GAY ACTIVISTS ACCUSE SACOB OF PROMOTING HOMOPHOBIA.

Gay activists have accused the South African Chamber of Business (Sacob) of helping to promote homophobia because it allowed its Cape Town boardroom to be used as the venue for the launch of a book opposed to homosexuality. The Lesbian and Gay Equality Project wrote to Sacob chief executive Kevin Wakeford this week to express great dismay at the fact that Sacob would be "hosting" the launch of "The Pink Agenda: Sexual Revolution in South Africa and the Ruin of the Family". "The book, quite simply, is a work of pure hatred and will contribute to fostering of homophobic attitudes in South Africa," equal rights project co-ordinator Evert Knoessen wrote. He also attacked the book's co-author, Peter Hammond, alleging he was implicated in gun smuggling in Sudan and Rwanda, and in human rights offences before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1997. "He has been declared persona non grata by the government of the Sudan," Knoessen alleged. The promotion of Cape Town as an international lesbian and gay tourism destination was generating millions of rand into the local economy. "A publication such as The Pink Agenda may likely have the impact of making Cape Town a less viable tourist destination for lesbian and gay tourists, which will harms the interests of your members directly," Knoessen said. He urged Wakeford to investigate the matter and respond to "how Sacob can lend support to a venture such as this, that is not only blatantly a promotion of hate speech, but also clearly against the interests of your members". Sacob spokesman Robbie Cairncross -- who is also president of Family Alliance International (SA) -- said the venue had been ...