Addressing the LGBTI issues in Chiawelo
Feathers National LGBTI dialogue comes to Chiawelo.
Sowetans came out to Chiawelo today for the National Feathers LBTGI dialogue. The event was held at the Chiawelo Community Center and was aimed at educating the community as well as addressing issues faced by the Lesbian Bisexual Gay Transgender and Intersexual (LGBTI) community within townships like Soweto.
According to Ditshego Ditshego, head of Communications and MC for the day. The initiative, a first of its kind in the area, would help Queer identifying people submit their grievances and discuss what solutions could be made.
“Well it started with the Feather awards, but then our founder wanted to do more than just awards. We wanted to actually help people not only embrace themselves and celebrate themselves. In the previous years, we’ve been to places like Sandton. We realised that members of the LGBTI community in the townships like Soweto.
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Mabopane are actually facing a lot of challenges, so we’ve come here to have that dialogue where people are telling us their grievances and we’re able to advise, discuss and if necessary take the issue up to the people in power (government),” said Ditshego.
Kamohelo Gumede who attended the dialogue said it was important for initiatives like this to come to Soweto.
“I’m very grateful, especially us in the townships it’s been difficult. You would think in 2019 being gay would be socially accepted able and not a problem to anyone but we are still facing that discrimination we’re still getting harassed.
So when something like this comes to our Township and we are able to have a formal discussion about it with the community then I’m very pleased,” Gumede said.
The feathers LGBTI Dialogue was in partnership with LGBTI Youth Change Drivers Foundation to present the first LGBTI dialogue in Chiawelo, Soweto. The event received special guest appearances and speeches by the co-founder of the Feather Awards, Thami Dish, Somizi and officials from the Gauteng Community Safety who educated members of the LGBTI community on their rights and safety.
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