negative influence of the media has mainly been twofold. Firstly, the general coverage of stories that involve known or suspected LGBTI persons can be damaging due to the adverse use of language and secondly, the provision of space to public officials and influential people to promote homo, bi, trans phobia and advance a heteronormative agenda. At a turning point in the history of Zimbabwe, during the drafting of the country’s new constitution, the media was central in shaping public opinion around issues of inclusion in the supreme law. The portrayal of stories represented LGBTI persons as inherently scandalous, immoral, criminal and involved in pedophilia, was dehumanizing and subsequently influenced the justification of excluding LGBTI issues from the reform process and the political space in general. Similarly, reportage has been inclined towards representing homosexuality as a foreign element in Zimbabwean culture and deviant to the country’s moral standing. Homosexuality has been viewed through the public media’s weaponisation of sexuality and at the very least as part of neo-colonization15. The underlining tone during the Zimbabwean constitutional reform process from the ruling party was to reject any ‘foreign elements’ coming into the final constitution document16. The media onslaught was laden with myths and misconceptions that LGBTI individuals are politically divisive and that the very nature of their sexual orientation or identity inadvertently destabilizes political processes. It must be noted, however, that there has also been positive coverage of LGBTI issues in the mainstream media. Some examples include opportunities for pro-LGBTI organisations such as GALZ to issue statements, generally through the print media, though of course a number of these are paid advertisements. 15 16 Copac co-chairman complains of “neo-liberal” bias https://bit.ly/2yrfAzf https://www.herald.co.zw/copac-in-gay-storm/ An analysis of the state of human rights violations against LGBTI persons in Zimbabwe (2011-2017) 14