Pretoria: Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, has welcomed the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) report showing growing public support for the inclusion, equality, and human dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons in South Africa.
According to South African Government News Agency, the findings, contained in a landmark national public opinion survey conducted by the HSRC in partnership with civil society foundations, reflect encouraging progress in advancing the universal principles that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The Deputy Minister noted that the report reaffirms South Africa's constitutional values of human dignity, equality, freedom, and non-discrimination, while also affirming the country's commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, and other international human rights instruments.
In a statement issued on Friday, Letsike emphasized that human rights are universal, indivisible, and inalienable. "Every person, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, is entitled to dignity, equality, freedom, and protection under the law," Letsike stated. She highlighted that the progress reflected in this report is a positive affirmation that South Africans continue to embrace the values of the Constitution and shared humanity.
While welcoming the survey findings, Letsike acknowledged that many LGBTIQ+ persons still face discrimination, violence, exclusion, hate speech, and unequal access to opportunities. She pointed out that these realities indicate that legal protections alone are insufficient unless matched by societal acceptance, accountability, and respect for the inherent dignity of every human being.
"The measure of our democracy is not only the rights we guarantee in law but the dignity we uphold in everyday life," the Deputy Minister stated. She urged the need to continue challenging prejudice, rejecting discrimination, and creating communities where every person can live openly, safely, and without fear.
As South Africa strives to build a just, inclusive, and democratic society, the Ministry called on all sectors of society to uphold the principles of Ubuntu, respect for diversity, equality before the law, and the inherent dignity of every human being. "Protecting the rights of one group strengthens the rights of all and reinforces our shared commitment to a society founded on justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity," Letsike concluded.