Pan Africa ILGA congratulates Batho Ba Lorato Film Festival Committee and LEGABIBO on Botswana’s first LGBTQ Film Festival. This film festival, coined Batho Ba Lorato (People of love) is an attempt to create a platform for dialogue through the use of film. Taking place from the 12th – 15th February 2013, the festival will be bringing together a society divided on views on homosexuality, Trans and Intersex issues at the University of Botswana Library Auditorium
Pan Africa ILGA congratulates Batho Ba Lorato Film Festival Committee and LEGABIBO on Botswana’s first LGBTQ Film Festival. This film festival, coined Batho Ba Lorato (People of love) is an attempt to create a platform for dialogue through the use of film. Taking place from the 12th – 15th February 2013, the festival will be bringing together a society divided on views on homosexuality, Trans and Intersex issues at the University of Botswana Library Auditorium.
The Batho Ba Lorato (BBL) film festival aim to explore interrelated issues that plague the African continent:
- How Christianity has exacerbated the violence directed at LGBTQ communities.
- Homosexuality as ‘UnAfrican’ and unnatural.
- And whether the anti-sodomy laws that persist in Botswana are justifiable.
BBL is a result of an exploration of different ways to sensitize and educate non-LGBTQ communities. In Botswana, where anti-sodomy laws are still in place and the Christian community explicitly expresses its rejection and condemnation of LGBTQ communities, there is a need to create a space to enable dialogue, whether hostile or positive.
Thus far, festival speakers have included human rights lawyers and activists, Jill Thompson and Uyapo Ndadi.
Festival Committee Member Lame Olebile said, “We look forward to making this an annual event. We will continue to challenge the Botswana nation on these issues and look forward to any forms of support. Great thanks is given to Out In Africa, Zanele Muholi, Gender Dynamics, Envisioning LGBT Human Rights, University Of Botswana, LEGABIBO and Focus Feature who have all contributed to make this film festival a reality”.
Following South Africa’s Out in Africa Film Festival and Kenya’s Queer Film Festival, we are pleased to welcome Africa’s third.
The use of film presents a less confrontational medium to bring issues of homosexuality to the forefront. We hope for open dialogue, which will not only challenge the negative perceptions that exist around homosexuality but also bring to light the abuses the community endures.
Source – ILGA
