'Homophobic remark' on soap opera stirs drama - Cape Times

'Homophobic remark' on soap opera stirs drama
September 30 2005 at 07:49AM

By Nomahlubi Sonjica

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GLA) has lodged a complaint with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission against M-Net for broadcasting a soapie episode that contained "an insulting, homophobic" remark - moffie (gay).

GLA director David Baxter said on Thursday that during the second part of Monday's episode of Egoli a character called Joe had made the remark in Afrikaans that insulted gay men.

"The use of the term 'moffie' was unnecessary. It was used in a degrading manner and pictured gay men as people without any courage," he said.

Baxter said the alliance would not accept the insult and demanded that M-Net apologise publicly.

"If M-Net fails to comply, the GLA will invest in a campaign calling on all gays, lesbians and their families to cancel their contracts with Multichoice," he said.

Commission deputy chairperson Ratha Mokgoathleng said: "We will look at the broadcaster's reasons for using the word, in what context it was used, and for what purpose it was intended."

M-Net programme acceptance manager Sbusiso Ndebele said: "Joe as a character in Egoli is an expressive person and it goes with his character to use those kinds of words."

He said M-Net was trying to portray South Africa in a realistic way.

"Even though it's derogatory to use those words, they are still used in South Africa. But that does not mean that we advocate that kind of treatment," he said.

Ndebele said M-Net had apologised in a report it had sent to the alliance.

Freedom of Expression Institute executive director, Jane Duncan, said the GLA was over-reacting and being over-sensitive: "The word was used in the context of a drama series and they should take into account that production companies have artistic licence."

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