“COME rain or sunshine, nothing will stop the Ekurhuleni Pride movement.”
That was the spirit on Saturday at the Ekurhuleni Pride March where the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, and Intersexual (LGBTI) community braved the cold and rainy weather to take to the streets in a bid to highlight the societal issues they face.
The LGBTI Ekurhuleni Pride March was initiated following discussions with the Member of Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development, Clr Makhosazana Mabaso, last year where it was decided that the City of Ekurhuleni will support and partner with the LGBTI community.
“This march is to show people that we are proud to be who we are. As we walk with pride let us walk in solidarity and commemorate the lives of those who died in the hands of criminals who do not understand what you are all about,” said Mabaso at the march.
The march kicked off at the Golden Walk Mall and ended at the Germiston Lake where the activists converged for the formal proceedings. Representatives from POWA, SAPS and the Department of Justice educated those present about their human rights and that, before the law, everyone is equal.
A proud African lesbian woman, Refilwe Lentsitse, explained what the march meant to her, saying: “This is more than a march, this is the platform where we express ourselves. This is a place where I can freely say I am what am, whether I was born this way or changed to this way, I am lesbian and no one can change that.”
Amongst the guest speakers was “celebrity gay” Bujy Bikwa and Snowy Mamba, who is in the process of transitioning into a woman. The guest speakers urged the LGBTI community to unite and respect themselves so that the world can respect them too.
Though this was a first for the Ekurhuleni LGBTI community, a few expressed that this is just a tip of the iceberg and that more needs to be done by the municipality.
“There are so many more things that we want the municipality to assist us with said,” said Noluvuyo Lata. “The issue of correctional rape should be looked into deeper than just a man raping a woman; it is a hate crime based on a lack of knowledge. There is something wrong with that person and that is where the municipality needs to intervene,” she added.
Amidst the pop-up poetry sessions and entertainment, the LGBTI community was encouraged to regularly go for health screenings and be responsible by protecting themselves and their loved ones against illnesses.
