Pastor Oscar Bugardt, who previously caused controversy with statements claiming that gay men should be kept in cages and that 99% of pedophiles are homosexuals, is now advocating for a 'queer-free' Cape Town.
Bugardt, known for his controversial remarks regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, recently used Facebook to urge residents to support his candidacy for mayor under the banner of the Straight Party in the upcoming local elections on November 4th. He clarified that he is not an official candidate but is merely presenting his vision for the city should he attain the office. He insists that his publication does not violate the court injunction that previously restricted his speech.
He stated that he does not consider his post a violation of the judicial order that silenced him. In his message, he promised to lower water and electricity bills, as well as abolish taxes that he believes unduly burden citizens. Furthermore, he pledged to immediately cease funding for the World Pride Day 2028 event and redirect those funds to healthcare, law enforcement, and homeless housing.
At the end of his appeal, he wrote: 'Straight Party; where everything is done straightforwardly. Vote for OP Bugardt as mayor for a queer-free Cape Town for LGBTQ+ (sic)'.
Cape Town is hosting WorldPride in 2028, which will be the first time this event is held in Africa. The city won the right to host the event in November 2024, securing 53% of the votes from InterPride member organizations, ahead of a competing bid from Guadalajara, Mexico. The handover took place in Amsterdam on Saturday, and the event itself will run from September 28 to October 14 of that year.
The Western Cape Equality Court sentenced Bugardt to nine months in prison with a five-year deferral on August 10, 2023, for disobeying previous orders to stop anti-gay statements. He was not incarcerated. The court prohibited him from publishing, posting, or sharing statements on any social media concerning sexual orientation or other grounds protected by the Equality Act. This deferral period lasts until 2028, the year Cape Town hosts the event he wishes to defund.
In 2014, he signed a settlement agreement with the South African Human Rights Commission, agreeing to cease making statements that discriminate against or incite hatred based on sexual orientation. In 2018, he was found guilty of disrespecting this order and received 30 days in prison with a five-year deferral. Among the statements that formed the basis for this ruling were his claims about cages and pedophiles.
'I am not trying to deny what I wrote. I wrote it and I defend my right to express political opinion,' he stated. 'What I dispute is the assumption that expressing this opinion automatically constitutes a breach of a court order. If there is a legal dispute over the meaning or scope of the order, that is ultimately a matter for the court.'
The common acronym LGBTQIA+ uses letters representing lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual, with the plus sign encompassing unlisted identities. Bugardt omitted the letters for transgender and asexual in his post and reversed the order of the others. When asked what this means in practice, he replied that he would oppose the use of municipal funds to promote what he termed political or propaganda initiatives for LGBTQ+. He called this an expression of a political viewpoint.
He noted: 'It seems the question stems from the assumption that a Facebook post stating what I will do if I become mayor is equivalent to confirming a factual candidacy. That is not the case.' He added: 'I am a public figure and have the right to express political views, including what I believe should be done if I hold public office. Part of the essence was demonstrating how quickly assumptions can be presented as established facts.'
He declined to say whether the Straight Party is registered with the IEC or if he is a registered candidate. Bugardt also refused to state the amount the city allocated for WorldPride, saying he would not make it up. He emphasized that the mayor cannot ignore council processes, and that if elected, he would raise this issue at the council level. Bugardt reported that the South African Human Rights Commission, which filed previous complaints regarding the disregard of the order, has the right to go to court, and he has the right to oppose that.
