Statement by the National Coalition for Gay and lesbian equality

Request for the appointment of a judicial inquiry into the alleged gross human rights violations committed against "suspected" lesbian and gay persons by the South African Defence Force before 1994

The National Coalition is outraged by the content of the recent allegations of gross human rights violations against lesbian and gay persons serving in the South African Defence Force during the Apartheid era.

It is clear from the reports in publications such as the Mail & Guardian that there exists prima facie evidence of a programme of sexual reassignment surgery performed by the SADF. From the reports, it would seem that informed consent was not always an element of this programme. It would further appear from the reports that this programme was abruptly stopped. This resulted in a number of persons being in a position where their gender reassignment surgery is incomplete. They are now effectively trapped between sexes.

Furthermore, the National Coalition has documented proof in the form of the Aversion Project report. This report was commissioned by the National Coalition, the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa and the Medical Research Council. This report clearly shows that lesbian and gay people were subjected to unethical so-called medical practices, such as aversion therapy, electric shock treatments and chemical castration.

Both these programmes seem to have been conducted between the 70's and the 80's. Though some organisations such as the National Coalition did submit documentation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), particularly through the Health and Human Rights Project, no perpetrators ever came forward or applied for amnesty. There has, therefore, been no justice for the victims of these violations.

We are also concerned about the fact that the medical establishment has taken no action in regard to these matters. The report from the aversion project has been available for some time. SADF staff at the time of the alleged abuses made reports of alleged misconduct. Nevertheless, the medical establishment has never investigated any of these allegations. The South African public may justifiably ask why, in the face of prima facie evidence, the then South African Medical and Dental Council, and its' present successor, never made any attempt to investigate this matter.

The present South African National Defence Force has the most progressive policies in the world in respect of the rights of lesbian and gay members of the Force. In order to maintain the legitimacy of these gains, we and our partners have called on the Minister of Defence to appoint a commission of inquiry into this matter.

We and our partners further call for the inclusion of a representative of our organisation in the Commission of Inquiry. We also propose that the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry should include the following: