Embrace Diversity targets 90 000 members by end of year
The EDM was founded in 2017 by a group of pro-ANC LGBTIQ members to bring social and political representation to the marginalised.
The Embrace Diversity Movement (EDM) recently launched its national membership drive to bring awareness to and address issues facing the LGBTIQ community.
The #90000 campaign aims to sign up 90 000 members by the end of the year, and the national head of mobilisation, Bayana Khutamo is confident the movement will reach this target.
“In our provincial and regional structures, we had not just devised a system for membership, but also invested time and resources since our establishment to create the necessary networks to prepare us for confronting this work,” said Khutamo.
EDM started in 2017 and was founded by a group of pro-ANC LGBTIQ members to bring social and political representation to the marginalised group.
“Our greatest manifesto point is derived from an urgency that the Queer voice has a special place in the historic and contemporary political landscapes, and this is what drives us, the preservation of the history,” continued Khutamo.
Despite having principles rooted in the mass democratic movement (MDM) and being led by the ANC, the movement insists that it is not a political party but rather an autonomous organisation determined to ensure that sexual orientation is something no one is discriminated for.
EDM credits itself for being integral to the formation of the ANCWL LGBTIQ Desk in 2019 and has participated in various forums including the Commonwealth Equality Network, National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders and also served under the national sectoral engagement of the ANC in the past two elections.
Khutamo went on to say that basic services remain a challenge for the LGBTIQ community.
“A case in point is how transgender persons, are still confronted with the difficulty of opening a mere case of assault or any crime for that matter, because of the fear of secondary victimisation in the hands of law enforcement,” said Khutamo.
EDM believes that pro-queer government policies are a step toward ending their discrimination, and plans to host its first elective conference this December.
Potential members can contact the national mobiliser or visit their Facebook page (Embrace Diversity Political Movement) to have membership queries answered.
“We have always possessed a political voice, we have always been there, but silenced. EDM affirms this voice and will strive to help South Africans learn and unlearn what they thought they knew about the place of the LGBTIQ community in the history and current posture of the South African political landscape,” concluded Khutamo.
ALSO READ: Pretoria West SAPS in surprise school search
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
