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By Eugene Brockman

Anybody in South Africa's gay scene can tell you it is not easy. Those in the know will tell you that jealousy is par for the course between the air kisses, catty veiled insults and the cold shoulders. Yes, you can wonder if a "gay community" even exists in our sunny South Africa.

Though we at the Gay Flag of SA like to keep it happy, snappy and gay we also have learnt that you can't be friends with everybody. Nor do I wish to be.

However, people colluding against you is something completely different as I recently learned with Out Africa Magazine's stab at not only me personally but also at the Gay Flag of South Africa.

To which I must respond.

Evan Tsouroulis of Out Africa Magazine truly revealed his personal loathing for Henry and me in a disdainful opinion-piece passed off as an Out Africa magazine's investigative piece. I admit that the Gay Flag of SA misunderstood the meaning of our registration with the Gay Flag with the Bureau of Heraldry, but have the excited e-mails to trusted friends to prove my innocent but wrongful assumption. I will gladly accept any objective and fair article commenting on the news, but I will not be bullied. A facebook follower (who alerted us to the article) labelled Out Africa Magazine's article "outrageously vindictive".

After reading the article Henry and I called Evan, editor of Out Africa Magazine to which Evan responded:
"In the beginning you (the Gay Flag of SA) seemed to be entrepreneurial. You went to all the parties. Then suddenly it was just corrective rape, the task team and protests"

This statement reveals a lot about Out Africa which primarily comprises of Evan Tsouroulis, Tommy Patterson and Keith his partner.

** Being entrepreneurial is paramount. Profit above politics. Money before equality.
** Going to parties is more important than gay rights
** PARTIES ARE DEFINITELY MORE IMPORTANT, than just corrective rape, the task team and gay rights protests. (No profit you see?)

I would like to stress that the Gay Flag of SA has been publicly supportive of all LGBTI organizations, parties, events and projects and have worked tirelessly to build good relationships with all.

Furthermore, the current situation with OUT Africa Magazine is one which we are saddened by. We value the fact that Gay Flag of SA has been on the cover of Out Africa Magazine (THANK GOD not the one on which they misspelt Aussi(e)bum!), in numerous of their social pages and have written pieces but also been featured in the Out Africa Magazine repeatedly.

However my relationship with Tsouroulis and Patterson have been increasingly strained, for which there simply is no answer. Even after me outright asking why the cold shoulder over coffee and whenever we met socially.

After I was alerted on facebook about the slander against me I logged on to Out Africa magazine's 13th online edition, took a breath... and started to read what my "frenemy" wrote.

After a short intro, the article shows its bias and prejudice against the Gay Flag of SA and me personally. I would like to respond pointedly below:

"It was the latest in a series of press releases, trumpeting some feat or other for the GFSA.

The "series of press releases" that Out Africa Magazine refers to spans more than two years of tireless work and milestones all of which were news worthy and normal for any non-profit to promote as justification for its charitable work.

Out Africa Magazine ignored the following key press releases on actual news worthy events:
** our participation in Parliament on corrective rape,
** the coalition which we called into life on traditional leaders agenda to discuss constitutional rights and
** the subsequent 4 city protests we held in conjunction with all major LGBTI civil society organizations against the tradionalists' attempt on our constitutional rights.
** the ANC publicly condemning homophobic violence and using tradition to discriminate.

One tends to zone out after a while."

I am glad that Tsouroulis admits he was "zoning out" whilst the Gay Flag of SA took action and reported on some of the most pressing issues that our LGBTI community had faced recently.

"Perhaps this group of old men has no place in a modern constitutional democracy, but really how influential are they? ... we should be careful of over reacting."

OVER REACTING? Can the members of Out Africa Magazine elaborate on who Thapelo Makhutle, Sanna Supa, Hendrietta Morifi, Neil Daniels, Phumeza Nkolonzi were without Googling them first?

If they did Google them they'd find that they were among the 9 people who lost their lives in the spiked homophobic violence after the CONTROLESA leaders attacked our civil rights. Can Tsouroulis say that he did enough during that time? Can he man up and admit that he shrugged at the real dangers the majority LGBTI South Africans face such as beatings, murder and rape?

Oh, yes rape. Corrective rape. An issue on which the Gay Flag of SA raised vast awareness for. Patterson (Out Magazine's owner) outright told Henry and me that he is a "lesbophobe" and doesn't "understand why we would spend our time advocating against corrective rape when we can help out gay men."

Out Africa Magazine goes on to say, "Surprisingly (dare we say thankfully) was also the last (press release) we ever received."

Was there any need? After Out Africa Magazine has down-played or ignored all of the most recent milestones mentioned above for more than three issues. In spite of all of the above being credible LGBTI news stories broadcasted in mainstream media news.

"GFSA has been conspicuously quiet of late."

Yes, I will admit that we have been seen less on the club scene.

After completing our last bus tour Henry and I were verging on bankruptcy. Both emotionally and financially. Henry had a heart attack (no joking) due to the stress when our hotel sponsor cancelled two weeks before the tour and we had to find replacement hotel accommodation sponsor for thirteen people. After the tour we were facing some tough choices as we had no means of income and had been abandoned by those we considered friends.

So we rather went on holiday with family and spent Christmas and New Years with them, rather than investing energy and money in the December party scene in Cape Town.

However we did not ask for pity and despite the hardship and heartbreak the Gay Flag of SA was represented on the Ru Paul Drag Star's at Sea cruise, reached 2000 likes on facebook (Out Africa Magazine on 713+ after 4 years) and Henry and I were selected finalists for the J&B Met's Most Elegant Couple.

However there is a story behind every story and this one is all about a pissed-off drag queen.

After the Gay Flag Bus Tour of 2012 we learned that Genevieve Le Coq had turned against us during the tour after Genevieve stepped down as tour manager after missing a 702 morning interview and wanting to focus on her "performance art". This placed a lot of pressure on Henry and me as I also became ill with bronchitis during the tour which led to further conflict.

Despite our disagreements and my hurt, I made peace with Genevieve. I learn't the very next day that it was none other than Genevieve Le Coq who lodged an official complaint against the Gay Flag of SA's registration with the Bureau of Heraldry. Described by a Bureau spokesman as "an objection and disapproval so strong against the Gay Flag of South Africa, that it is worse than that of right wing Christians."

When Evan contacted me with questions for his article they were exactly the same as that which Genevieve Le Coq had put to the Bureau of Heraldry..

Hell has no fury than a drag queen scorned?

Out Magazine goes on to state that "The Flagboys... are affable chaps who have been telling anyone who would listen how much they achieved on our behalf as "Exhibitionists Activists"... One can only wonder why these misrepresentations were made in the first place and which other stories we have been fed in the last two years are less than accurate."

Had Out Africa Magazine truly showed any concerted interest in the South African LGBTI community and done easy research of projects the Gay Flag of SA has worked on; they could have investigated our reports and published them timeously like queerlife.co.za, mambaonline.com, the Pink Tongue, Gay Pages and mainstream press like SABC News, City Press, The Argus, 702, OFM, 5FM etc. they would know what we reported to be true and accurate rather than speculating. Besides we have thousands of pictures to prove every statement.

On happier news Henry and I are both gainfully employed and are doing really well in our new positions in the corporate world. We are still passionate about South Africa's LGBTI community and rights and resolved more than ever to celebrate queer culture and act as a watch dog for gay equality and rights. More than that we are planning some big new projects for the Gay Flag of South Africa. Only now we will have the means and more private funds to do even more.

So like Cher said "Follow this you BITCHES!"

Eugene Brockman is a businessman/activist based in Cape Town, South Africa. He is also the designer of the Gay Flag of South Africa and the local account representative of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). You can read his blog on Queerlife HERE!