LGBTQI+ community from across the province meet to discuss issues
The dialogue started after the messages of support from panellists from across the province.
Kwa-Thema – With all the challenges faced by the LGBTQI+ community daily, the Gauteng Legislature held a dialogue session on Wednesday at the Kwa-Thema Community Hall to find solutions.
The two-part programme started with different stakeholders sharing their messages of support to the community.
The chairperson of the SA Queer Movement, Calvin Nkosi, during his message, said, “We are here to celebrate human rights in diversity. We are celebrating everyone regardless of the status, whether rich or poor, black, white or pink, we celebrate everyone.”
He said the SA Queer Movement was born because they saw a gap.
“People are talking about us in boardrooms, legislatures and parliament, yet they are doing so without us. We seem to be nowhere to contribute and share what we want,” he said.
Nkosi said the movement was born for them to occupy space.
“As the queer community, we are no longer victims of anyone, no matter the positions they hold, even of criminals. We are now taking a stance that whatever we were born to do, we will complete the purpose,” Nkosi continued.
He also said they celebrated human rights that became possible through democracy.
“This government has made it possible for me to get married to the same sex, for me to have children that are born from me. We can live a normal life like the heterosexual people,” Nkosi said.
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He said they want to have a government that will integrate everyone and that the LGBTQI+ community led by the SA Queer movement will go to the polls on May 29 to ensure they choose leaders that will be credible, leaders that will not reverse the democracy they enjoy now.
The dialogue started after the messages of support from panellists from across the province.
The facilitator, Osborn Mmakola said, “For far too long, the voices of the LGBTQI+ communities have been suppressed and daily they encounter hate speech, murders, hate crimes and all other mischievous crimes that one could think of.”
During the dialogue, the audience raised different issues with Nathi Dlamini raising that it was difficult to register for an RDP house because he is gay. Others also raised issues of unemployment, bad treatment at health facilities and home affairs.
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The panellists brought solutions to this with Nokuthula Sikhakhane from Ikemisetso Community Organisation in Soweto, saying people should stop expecting everything from the community and start taking things into their own hands.
She said everyone is treated the same in South Africa according to the constitution, and those in LGBTQI+ should stop expecting special treatment. Sikhakhane also said people should know the difference between equity and equality.
Rebecca Digamela, the chairperson of the health portfolio committee in the legislature said, “There was a need for this dialogue so we can be able to get the issues this community faces on the ground. We have compiled a report, which will go to the legislature to be deliberated there.”
She said they needed to make sure the community was not left behind and work hand-in-hand with them. Digamela said they would suggest a portfolio specifically for the LGBTQI+ community in the legislature.
