SIYABONGA SITHOLE
OUTSPOKEN poet and activist Ntsiki Mazwai has apologised, or sort of, for her recent comments about gay men which she posted on Twitter on Tuesday.
On Twitter she said gay men were still men and should behave as such because God made only a male and a female.
“Being a gay man does not qualify you to be a woman. You’re a gay man. That’s that. Please stop trying to erase us,” she tweeted.
However, many on social media did not agree with her “careless” comments as they did not sit well with members of the LGBTQI, who on social media called out Mazwai for homophobic comments.
She later added fuel to the fire: “Gay men competing with women is part of toxic masculinity,” she tweeted.
“Gay men have not experienced the same oppression as women in this world. They still held male privileges all their lives. We haven’t.”
However, speaking to this newspaper following the social media frenzy, the controversial Mazwai said she would like to apologise on behalf of people who have used her comments as a platform for hate speech adding that they embarrass her.
“It is evident that the heterosexual community still had a lot of learning and unlearning to do. It is never my intention to be a vehicle for hate but rather a vehicle to open up uncomfortable conversations. And I do sincerely apologise to everybody whose feelings were hurt or were triggered as a result of the tweet,” she said.
Mazwai who is no stranger to rubbing fans up the wrong way on social media, says there are issues involving members of the LGBTQI community that need honest conversation which must be tackled without fear of being labelled controversial, or anti LGBTQI.
“I feel like I live in a multi dimensional world where a lot of realities can and must co-exist. I hear and accept that I have offended the transgender and queer community at large. I still however, have a deep need inside me to unpack why there are experiences that I go through as a woman, that a gay man will never go through in their lifetime.
“I feel like the queer community cannot be questioned about anything for the fear of being labelled homophobic. I feel like there are conversations which we need to have on a national level which are unsettling for us, but clearly need to be aired,” she said.
Having recently launched her own podcast, The Tea World, Mazwai says it is these kind of issues that she hopes to raise with her newest platform.
"I suppose that’s how my podcast fits in. We are on a journey of healing society. We want to have difficult conversations to see where they may lead us. Unpopular Opinion is a month old tomorrow and we are excited for our first milestone.
“We hope to be that podcast that has people walking away from it feeling like they are better off having watched. We want to build society. We aim to preserve the history of Africa and have inter-generational conversations like our ancient ones had,” she said.
This month, the multi talented singer and poet is set to release a tribute song, titled “In honour of struggle icon, Charlotte Maxeke” which will be released as part of women’s month.