Being involved in implementing the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide through the establishment of the Rapid Response Team has helped us understand the different pillars in ending GBVF. We became involved in the GBVF Stakeholders Forum in Knysna, which addresses GBVF in the community. This forum has been instrumental in addressing hate crimes that affect queer people. Together with community stakeholders, we organised a GBVF walk in the community, distributed pamphlets, and raised awareness about this important issue. We also picketed in solidarity with the Ugandan LGBTQIA+ community in response to the recent Anti- Homosexuality Bill, 2023, a Ugandan parliamentary bill that restricts freedom of speech on LGBTQIA+ topics. It is one of the harshest pieces of anti-gay legislation in Africa. Not only does it make identifying as gay illegal, but it places a duty on family, friends, and community members to report those in same- sex relationships to the authorities. It also includes the death penalty in certain cases.
By Nolitha Ruth Maseko-Boyce & Candice Ludick Fantastic Family LGBTIQ
Fantastic Family LGBTIQ, based in Knysna, Southern Cape, was established in 2017 with the support of the Triangle Project. One of our objectives is to develop programmes and activities that challenge stigma, exclusion, and discrimination related to sexual identities in communities. The day-to day services provided to members of the queer community in Knysna include anti-bullying initiatives in schools, counselling, and psychosocial support services in collaboration with Triangle Project, and more recently, two dedicated community care workers have been appointed to support and assist those who need to access services, including but not limited to primary and secondary healthcare, to do so safely.
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June 2023 | Collective Action Magazine
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