HM South Africa has suspended Max Barashenkov, features editor for the magazine and editorial assistant Montle Moorosi, for causing a social media uproar through joking about correctional rape.
Barashenkov posted this on Facebook: “I propose correctional rape and sterilization for any white person who twerks.”
“Correctional rape” is a hate crime, which is rife in Africa and is the illogical means of “correcting” homosexuality, particularly in lesbian women. Twerking is a term used to describe a vigorous dance move.
A Facebook user then responded to Barashenkov’s insensitive post by saying he should not condone “correctional rape in any way for any purpose”.
Barashenkov’s colleague Moorosi also commented with insensitive rhetoric, and many Facebook users took to expressing their resentment of the posts.
Barashenkov continued to fuel the fire instead of apologising which then led the FHM editor to suspend the two for their comments. He said: “I myself was a victim of correctional rape, so I can make jokes about it”
“FHM was horrified to learn of the incredibly offensive comments made by two of our staff members on their private Facebook pages. These comments in no way reflect FHM’s values. The opinions expressed are hurtful and deeply offensive and entirely unacceptable to FHM’s management,” Brendan Cooper, editor of FHM, told City Press yesterday.
The two FHM writers’ comments were very poorly timed following the recent death of a South African lesbian woman who was brutally murdered through “correctional rape”.
“They’re actually nice boys (Barashenkov and Moorosi), but having these comments linked to my brand [has] me absolutely furious,” said Cooper.
