Cape Town streets were filled with music, dancing and became a colourful affair as the LGBTQIA+ community came together to celebrate with Pride Mardi Gras and parade in the CBD on Saturday.
Alongside the thousands of people from the LGBTQIA+ community in attendance were a few familiar politicians such as the Democratic Alliance’s JP Smith, Rob Quintas and Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, along with Minister of Tourism Patricia de Lille.
The parade caps an almost month-long festivities to promote inclusion, and celebrate the history and diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community in Cape Town.
As is tradition, The Pride Mardi Gras also took time to honour the memory of the recently slain with a moment of silence. This year, the memory of Imam Muhsin Hendricks, who was believed to be the world’s first gay imam, was also honoured.
Hendricks was killed last month in a shooting in Gqeberha. Some in attendance had placards emblazoned with Hendricks's image, and others also had badges including the phrase reading "#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN".
No arrests have been made in the investigation into the murder.
Dr Dion George, who is also openly gay, spoke at the parade and shared that he was 24 years old when he attended the first ever Pride March which took place on October 13, 1990 in Johannesburg.
“I did not wear a paper bag over my head like many others who had no option because they would be fired from work or get beaten up if they openly expressed who they were.
“Every year after then, the struggle was clear to see as we got insulted, had objects thrown at us and some got physically assaulted. But we never blinked, and instead stood together, united in the fight for our freedom, to be who we are, and to love who we choose,” George said.
“Today, that fight is still on because we are still not free. As a nation, we’ve come a very long way, but still have very far to go. Some who choose to hate came out to the sidelines of our celebration today.
“Some who choose to hate want to paint over the rainbow crossing in the road that we walked across earlier today. To them I say, you just make the fight for equality stronger!”
George said that in South Africa, today, people are raped and killed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and that is not freedom, but is tyranny.
“The South African Constitution guarantees our protection, but in practice the governments at all three spheres must make sure that what is protected is our lived reality.
“I am very proudly the first openly gay Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in South African history. Today I introduced to Cape Town Pride, my husband, Craig. Craig is the only same sex husband in the National Cabinet and the first in South African history.
“Celebrate today this truth: We are proudly everywhere,” George said.
Cheshire Vineyard, the mother of ballroom house, House of Vineyard, took a moment to address the crowd when introducing “a taste” of ballroom culture stating: “It is really important that we are conscious and cognisant of the space, platforms, and infrastructure that we are building together as a community.
“...That is what today is, collectively we have made a statement on what we stand for as a community…I want you to understand the power of collectivism, and (that) this is how we change the world.”
Evaan Ferreira, who identifies as queer, was in attendance at the parade, and said that the reason why they were in attendance was to have fun, and celebrate their queer identity.
“I think it is still important for us to have visibility. I’m happy that we have a Constitution that is very sickening (queer slang for incredible) and is very on point for protecting the dolls (queer slang for trans women) and the divas, and the gays. It is not the reality for many people, and so we still need Pride to showcase that we are proud of who we are, that we are looking out for each other, and that you need to be whoever it is that you need to be.”
