The Department of Social Development’s GBV Unit hosted a LGBTQIA+ awareness event at Kwa Rasta informal settlement.

Led by the unit’s Mbali Cindi, she said the event aimed to create safer spaces and normalise LGBTQAI+ visibility within the black communities.

She explained that reactions to LGBTQAI+ identities often vary across generations.

ALSO READ: Locals urged to support the LGBTQIAP+ for mental health

“The older generation grew up with strict cultural and religious expectations about gender and sexuality. Many find newer terms such as transgender, queer, lesbian or gay unfamiliar or confusing,” she said.

Cindi added that harmful interpretations, such as claims that same-sex relationships are “un-African”, continue to fuel stigma, discrimination and even hate crimes.

“The event highlighted how these stereotypes affect the entire LGBTQAI+ community. It gave individuals a platform to share how discriminatory remarks and exclusion make them feel in their own communities.”

She noted that rigid gender roles have historically placed both women and LGBTQAI+ people in restrictive boxes.

“Challenging those norms can feel, to some, like a threat to tradition or social order.”

While education alone won’t solve everything, Cindi said it is a vital starting point.

“Introducing LGBTQAI+ education helps plant seeds. Young people often embrace it first, while older generations may need time and culturally resonant messaging. But when the conversation is anchored in shared values, respect, dignity, and Ubuntu, communities begin to see inclusion not as something foreign, but as something deeply aligned with who we are,” said Cindi.

ALSO READ: Government concerned over LGBTQIA+ hate crimes

Primrose SAPS warned the community against hate speech and discrimination.

Acting Vispol sector commander WO Adam Dikhoba of the Primrose SAPS stated that the police have been actively warning the community about the dangers and legal consequences of hate speech and discrimination towards the LGBTQAI+ community.

“There are criminal offences related to hate speech and discrimination against gays and members of the LGBTQAI+ community, as well as charges linked to child neglect and gender-based violence,” Dikhoba explained.

He added that there is an initiative aiming to address cases of child neglect, particularly where children are left without care despite receiving SASSA grants.

“Parents go to taverns, the children are left without supervision, which can sometimes lead to tragic incidents such as house fires.

“The event was held in conjunction with the 16 Days of Activism, launched by the Primrose Police Station. Social workers from the VEC Centre’s Ekuphuleni branch were present to assist and provide support to the community.

“This partnership between police and social services is crucial in raising awareness, preventing abuse, and ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable children,” said Dikhoba.