Members of the Lesbian Gays Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersexual others and (LGBTQIA+) community held a Khumbulani Pride march at Lwandle on Saturday 17 May, to raise awareness of queer rights in the townships and to remember victims of hate crime, particularly those killed or attacked due to their sexuality.
More than 100 people marched through the streets during this, the 12th annual Khumbulani Pride.
Its organiser, Velonia Sidukwa, said beside commemorating LGBTQIA+ victims it was important for the community to have greater visibility in communities. She said such events were important for creating an atmosphere of acceptance and a heightened consciousness.
“We still face the challenge of being discriminated against or rejected. So many of our members are attacked and killed because of their sexual orientation. Sometimes we are discriminated against even at work. We are saying enough is enough!”
Sidukwa urged authorities, particularly police and Law Enforcement to prioritise cases of these brutal attacks against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Lwandle Police Station spokesperson Sgt Mthokozisi Gama said the station respected everyone’s right to be, and that the station is open to everyone.
“As law-enforcement officers our duty is to protect the community and ensure everyone lives in a safe environment, and this also applies to LGBTQI+ community members.
“We encourage anyone who has a problem or feels his or her rights are being infringed to come alsong and report it to our station.”
