The Rose has Thorns (front)
LET'S ERADICATE HATE!!! BRUTALITY AGAINST LESBIANS MUST STOP! LESBIAN YONA KE YONA - LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME. LET'S ELIMINATE HATE!! RETALIATE AGAINST HATE! I REFUSE TO TOLERATE YOUR HATE!!! WE WON'T STOP UNTIL THE HATING DOES. STOP YOUR JUDGEMENTS BEFORE THE JUDGMENT STOPS YOU. GET IT ‘STRAIGHT’ - I CAN'T BE FIXED. HATE WON'T MAKE ME STRAIGHT!!! (back)


The Rose has Thorns was an anti-hate crimes campaign mounted by the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW). Formerly a partnership with Behind the Mask, an online magazine and community service organisation serving the LGBT community of Africa, and the Lesbian and Gay Equality Project, the campaign was endorsed by many other major queer community networks around South Africa and recieved the active support of organisations working more widely to defend human rights, women's rights, and gender equality.

The Rose has Thorns was officially launched at a public rally on Freedom Day, April 27, 2003, at the Women’s Gaol in Constitution Hill, Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Funds raised by the campaign facilitated various forms of assistance and support for victims of hate crimes, including medical care, counselling, placement in shelters, and follow-up of their police cases. In addition to raising awareness about the issue of violence against lesbians – through local and international conferences and media – the campaign's community interventions included public education workshops, service provider training, and self-defence training for women at risk.