Walking Hillbrow’s queer history
JOBURG - It can be easy to forget, in a sea of political voices, the struggles of gay and lesbian people under colonialism and apartheid.
Thankfully, the colourful history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Johannesburg and further afield, is archived and shared through the work of Gala, the Gay and Lesbian Archives.
The organisation’s youth and education co-ordinator, Gabriel Khan took this reporter on the Queer Johannesburg walking tour of former queer neighbourhood, Hillbrow.
The tour began at ConHill, site of the Old Fort Prison, the Number Four Prison, and the Women’s Gaol.
From a courtyard, Khan pointed out a block of flats and told a story about Cecil Williams, a gay theatre director who had an interesting relationship with Nelson Mandela.
“Williams had a chauffeur, and knew that Mandela needed help moving around the city. Mandela would pose as his chauffeur, as not many people would question a white man and his black driver,” said Khan.
“This continued until the police arrested them in Howick. It was from this courtyard that Williams looked at the apartment building and saw a drag party taking place, across the road from the prison that held men arrested for sodomy.”
From ConHill, the tour moved to Pretoria Street.
The next stop was Connections, a bar that initially catered only for white gay men but was later associated with radical feminism, and the corner of Pretoria and Twist streets, known as Simon Nkoli Corner.
Nkoli was a gay rights, anti-apartheid and Aids activist, and was involved with the Congress of South African Students as well as the United Democratic Front.
The corner is also the location of the Skyline Bar.
It was here in the late 80s that the first planning meeting, which included Nkoli and activist Beverley Ditsie, was held for the first pride march in Johannesburg.
The tour came to an end at the Constitutional Court at ConHill.
Khan highlighted important dates in this history, beginning with 1757, when an interracial gay couple in the Cape Colony were sentenced to death for sodomy.
He also spoke about 1966’s infamous Forest Town party, 1996’s new constitution and the allowance of same-sex marriage, and 1998’s legalisation of gay sex.
“The legal changes were never a popular or grassroots thing,” he said.
“The challenge now is to create a grassroots movement.”
Gala also offer a bus tour that includes sites in Soweto.
Details: 011 717 4239
011 717 4239; www.gala.co.za
