQ community is interested in parties' of LGBTIQ individuals. Although some noted that stance on these issues when going to the polls. more could be done, other respondents argued that ● Less than half of respondents had any contact with segregating human rights for LGBTIQ persons from their local government representatives, indicating other human rights concerns could result in stigma. an opportunity for more political participation at Parties differed in their assessment of whether this level. There is the need for political education increasing the number of LGBTIQ representatives on the opportunities for engagement including within their parties would increase or decrease their the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) processes, voter support, but even those who suggested that it and the use of gender and youth desks to report could result in a decrease attributed this to societal concerns. In addition, awareness raising on ward and conservatism rather than a lack of party support for local municipality meetings and processes would human rights for LGBTIQ persons. Based on these be a useful way for local government to increase interviews a number of best practice recommendations LGBTIQ participation at this level. for political parties have been included in this report. ● Most participants did not feel that political parties LGBTIQ South Africans make up a constituency were performing well with regards to LGBTIQ that could assist political parties in securing a issues, and a significant number were not sure of significant number of seats at election time. Part the party's performance, perhaps speaking to a of ensuring that LGBTIQ persons participate lack of awareness of political party decisions and politically, and support political parties in South performance. Africa requires activity on behalf of political ● Despite low levels of interaction with local parties to show their willingness and enthusiasm government, when respondents were asked to promote human rights for LGBTIQ persons. whether they would like to participate further 3 in politics, 45.33% indicated that they would. In Despite significant legislative progress since 1994 , addition, 58.29% of respondents felt that more LGBTIQ persons continue to face barriers to political representation of LGBTIQ politicians within parties participation including discriminatory attitudes, fear would mean that their needs would be addressed of violence, and disinterest in political opportunities. better. This points to an opportunity for political These can all be addressed through sustained parties to encourage LGBTIQ members within their activism