The Institute of Reconciliation and Social Justice in partnership with the Johannes Stegmann Art Gallery and Student Affairs invite all staff and students to "In Whom Can I Still Trust?"  An exhibition on the history of homosexuals during the Nazi era, which also explores the failure to protect sexual minorities in South Africa.

6 - 14 June

Thakaneng Student Centre

Opening:  6 June at 17:00

Walkabout:  7 June at 10:00

Guest Speaker:  Richard Freedman, Director South African Holocaust & Genocide Foundation

Responding to an untold history of persecution

The South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation is bringing to South Africa the exhibition, ‘In Whom Can I Still Trust’, which explores the Nazi persecution of homosexuals.

The exhibition, redesigned and developed for South Africa by the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation , makes use of archive photographs, personal testimonies and video clips and relates the historical narrative to the prejudices still facing homosexuals today.  Developed by Dr Klaus Mueller, Berlin, on behalf of IHLIA (Homosexual and Lesbian Archive, Amsterdam), the exhibition highlights the largely untold history of the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany. 

Through additional panels, the exhibition aims to highlight the progress made in ensuring the protection of sexual minorities in South Africa. (ADDENDUM A)

The relevance to South Africa

Despite South Africa’s Constitution and Bill of Rights, which safeguards the rights of all to be protected against any form of discrimination, homophobia and prejudice towards members of the lesbian and gay community is still widespread in South African society. Attacks on lesbian women and gay men are frequent and school learners, whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexual, encounter terrible prejudice.

‘IT GETS BETTER SOUTH AFRICA’

Videos from the ‘IT GETS BETTER SOUTH AFRICA’ project will form an important part of the ‘In Whom Can I Still Trust’ exhibition.

A diverse group of high profile individuals have teamed up with students from the University of Cape Town and University of Pretoria to create a collection of videos that discourages homophobic bullying. The interviewees range from struggle hero Ahmed Kathrada and Nobel Peace laureate Archbishop Emeritas Desmond Tutu  to TV personality Joanne Strauss.