PRIDE MONTH: A VERY SHORT HISTORY

The month of June, many countries in the southern hemisphere such as; Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa; brings extremely cold weather conditions. Many other countries however, these countries in the southern hemisphere included of course, celebrate a very important time of the year for the LGBTQI+ community.

Photo by Sander Dalhuisen from Pexels

June marks the celebration of Pride otherwise known as Gay Pride or LGBT Pride. During this month members of the LGBTQI+ community raise awareness about issues that the community face such as equality, hate crimes and speech against the community and healthcare availability. The word ‘Gay Pride’ was first used by a gay rights activist from Minnesota, Thomas Higgins, round about 1969. Following this, Brenda Howard, who was an American bisexual rights activist, feminist and polyamorist, coordinated the first ever LGBT Pride march or as it is sometimes known LGBT Pride parade. This was in 1970 and because of this Howard was dubbed “Mother of Pride”.

In South Africa, the LGBT pride has been celebrated in different provinces since 1990 and it is well known that these marches were greatly used for political advocacy. Pride in South Africa meant protesting against the legal discrimination against members of the LGBTQI+ community. Additionally, till this day, Pride is a big celebration of equality before the law (or equality under the law/in the eyes of the law) which is a principle that indicates individuals must be treated equally by the law. This came about after the apartheid era which ended in the early 1990s. In present Pride is used as a platform or medium through which issues such as hate crimes, corrective rapes of lesbians in townships especially and honouring victims of hate crimes.

Simon Nkoli, the founder of the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of Witwatersrand (GLOW), organised the first pride march alongside Beverley Palesa Ditsie in 1990, Nkoli was an anti-apartheid activist, gay rights activist and AIDS activist in South Africa. The first South African Pride organised by Nkoli and Ditsie in Johannesburg South Africa was recognised as the first of its kind in the African continent. The event was attended by 800 people and amongst the speakers was Edwin Cameron, who is currently a retired judge, a gay Dutch Reformed Church minister Hendrik Pretorius and Donné Ruddie. Another event that is as big and pro LGBTQI+ is the Mother City Queer Project which has been held in Cape Town since 1994. This event takes place every December in light of the season of summer and festivities.

Charles Haynes from Hobart, Australia - Dying For Justice

Even though in South African pride is celebrated from October to December, June is still the ultimate pride month for many South Africans who are part of the LGBTQI+ community. Despite negative reviews and judgements from many religious groups especially pride marches have continued to grow since the initial 1990 march. The fight towards equality and security through the celebrations are still the main objectives during pride celebrations since known supporters and members such as the rape and murder of Noxolo Nogwaze and LGBTQI+ rights activist and Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee in 2011. Banyana Banyana footballer Eudy Simelane was also raped and murdered in 2014 and both crimes were perceived as hate crimes.

It is such crimes and treatments of inequality that fuel the passion behind various celebrations in major cities of South Africa such as Cape Town and Johannesburg along with Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Polokwane, Nelspruit and Mpumalanga.