HRW: LGBTs target in S. Africa

Violence is part of the everyday lives of homosexuals in South Africa even though they're apparently protected by the Constitution, Human Rights Watch said. Human Rights Watch, in a 93-page report published Monday, said authorities in South Africa aren't doing enough to ensure the constitutionally mandated protection of lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens. In more than 120 interviews carried out over six provinces in South Africa, the rights group said it found homosexuals are the target of violence and harassment by private citizens and public servants. Dipika Nath, an analyst for homosexual and transgender rights at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that violence is a fact of everyday life for the LGBT community in South Africa. "South Africa, at the forefront of the fight for legal equality on LGBT issues internationally, is desperately failing lesbian and transgender people in their everyday lives at home," said Nath. Human Rights Watch said nearly everyone it spoke with in the LGBT community in South Africa said they were afraid to approach authorities to report crimes against their community. Human Rights Watch said there was a deep-rooted societal prejudice against gender and sexual orientation in South Africa.