South African lesbian teen commits suicide after mom beats her

A teenager in South Africa’s rural town of Bethlehem has killed herself apparently because of her family’s unwillingness to accept her sexuality.

It all began when the young woman was suspected of smoking, the bereaved mother told news24.com, asking the media not to identify her daughter.

‘My son came to me and said not only was my daughter smoking at the tuck shop, but that she was a lesbian.’

The mother was so angry to learn of the news that once her daughter got in she slapped the teenager and took a belt to beat her.

‘That day I went straight to my bedroom and left her to cry by herself,’ she added.

‘The next morning when I went to look for her, I found her,’ said the mother, who later also found a heart-breaking letter her daughter had written to her that reads – ‘I just wanted you to accept me for who I want to be, mom. I am a lesbian,’

‘That’s when I knew why she took her life and it was too late for me to bring her back,’ said the mother who now lives with guilt over the loss of her only daughter.

‘If only we had been able to talk in a calm manner, but I reacted badly,’ she said. ‘I blame myself for my child’s death.’

According to South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), about eight percent of all deaths in the country may be due to suicide and suicide deaths have more than doubled in the last 15 years.

SADAG said it was extremely important for parents to keep communication open, urging teens and parents alike to reach out for help if they are having thoughts of suicide.

The post South African lesbian teen commits suicide after mom beats her appeared first on Gay Star News.

Derek Yiu

www.gaystarnews.com/article/south-african-lesbian-teen-commits-suicide-after-mom-beats-her/

Tony Abbott slammed over ‘archaic’ stance, urged to see gay love movie Holding The Man by star Ryan Corr

Ryan Corr of the Australian movie Holding The Man, has joined fellow actor Jack Black in condemning Tony Abbott over his attitude to marriage equality reforms, calling it ‘archaic’ and challenging the Australian Prime Minister to watch the movie to ‘open his mind’.

The 26-year-old actor best known for the TV-series Packed to the Rafters called the ruling Coalition’s refusal of a conscience vote on marriage equality ‘a disgrace’, as news emerged that the PM is also refusing to intervene between warring ministers.

‘Seventy per cent of Australians, right or left, think people have the right to have marriage equality,’ he said, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. ‘I’m exactly the same.

‘It’s disappointing Tony Abbott could have had the opportunity to be the prime minister that supported people loving who they wanted but instead it’s gone the opposite way’

Corr plays playwright and gay activist Tim Conigrave in Holding The Man, a romantic drama centering on his 15-year relationship with John Caleo (Craig Stott) after they met at a boys school in the late 1970s.

The critically-acclaimed movie opens in Australia in two weeks but there is as yet no detail on overseas release.

Corr hopes the film will make people talk about gay rights, including marriage equality.

‘Hopefully Tony Abbott will go and see it. It might open his mind a bit …

‘It’s archaic. We’re behind the rest of the world in progressive ideas like this. It’s plain and simple: people should have the right to marry and love who they want.’

Watch Holding The Man’s trailer here:

The post Tony Abbott slammed over ‘archaic’ stance, urged to see gay love movie Holding The Man by star Ryan Corr appeared first on Gay Star News.

Derek Yiu

www.gaystarnews.com/article/tony-abbott-slammed-over-archaic-stance-urged-to-see-gay-love-movie-holding-the-man-by-star-ryan-corr/