South African Festival Posters Trashed

More than 700 posters for the South African Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, which show illustrated same-sex couples kissing, have been torn down from lamp posts around Cape Town.

"Some stupid twits with more time on their hands than brains trashed our gorgeous posters. And for what?" said festival director Nodi Murphy, according to The Cape Times.

She said the removal of the posters was the result of a two-day effort by fundamentalist religious or right-wing groups. The posters were approved and paid for by the executive mayor's office, who shelled out 32,000 rand (approximately $4,300 U.S.).

The festival was launched in 1994 to celebrate the constitution's ban on discrimination toward gay and lesbian citizens. This year's event started September 10 and runs through the 20th in Cape Town, and September 3-13 in Johannesburg. Some of the films being screened include XXY, Dirty Laundry, and Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom.