By Wanique Block
Today, 13th October 2022 marks 32-years since South Africa’s very first Pride march.
Held in Johannesburg, South Africa the fist Lesbian and Gay Pride march was organised by the GLOW (Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand) organisation and attracted a crowd of 800 people.
Born out of defiance, this march acted as both a gay pride event and an anti-apartheid march, thus placing emphasis on what it meant to be a Gay, Black South African living in apartheid.
Addressing the crowd, gay rights activists, AIDS activists and founders of GLOW, Simon Nkoli, Dr Beverly Ditsie and Justice Edwin Cameron reiterated the importance of demonstrating pride in Queer identity and community, as well as placing emphasis on oppression and marginalisation by the apartheid government.
“I am black and I am gay. I cannot separate the two parts of me into primary or secondary struggles. They will be all one struggle”
Simon Nkoli said when addressing the crowd at the Pride March.
Despite fearing for their safety, marchers eagerly celebrated the parade and the chanted the phrase “out of the closet and into the streets”.
Since then, pride representation and visibility has continually evolved.
The end of apartheid marked a new dawn for many South Africans.
South Africa’s new democratic constitution was the first in the world to prohibit unfair discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, thereby guaranteeing equality for gay and lesbian people.
Pride marches continue to grow in South Africa, taking place in every province and in turn speaking to the existence of queer people in every corner of South Africa.
Although Queer Pride continues to evolve, the Queer community still continues battling with targeted violence and murders.
That said, let’s use this Pride month as a time to not only reflect on progress that has been made but to also be aware of the ongoing challenges that the LGBTQIA+ community faces.
HAPPY SOUTH AFRICAN PRIDE!



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