Pride month at UP

Adelle Jansen and Thabang Moloi

Being proud and having “Pride” take on a lot of different meanings, each being tailored to the individual experiences of one’s journey. This is why different countries celebrate Pride Month during different times of the year (attributed to country-specific monumental historical LGBTQIA+ events that took place in different periods). On 28 June 1970, the first ever Pride march took place in the United States. The purpose of Pride month and its marches is to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community , the diversity it brings to society, selfidentity, visibility, and uniqueness.

Pride month and its marches could also be viewed as a form of protest to remind people of the harm inflicted on the LGBTQIA+ community and of the extreme conditions of punishment that are still being enforced at present. In 2019, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) released a briefing which revealed that “three out of five African countries have laws criminalising homosexuality”, such as Ghana and Kenya.

South Africa has become progressively more open and accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community.and celebrates Pride month in October. It is celebrated in October because the first Pride March and parade in Africa were held in South Africa during the apartheid era on 13 October 1990. According to South African History Online, the parade had almost 800 people in attendance and was organised by the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand (GLOW). The march had a dual cause – to celebrate Pride by protesting to decriminalise homosexuality and was also a political stance against the apartheid regime in South Africa.

However, although South Africa is considered progressive compared to other African countries, the question arises: Is UP progressive in terms of accommodating students from the LGBTQIA+ community?

According to various students who wish to remain anonymous, UP is regarded as one of the most progressive universities in South Africa in relation to welcoming students from the LGBTQIA+ community and minimising homophobic attacks. The Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) worked closely with UP and successfully implemented a trans protocol document. This document enables students to selfregister with different pronouns, titles, and names, thus accommodating the diverse queer community on campus. The trans protocol document gives students the opportunity to embrace their identity.. On the other hand, it does not remove or prevent internalised homophobia or anti-queer attitudes that are deeply wired into individuals and society at large. The journey of self-exploration and the building of acceptance of who you are and identify as, is a stressful and confusing experience, often traumatising. People go through a great deal of mental and emotional trauma while trying to distinguish between who they are biologically and what they identify as personally. From the moment they identify as a queer individual, they become conscious of the hatred and rejection that can be associated with queerness.

Deputy director of the CSA&G, Pierre Brouard, highlights that all individuals are worthy of help and encourages students to make use of the university’s anti-discrimination policy and support structures like: the student council, the CSA&G, advisors in the residence system, and UP&Out. Brouard further recommends that in cases of violence and discrimination students should immediately report this to the transformation office or other relevant support structures. It is crucial to note that these cases are stressful and may be triggering. Especially in cases where the residence system is involved, as a student will often have to return to their accommodation after reporting a case where the abuse may continue and potentially worsen.

The residence system is also binary, which can put queer and particularly transgender students at a risk of receiving homophobic attacks. However, organisations like the CSA&G are working on projects to encourage UP to introduce residence options that will allow people from the LGBTQIA+ community to live in a safe environment free from any discrimination and rejection of their identity.

It goes without saying that there is also a safety concern where transgender or queer men make use of the bathroom facilities on campus. It has been reported, in an anonymous interview, that sometimes queer men make use of the female bathrooms on campus as they do not feel safe in the men’s bathroom. However, it should also be taken into consideration that we have a rich diversity of students at UP, including Muslim