ABSTRACT
This chapter explains a reaction to the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana (EFB), president’s speech during a press conference in Gaborone, where he used the platform to attack the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community. It argues that by doing so he was endangering their lives in the process. The chapter asserts that hate speech delivered by EFB president was malicious and damaging, thus becoming catalyst in instilling homophobia in minds of Batswana, society that is still grappling to come to terms with existence of LGBTI communities in their midst. It contends that despite the high court ruling which decriminalized homosexuality in Botswana in June 2019, the security of the LGBTI communities remains under threat from the public declarations by some prominent church leaders. The chapter addresses the role of the church in Botswana and the role it plays in matters affecting the LGBTI community.
