Sara Valdes Bolaño

Friday marked International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). On this day the world commemorated the World Health Organisation’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. This day of commemoration serves two purposes. Firstly, to honour the memory of victims of violence and discrimination based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.

The legal situation in Mexico, South Africa, and Germany when it comes to LGBTQIA+ rights sometimes stands in stark contrast with the reality experienced by our fellow citizens. Societal acceptance is still lagging behind the legal status, writes the Mexican Ambassador to South Africa, Sara Valdés Bolaño and the German Ambassador to South Africa, Andreas Peschke. On Tuesday we celebrate Human Rights Day in remembrance of the Sharpeville massacre in 1960.

By Sara Valdes Bolaño, Kamal Malhotra  &nbspJuly 2, 2021 | 07:52 am GMT+7 In March 2019 a wave of public outrage about an incident of sexual violence in the public sphere spread on social media. A young woman was cornered in an elevator by a man unfamiliar to her and forcibly kissed. She scrambled out of the elevator as he tried to grab her arm. The whole incident was taped by a security camera and was as clear as crystal. The perpetrator was fined a mere VND200,000 ($8).