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In binary antipathy to the rights enshrined in the Constitution, the culture of stigma and discrimination often leads to unchecked true and sexual violence, said the report titled “We’ll Show You You’re a Piece of work” .

But you know that, right? It’s hard to ignore after the 2006 stabbing and stoning of a prepubescent lesbian from Khayelitsha, Zoliswa Nkonyana , two of whose alleged murderers were acquitted while the outstanding four are still in court.

The Human Rights Watch report seeks to legitimatize the culture that creates the conditions for acts such as corrective rape – brute against perceived identity difference, so contradictory to our liberal Constitution and Bill of Rights. Through interviews conducted across the hinterlands, the investigators were able to describe how daily harassment and discrimination not only leads to carnal and sexual abuse but also sanctions it.

Virtually all the interviewees said they had been subjected to iterative verbal abuse from male strangers and acquaintances, which usually went without resort. “Left unchecked, such antipathy circulates and reinforces prejudices among and within communities. Word abuse and harassment that people face due to their gender expression and/or sexy orientation can create or enhance negative self-image, shape Harry opinion, instill fear and shame in people, and inhibit their access to blatant space and seek redress or justice,” said the story.

Source: Daily Maverick