Steve Letsike refuses to bow to pressure from trolls
DeputyMinisterMmapasekaSteveLetsikeisnotbackingdowninthefaceofonlinehate.
TheDepartmentofWomen,YouthandPersonswithDisabilitiesofficialhasrespondedfirmlytowavesofhomophobicattacksfollowinghercriticismofPodcastandChillhostMacGoverhisremarksaboutmediapersonalityMinnieDlamini.
Letsike,whohaslongbeenopenaboutheridentity,madeitclearthatshewon’tbesilencedorshamed.
InarecentpostonX,shesharedapowerfulmessageaimedatherdetractors:“Iusedtorushtodefendmyselfagainstattacksandfalseaccusations.ButnowIwatchtoseewhobelievesit.Wedon’tgiveup,wecontinuetostandupforajustsociety.”
Sheendedhermessagewithastrongaffirmationofheridentity: “Bytheway,Iremainaproudlesbianwomanevenintimeslikethese.”
HercommentscomeaftershepubliclycondemnedMacGandhisco-hostsfortheirbody-shamingremarksaboutMinnieDlamini,whichshedescribedas “nauseatinginitsvulgarity.”
Letsikewentfurthertolabelthepodcast’slong-standingrecordofmisogynisticcommentaryasaformof “onlinegender-basedviolence.”
Reinforcinghercommitmenttoadvocacy,Letsikewroteearlierthisweek:“Idonotmincemywords.Don’tgetconfused.Thosewhohavejustwokeuptotheissues,welcome.Wewillworkwithyou.Butwewillnotstopprotectingtherightsofallpeople.Iamheretoserveeveryone.”
