Religious Groups Challenge Cape Town's Gay Status

Cape Town's status as the 5th biggest gay holiday destination in the world is being challenged by South African Christian groups who are challenging tourism campaigns which promote the city as being 'gay-friendly'. "We absolutely respect people's rights to be homosexual but object to Cape Town being sold on the basis of sexual preference and to 'pink map' brochures with full frontal nudity and bizarre sexual practices," Errol Naidow, a spokesman for the Christian groups told the Independent. "Rather than spend public money selling the city as gay friendly, we want it promoted as family friendly."

Cape Town, however, is already a "queer city", local activist Andre Vorster claimed. According to the Independent, it already "attracts more affluent travellers than Ibiza but the interests are the same…There is a thriving 100,000 strong gay community here, not to mention the gay nudist beach, the Waterkant gay village, many gay bars, clubs, steam rooms and guest houses and the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival."

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