"corrective rape"

South Africa gangs using rape to 'cure' lesbians
Gay support group cites 10 new cases of 'corrective rape' a week in one city
( Reprinted from Reuters)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29676829

JOHANESSBURG - Gangs of South African men are raping lesbians in the belief it will "cure" the women's sexual orientation, an aid agency said Friday.
NGO ActionAid said in a report titled "Hate Crimes: the rise of corrective rape in South Africa" lesbians were increasingly at risk of rape, particularly in South African townships where homosexuality is largely taboo.
South Africa has one of the world's most progressive constitutions and became the first country in Africa to allow gay marriage in 2006, but homosexuality is still widely frowned upon and same-sex unions are often decried as "un-African."
The brutal rape and murder last year of female soccer player Eudy Simelane, a lesbian, threw a spotlight on homophobic violence, particularly toward women.
"We get insults every day, beatings if we walk alone, you are constantly reminded that you deserve to be raped," ActionAid quoted one lesbian as saying. "They yell, 'if I rape you then you will go straight, you will buy skirts and start to cook because you will have learnt how to be a real woman'."
Homophobic attacksOne lesbian and gay support group told ActionAid it was dealing with 10 new cases of lesbians being targeted for what it called "corrective rape" every week in Cape Town alone.
Thirty one lesbians have been reported murdered in homophobic attacks since 1998, but support groups say the actual number is probably much higher because crimes on the basis of sexual orientation are not recognized in the South African criminal justice system, ActionAid said.
Of the 31 cases, only two cases were brought to South African courts and there has been only one conviction. South Africa has one of the world highest rates of rape but activists say very few cases end in conviction, and women's groups say police and the justice system have failed to tackle the problem.
ActionAid estimates there are 500,000 rapes in South Africa every year.
It said the police were particularly reluctant to investigate crimes against lesbians and said support for survivors was inadequate.

Monogamy

Monogamy. For me, this is a really confusing and frustrating topic, especially when it inevitably comes up in my intimate relationships. It seems that women who are not interested in monogamy are a minority, whether gay or straight.
Simply put, I cannot imagine having sex with one person for the rest of my life, and I cannot imagine a partner doing that either, it just seems very unrealistic and frankly a bit boring and restrictive. In my mind, it somehow breaks the untamed and wild sprit of the person that attracted you to begin with.
I wonder, do most people REALLY want to be monogamous. or do they just act that way out of insecurity, fear, or societal expectations? I also wonder if it would even be possible for a couple, especially two women, to have a degree of openess in their relationship that would not be ultimately catastrophic.