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Mauritius gets out and proud
20/05/2006 21:18 - (SA)
Rose Hill - Hundreds of gays and lesbians staged the first gay rights march on the largely conservative island of Mauritius on Saturday, shocking afternoon shoppers in the bustling town of Rose Hill.
Mauritius has a population of 1.2 million, made up of Hindus, Catholics and Muslims.
The gay community, which activists say makes up about 10% of the population, is mostly underground as many face persecution and discrimination.
Wearing wigs and full make-up, men dressed in sequinned dresses, feather boas and high heels led a march down the busy high street of Rose Hill.
"The point of today is visibility," said Thierry De Ravel, president of the Collective Arc-en-Ciel (Rainbow Coalition), the gay rights group which organised the march.
"We want to show Mauritius that there is a gay community, that we want to be out in the open. We want to be respected and we want equal rights for all."
Gay rights activists in the country said those who were open about their sexual orientation were often refused jobs or promotions in the workplace. Some even face death threats.
'We need to be more open'
Carrying hundreds of brightly coloured balloons and waving banners saying "Viva sexual freedom" and "To be gay is not a crime", the marchers danced, waved and handed out leaflets to bemused onlookers.
"I must say I am very surprised to see this," said a local shop owner. "I've never in my life seen such a thing in Mauritius, but I think it's good because we need to be more open and like the rest of the world."
Other onlookers shook their head in disgust, saying homosexuality was wrong and should not be allowed.
Organisers said the event was a victory for gays because permission for the march had been granted by local authorities. The island's authorities had stopped previous marches from taking place.
Attorney-general and minister for human rights Rama Valyden, said it was a new beginning for gays in Mauritius.
"I believe every one is equal and no one is superior or inferior to each other," he said. "Today we have a turned to a new page in the history of Mauritius and that is the page of freedom."
Valyden plans to introduce an equal opportunities act in parliament, which will make discrimination against sexual orientation a crime.
- Reuters
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