'Spud promotes gay-bashing'

Johannesburg - Constitutional Court Judge Edwin Cameron has complained to producers of the film Spud about certain homophobic references in the movie.
Cameron expressed his concern in a letter to Ross Garland, one of the producers of the movie, referring to the "casual denigration of gays – the amiable gay-hate incidents – that occasionally spike up in the movie".

In the letter, which is published on the website www.constitutionallyspeaking.co.za, Cameron said while he enjoyed the excellent acting and direction, he was unhappy about the scenes in which The Guv (played by John Cleese) judged lesbians like Virginia Woolf and another writer, before saying that he had nothing against lesbians and that he in fact would like to "give them a thorough rogering".

"…it is exactly this impulse that is imperilling the safety and the lives (of) lesbians in townships throughout the country, and appears to have resulted in several brutal murders," wrote Cameron in the letter.

"Middle class academics and discussants call it 'corrective rape'.  But to township lesbians it is a constant and benighted horror."

Cameron said he found it upsetting that such language was used in a South African-made film, with a South African producer.

Cameron's concern was shared by Anthony Waldhausen, director of the Pietermaritzburg Gay & Lesbian Network who said that research in this city had revealed several incidents of hate crimes against gays and lesbians.

Kate Skinner, chairperson of the Freedom Expression Institute (FXI) said the matter had to be brought up as examples of homophobia could be seen everywhere in popular culture.

"We don't think (Cameron)...asks for censure or an apology, but rather that South Africans should be more aware of homophobia and the issues that the gay and lesbian community are facing," said Skinner.