CAPE TOWN
PRIDE 2018
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LETTER FROM PRIDE
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elcome to Cape Town Pride 2018 … Although there have been numerous pride events in Cape Town for many years now, in fact this is the 15th year, the Outreach Africa Cape Town Pride team has only been running Pride for 2 years – making this our 3rd birthday!!! Our mission is clear and unambiguous: it is to provide a platform for every part of the City’s LGBTI+ community, (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer, intersex, non-binary, asexual, polysexual, genderqueer and gender variant people and friends & families (phew!!!) – hope that covers you all… and to assist in raising awaremenss of LGBTI+ issues and to help with campaigns to allow these people to live their lives on a genuinely equal footing and assist in making our diverse community visible. And the Cape Town Pride Festival, covering 2 weeks of events and workshops is doing exactly that. Our ambition to is make Cape Town Pride not only the largest Pride on the African continent but to make it one of the World’s notable pride events … as New York’s, London’s, Sydney and Sao Paulo Pride have all become. The City of Cape Town have already acknowledged, by their enthusiastic support each year, the important contribution the LGBTI+ community makes to the city … Cape Town is, after all, promoted by the IGTLA (International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association) as one of the best gay-friendly destinations in the world. Over the past 2 years we have seen the Pride Mardi Gras grow, so much so that the event had to move from the street party in De Waterkant to Reddam Field in order to accommodate the larger numbers… The March has also grown each year and this
year there are more participants and floats than ever before. In fact the City of Cape Town are opening up the “fan walk” in recognition that the event is large enough to warrant it. Whilst Pride IS a celebration of everything that we as the LGBTI+ community have achieved, the fight for equality and rights for those who are disadvantaged by their differences is far from over. We still need to deal with various types and levels of homophobia which pervades all sections of society including our own LGBTI+ community. Youngsters are still being ostracised and bullied for being gay, so-called corrective rape, that most violent crime against our lesbian sisters is still being carried out, transphobia is alive, bringing fear and misery to a group of people whose only crime is to be different. The alienation of older LGBTI+ people because they don’t fit into a stereo-typed gay youth driven society. All these issue and more still need to be tackled with education and awareness and at Cape Town Pride 2018 have adopted some of these causes meaning that Pride can change lives for the better. In light of this we will be increasing the donation to the Pride Shelter Trust this year, and will be looking at starting a centre to assist older LGBTI’s. Finally, without the support of the City of Cape Town and all the many sponsors as well as the wonderful LGBTI+ community in Cape Town, events like Gay Pride would not be possible, so a huge thank you to everyone involved – including artists and entertainers, bar-persons, cleaners, volunteers, marshals, officials, the South African Police, the WCLA and everyone who has contributed to making Cape Town Pride 2018 such a success
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PRIDE CONTENTS P1 P6 P10 P16
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P20 P22 P24 P26 P28 P30 P33 P34 P36 P38 P40
WELCOME TO CAPE TOWN PRIDE 2018 PRIDE 2017 GALLERY PRIDE FESTIVAL EVENTS ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR WHO's PERFORMING ON STAGE PRIDE PROJECT - ONE VOICE VOLUNTEER WITH PRIDE WHEN SPIRITUALITY BEFRIENDS SEXUALITY THE STORY OF US BEING A TRANNIE IN CAPE TOWN AGEISM - FINAL PREJUDICE PRIDE SHELTER TRUST STONEWALL & GAY LIBERATION PRIDE AROUND THE WORLD THE GAY GAMES LGBTI's MAKING NEWS
GET YOUR TICKETS TO ALL THE PRIDE EVENTS FROM
www.quicket.co.za BEAUTIFUL TICKETING MADE SIMPLE
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CAPE TOWN 23 FEB - 3 MARCH
www.capetownpride.org
HEA RTACHE
HEARTACHE
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7 MAIN ROAD SEA POINT CAPE TOWN
CAPE TOWN PRIDE GALLERY
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N PRIDE 2017
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PRIDE WEEK EVENTS In the week leading up to the Pride March and Mardi Gras there are a host of events from poetry to parties, karaoke to workshops and drag to drama... something for everyone.
FRIDAY
23rd FEB 24th FEB SATURDAY
THE ANNUAL PINK PARTY
Participating venues are: Beaulah Bar, Crew, Babylon, Heartache & Vine, Versatile, Pink Panther and Zer021 ... The idea behind the PINK PARTY is that apart from wearing pink you pay at the first venue and all others are then free. Bear in mind though that Crew and Babylon will charge a surcharge over and above the R30 which goes to Pride ...
THE COZY POOL PARTY - PRIDE EDITION
Cape Town's famous Pool party - Pride Edition is waiting for you. Let us celebrate the Gay Pride opening weekend at one of Cape Town's best outdoor Pool Party locations. Radisson Red, V&A Waterfront - Sat 24th of February, 1 - 7pm Our amazing DJs Sole Elos and DJ Groovy Q are rocking the turntables Cover charge: Presale R190, Early bird tickets: R150 (until 15/02/2018) Door: (No tickets available) First 50 people will receive a glass of bubbly - so be early. Tickets available: 1) Frank Kosi 0711196622 2) Cafe Manhattan (from 16/02) 3) Quicket
THE BIRDCAGE - SPECIAL PRIDE PERFORMANCE
Don't miss THE BIRDCAGE ... This iconic production will be staged at a special matinee performance starting at 2:30pm at the Milnerton Playhouse, Pienaar Rd, Milnerton. The show is directed by Barrie Howard is being performed by the Constantia Players. - Dress OUTRAGEOUS - PRIZES etc Tickets are R100 and available on QUICKET - book early, limited availability, don't miss this hilarious gay classic!!!
KASI PRE-PRIDE CHILL
Happening at Dez Tshisa Inyama in Gugulethu, the annual PRE-PRIDE CHILL is FREE and always draws a great crowd. The event starts at 3pm and goes on till 8pm. Get in to the mood, Get in to the groove and party on down Gugs...
PRIDE WOMEN'S NIGHT
WOMEN'S NIGHT will happen at Beaulah Bar starting 9pm. Entrance is R50 and tickets are available at the door...
PRIDE MEN'S NIGHT
Finally a night just for men!!! MEN'S NIGHT this year is happening at Heartache & Vine... From 8pm onwards and tunes being spun by GROOVY Q - brace yourself for a hot party by men for men ... Tickets R50 at QUICKET or at the door 12
PRIDE WEEK EVENTS
SATURDAY
24th FEB
MR & MISS CAPE TOWN PRIDE PAGEANT
Probably the most popular event in the week leading up to PRIDE is the MR & MISS GAY PRIDE PAGEANT The show staged by the master of pageants in Cape Town, Barry Reid and his team - they promise a glittering, glamorous night of superb entertainment culminating in the crowning of a new Mr & Miss Gay Pride. Venue is the Joseph Stone Auditorium, Starting at 8pm to 11pm. Tickets are available at COMPUTICKET
SUNDAY
25th FEB MONDAY
26th FEB
THE PRIDE RAINBOW FUN RUN
New on this year's calendar is the PRIDE RAINBOW FUN RUN. Participants will gather at the The Mouille Point Lighthouse and the run will follow the promenade back to The Mouille Point Lighthouse. There will be prizes for the most outlandish outfits, the cutest couple, campest pooch and gayest guy or girl ... we will have our version of a drag race ... the run starts at 8am and is about 5kms. Come & join the fun! Registration is only R50 per person ... Register online at www. capetownpride.org - Pay at QUICKET or by EFT - so whether you walk it run it, in heels or in trainers, dressed up or down the choice is yours - the only criteria is that you have FUN!!!
THE BOOK EVENING
This popular event is back this year and it promises a night to remember. This year we have authors, Fiona De Kock, Anastacia Tomson, Retha Benade & Chwayita Ngamlana, who will engage in an evening of insights and revelations. The BOOK EVENING is free and will start at 6pm at Zer021
THE SALON'S VARIETY SHOW
A first on this year's Pride Calendar is the THE SALON'S VARIETY SHOW featuring the very talented Eugene Matthews & friends - the evening is sure to be very well supported. Happening at Zer021 the SALON'S VARIETY SHOW starts at 8pm and ticket price is R20. Tickets are available online at QUICKET . Once again you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.
TUESDAY
27th FEB
THE MOVIE NIGHT
One of the most popular events is the MOVIE NIGHT and this year we hoping to secure the local gay movie - INXEBA (The Wound) - venue to be announced The Oscar nominated Call Me By Your Name will be screened at Nu METRO CINEMA NOUVEAU at the WATERFRONT from 2 March so book your tickets early and don’t miss this awesome film.
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WEDNESDAY
28th FEB THURSDAY
1st MAR
PRIDE KARAOKE NIGHT
KARAOKE NIGHT is a hit every time and this year it will be hosted by the lovely Gregoire and will take place at the newest spot in the gay village, Versatile (old Barcode in Cobern Str). Normally a men only establishment, for PRIDE KARAOKE the bar is open to all... 6pm - entrance R20
PRIDE ART EXHIBITION
Young gay artists work will be on display at Tau (upstairs at CREW BAR) Entrance is free and the exhibition opens at 7pm...
PRIDE BEACH PICNIC
The annual beach picnic takes place in Camps Bay and this year picnickers will meet at Clifton 3 at 6pm to take in a spectacular summer sunset and sip on a sparkling juice...
HOTHOUSE MIXED NIGHT
All sexes welcome ...18 Jarvis Street , De Waterkant
PRIDE DIVA'S EXTRAVAGANZA
One of Pride's most popular events is the DIVA'S EXTRAVAGANZA. The event which showcases some of the best showgirls in the city will be happening this year at Zer021. The evening of glamour and glitz, sequins and satins starts at 8pm and entry is R50 - a not-to-be-missed night as the fabulous Diva's strut their stuff...
PRIDE GAMES NIGHT
Come join us for a night of fabulous board games... the event starts at 7.00pm till late at the BIG BOX CAFE, 18 Roeland Street, CT. Entrance FREE - Donations to PRIDE are welcome.
FRIDAY
2nd MAR 3rd MAR SATURDAY
SUNDAY
4th MAR
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POETRY & ARTS
One again Pride hosts an evening of poetry and arts at Upstairs on Bree. The evening starts at 7pm and entrance is R20. Tickets are available online at QUICKET or at the door.
PRIDE SHABBAT
After a very well supported PRIDE SHABBAT last year, Temple Israel in Sea Point will once again host PRIDE SHABBAT
PRIDE MARCH & MARDI GRAS
The March starts at 12 noon and leaves from Prestwich Street School in de Waterkant. It ends at REDDAM FIELD where the party goes on till 8pm
PRIDE AFTER PARTIES
The OFFICIAL PRIDE AFTER PARTY is at Babylon. Starting at 8pm. Entrance R60 HOTHOUSE AFTER PARTY with DJ Gambis & Bash
SUNDAY SERVICE
An Inter-faith service organised by the Goodhope Metropolitan Community Church (GHMCC) in Green Market Square. The service begins at 18:00
JOIN THE MARCH
The Pride March is the highlight of Pride Week and this year the march will be bigger and better than ever before .... we have more floats taking part, and more marchers as well ... there are even floats from the City of Cape Town’s Carnival collection and to add to the celebratory atmosphere we have an original Cape Town minstrel band... So hold on to your hats the gays, lesbian, bisexuals, transgender, intersex, curious and questioning are coming ... REDDAM FIELD
Alfred Str PRESTWICH STREET PRIMARY SCHOOL
PARADE ROUTE 3 MARCH 2018 But why a march you might ask... In 1970, the first gay pride event, called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, was organised to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York, which had happened the year before. People gathered all over the city, marching on Sixth Avenue from Greenwich Village to Central Park. Soon, commemorative marches in other cities, started to spring up and so the Gay Pride March was born... Over the years, though, parades (or more correctly) marches, have evolved into pure celebrations, putting the LGBT community on cheerful, proud display... This year’s Pride March will form up at Prestwich Street School and Alfred Street in De Waterkant. At 12:00 (noon) the parade will leave, headed by the formidable “Dykes on Bikes” - and will proceed along Prestwich Street, left into Ebenezer Street and right into Somerset Road .... it will then proceed along the Somerset Road “fan walk” through Green Point to York Road where it will turn right to the circle. Left into Helen Suzman Boulevard, right in to Peter’s Road finally ending at Reddam Field car park ... where the Pride Mardi Gras is set to blow you, your big hair, your highest heels, campest garb right off the planet!!!. Wear sensible heels listen to the marshals and follow instructions. Don’t drink alchohol in the Parade, there’s lots of time for that later ... and it’s not allowed (duh!). Be glamorous, be colourful, be daring , behave, but most of all be yourself!!! 15
GET YOUR TICKETS TO ALL THE PRIDE EVENTS FROM
www.quicket.co.za BEAUTIFUL TICKETING MADE SIMPLE
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ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR
Every year, the Cape Town Pride March is followed by an afternoon of revelry and dancing. On the main stage is a line-up of singers, dancers and DJ’s that will have you boogying and shakin’ that booty till you drop. From 1-o’clock (lunchtime) till 8 in the evening there will be non-stop entertainment. On stage you will see some old, familiar favourites but we also have a few new surprises too. There are people you saw last year who are back because we all love them, and others who love us, and by that I mean YOU, so much so - they begged to perform again... have an awesome PRIDE 2018!!!
THE PERFORMERS
Hold on to your hats ... and be prepared to be blown right out of your heels, MATHEW GOLD will be headlining on the Pride stage this year. “If you had to label me, I’d be a singer, songwriter and producer who plays seven instruments. I’m trying to show people the importance of versatility and finding different ways to express yourself through music.”
Always a hit and performing on stage this year, by popular request are those larger than life, gorgeous, glamorous, voluptuous ladies, the THREE TONS OF FUN!!!! These three talented divas always get the crowd and the mood going with their covers of those great gay-athems that see us getting down and in the groove!!! Never a disappointment and always up for a party these dames will put you in a party mood.
Someone else who needs no introduction is local lad, LATHEEM GABRIEL. OUT Africa Magazine’s Pride issue “cover-boy” last year, Latheem is back on stage this year to deliver that unique sound that is getting his name and his music becoming more and more a established on the South African music scene. Always a fan and a supporter of PRIDE and LGBTI+ causes, issues and events it’s a pleasure to see Latheem back at Pride again!!
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Also headlining this years Pride event is none other than the uber -talented ZOE ZANA. Yes the diminutive ball of energy with a huge voice and giant personality is back in South Africa after a protacted spell performing overseas. A crowd pleaser and very popular with the Pride crowd Zoe is sure to get the crowd on their feet with her unique brand of uptempo hit music.
THREE DIVAS - 3D are on stage at Pride 2018 with their original brand of awesome lip-sync impersonations of some of the world’s best loved female artists. You may witness a Whitney or a Beyonce but this performance will be waaaay better. I know you will love this trio of performers who will demonstrate just what an art perfect lyp-sync is - taking hours of practice to acheive perfection. 3D are garanteed to lift your spirits.
South Africa’s Got Talent finalist ... the fabulous, MANILA VON TEEZ is returning to the Pride stage again this year after a triumphant, exciting and very busy 2017. Manila is a condumate professional who brings piles of originality, bucket-loads of talent and always a hint of mystery to her perfectly choreographed routines.
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THE COMPÈRES Local funny-man and awesome entertainer and one of PRIDE 2018’s comperes is the super-successful SOLLY PHILANDER. This comedian needs no introduction enjoying enormous success thorught South Africa. Cape Town Pride 2018 is privilaged to have Solly join the illustrious line-up on stage this year.
Joining Solly is the openly gay commedienne CHANTAL JAX VENTER. Hailing from Gauteng and described on Twitter as “The shortest stand up comedian who delivers on the tallest of orders!.”. Cape Town Pride is proud to welcome this gifted perfomer to the Pride stage ...
THE DJ’s
Drop dead gorgeous and sexy as ... welll ... and with a personality to match, one of our favourite DJ’s - he opened the Mardi Gras last year as well, it’s BASH. This young, proudly gay DJ to the community in Cape Town will get you in that party mood - BASH is the opening DJ for Pride 2018.
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GROOVY Q also needs no introdution ... one of the most popular DJ’s in town, Groovy Q plays a great selection of fagtrash, which we love by the way - real patsy sounds that will keep you on your feet between the performers ...
Who hasn’t grooved to the tunes of THE CHAD - well-known at the gay venues of Cape Town bringing us a completely different and unique set. The Chad is the final DJ of the day who will play to close-off ... when you will be so tired of dancing that it will be a relief to finally sit down, but I,m warning you he’s so good the music will play in your head ALL NIGHT...
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PRIDE PROJECT ONE VOICE
E C I O V E N O PE
ITY IN THE WESTERN CA
E LGBTI COMMUN THE FREE VOICE OF TH
OUTReach Africa has had a bumper 12 months with multiple events that have supported various LGBTIQA communities and projects all over Cape Town. It has been our great privilege to work hand-in-hand with the community to create these spaces for LGBTIQA to be who they are in safe spaces. Some of the major projects that have happened over the past year were: Glitterfest, Cape Town
SOMIZI MHLONGO “OUT” in Africa
ONE VOICE LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER CAPE TOWN PRIDE O’s Record number of NG biggest turn out for Africa’s Pride celebration
FREE
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Issue 1 , 2017
Pride 2017 including Mr and Miss Cape Town Pride and Kasi Pre Pride Chill, cash donations to Pride Shelter Trust, food supplies to an AIDS orphanage and the launch of the ONE VOICE initiative. In September, OUTReach Africa produced a new publication called ONE VOICE ... An educational and informational magazine aimed specifically at the less fortunate community and communities that are in crisis. Future issues will contain; inspirational stories from local LGBTIQA community members, information on local NPO’s and NGO’s that help in the LGBTIQA community and events and workshops that will be happening in the community.
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C team.
VOLUNTEER WITH PRIDE
ape Town Pride is run entirely by volunteers. Some of us work on short-term projects or campaigns – and some of us work all year round as part of the core team. Taking part is an incredible experience and we’d love you to join the
Cape Town Pride is wholly run by a group of volunteers who are passionate about equality and diversity. We are a not-for-profit organisation, and any surplus funds we raise are used to support the LGBTQ+ community and improve the events. Together, we run the South Africa’s biggest, most diverse pride, and our job is to make sure we provide a platform for every part of Cape Town’s LGBTQ+ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer, questioning, intersex, non-binary, asexual, polysexual, genderqueer and gender variant people) to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and campaign for the freedoms that will allow them to live their lives on a genuinely equal footing. From Pink Party, which helps to raise funds for the events for the Pride week, to our annual Parade through the heart of the Cape Town and the amazing 1 week, city-wide Festival that precedes Pride weekend, everything we do is designed to give LGBTQ+ people a platform to be visible and speak loudly to the rest of the city about what we have achieved, how far we have come and what is still needed. Cape Town Pride includes people of every race and faith, whether disabled or able-bodied, and all sexualities and genders including lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, queer, questioning, intersex, trans*, genderqueer, gender variant or non-binary as well as straight and cis allies. Around 15 people volunteer year-round to help us deliver what has become a world-class Pride. We are already a pretty diverse bunch, but we are looking to add to our diversity. So if Pride is for you, then climb on board for the wild ride that is Cape Town Pride!
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An Exclusive Gay Men’s Guesthouse in the Heart of Cape Town
4 Molteno Rd, Oranjezicht, Cape Town, 8001- Phone: +27 21 422 5966
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WHEN SPIRITUALITY BEFRIENDS SEXUALITY
By Rev Beulah Durrheim - Good Hope Metropolitan Community Church
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exuality and spirituality are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. Both are innate aspects of who you are and they are to be valued and celebrated. Each contributes to the betterment of the other. When you neglect the one, the other will suffer. Your spirituality, what you’ve come to believe in life, where your values lie, how you’ve chosen to see and understand the world, is uniquely yours. Nobody can believe for you or think on your behalf, or feel your feelings, or love someone for you. Only you can do that. Who you love is also not something you can predict or control. Someone crosses your path with whom you feel connected, an attraction pulls you towards one another and the more you interact, the stronger that intimacy becomes. You express that love sexually, emotionally, mentally, verbally and spiritually. You talk, you laugh, you cry, you play and you are intrigued by the mystery of another person. You want to know more and so you converse and canoodle late into the night. It’s a beautiful and powerful thing. Every “falling-in-love” is a miracle. Finding another person to share life with is precious and should never be taken for granted. You “make love” when you have nothing but the deepest respect for that person and want nothing more than to be extra close to them, skin-on-skin, kissing, embracing, finding a rhythm, finding each other… Often people separate spirituality and see it as the good thing whilst sexuality is labelled the bad thing. The truth is that both are beautiful, powerful and essential to your humanness. Your spirituality needs to find a place to develop, grow, evolve and be nurtured. You need to find hope and inspiration and reasons to live. It’s imperative that you discover your divine purpose and place in this life. Sexuality needs opportunities to be expressed, explored and lived out in a way that makes you feel truly alive. Our faith helps to fine-tune our values, and our sexuality helps to physically remind us of what it’s like to be fully human, here and now… hearts racing, bodies intertwined, breathing, sweating, craving more and then feeling we’ve reached our capacity. Spiritual moments of absolute peace, synchronicity and euphoria also take us to heights we never knew possible. When our senses are fully engaged – taste, touch, smell, sights and sounds our spirits are awakened and we have a tiny experience of heaven. Your body is the vessel that holds who you are. Your gender identity is uniquely yours. Nobody else should decide for you if you should identify as male or female. You should not be boxed into one dimension, forced into a specific gender expression with which you cannot
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identify and that does not resonate with you. And your sexual orientation should not be doubted or judged by another person. They are not in your body, feeling the emotions and attraction you have for another person of the same-sex or the opposite sex or both sexes. Similarly, your spiritual journey is also uniquely yours. Nobody can grasp or fully understand how you’ve come to believe what you believe. You will have received teachings from parents and your cultural upbringing and life in general, but ultimately you will make your own conclusions and that’s a beautiful and powerful thing. Don’t let anyone ever rob you of that amazing ability to review things and make personal choices. Find a path that is most truthful and to which you can shout a resounding “YES!” As long as you wrestle with matters of the heart, soul and mind honestly and faithfully, you will find peace. Don’t let incongruence between your sexuality and spirituality eat away at you until you find you’ve become closeted, unable to be authentic. Don’t see one as the enemy of the other. Help them to become friends. I know that the dominant message out there is that being gay or lesbian, bi or transgender is wrong, and that this message mostly comes from religious spheres. Just because they are many, don’t assume they are right. Go on an inward journey until you can confidently stand in your own truth. When spirituality and sexuality befriend one another – it is a powerful and beautiful thing.
PRIDE MENS NIGHT SATURDAY 24th FEB
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THE STORY OF US
MAKING A FAMILY By Olwen
I
met Myrna 15 years ago, it was love at first sight. As there is an age difference of 27 years it was by no means an easy road. Never mind all the other people I had to convince that my feelings were rock solid, I had to win Myrna over and that was no easy task. Needless to say I won and here we are. For years we spoke about wanting to have a baby, but it was just that, speaking. We dreamt about what the baby would be like, but it was just that, dreaming. There was no active plan, and no real thought put into it. One thing I knew for sure though was that I desperately wanted it. As time went by, I wasn’t getting any younger and my need grew stronger. I had turned 35 years old and realised that if something didn’t happen soon, it probably never would. That thought left a dark feeling inside me and I knew that if I didn’t end up having kids, I would most definitely regret it and I didn’t want to live with that kind of regret. We had discussed our thoughts around paternity and both felt that ideally we would like the father to, at the very least, simply be available for the child to know. We would set no demands on him, but felt that every child needs to know where they come from. My feeling was that in the absence of knowing who their father was they would inevitably spend a lifetime wondering. So with this in mind we set about trying to find a man who would be willing to be the donor, but allow us the autonomy to raise “our” baby while still featuring in said baby’s life, on our terms? Truth be told we were willing to accommodate any amount of involvement that any prospective father would want. None of this mattered however, when every guy we approached said that they would get back to us, never to be heard of again. We were getting desperate and I started feeling hopeless. Then on New Year’s Eve2015 I went to Beaulah and ran into friends of ours from Durban. We had met Gavin and Craig many years ago and used to run into them from time to time. While having a tequila with Gavin we had a little catch-up and he told me that they had adopted a daughter and how it had changed their
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lives. I said that it was amazing and how we were also desperate to have a baby but were struggling to find a donor. He struggled to understand why and I explained that I thought some men found it scary to commit to bringing a life into this world, and that they were probably afraid of the kind of expectations we would place on them. Without any hesitation he said: “we’ll do that for you!!” he said he would have to talk to Craig about it, but that he was keen. They didn’t have space in their life to be actively involved, due to having their own daughter, and all of that sounded great. Seconds later, Craig came bouncing across the dancefloor to me and said: “I hear we’re having a baby!!” I told Myrna the news and we were very excited. We both realised that alcohol probably had a lot to do with it, but we were hopeful nonetheless. We decided to wait a few days, and see what happened, and that if the boys were serious, they would contact us, or not, depending on the post-party regret. The following morning, at about 9am, we hadn’t even fully recovered from the night before, we got a message from them saying that if we were serious, they were happy to have a discussion about having a baby. We couldn’t believe it! We made plans to meet up the following day. On the 2nd of January 2015 we all met for breakfast. By the end of that morning, we had committed, decided on names and discussed the basics of how to go about it. We all felt that we didn’t particularly like the clinical nature of insemination, or going to a clinic to “make” a baby. The overriding feeling was that this would be an adventure, and that we all needed to have fun. Initially I think the boys were just going to do us the favour, but by the end of that breakfast we were all on board to become the new nuclear family. Myrna and I would be the primary parents, but the “dads” would have as much access as they wanted. We even discussed that they would be there to experience the birth, and cut the umbilical cord. We made plans about what would happen next and our goal was to try this as far as possible without intervention, but if that failed, we
would consult a fertility clinic. On the 5th of January the boys went to see their GP, who ran a barrage of tests, just to ensure that they were fighting fit. I in turn downloaded an app that would assist us in gauging when I was ovulating. Once the decision was made, there was no stopping this steam train. We were all on board for the biggest adventure of our lives. Based on the app I went for blood tests to see when I would ovulate, and once I knew that I had synced the app, we were able to determine when the next ovulation would be. With amateurish luck, we calculated that I would ovulate round Valentine’s Day and that was that. The boys started their prep by only wearing boxer shorts (to prevent limitation and strangulation in the “business area”) and they booked their flights to Cape Town. The plan was to do it at home. They would do their business in a room and then hand it over to us, where we would take over and do the rest. The internet is a very helpful tool. It turns out there is more than just porn on there, there are also in-depth websites on how to get pregnant at home. For this endeavour we used both though. We decided that nothing gets pregnant like a drunk teenager, so for that weekend we acted exactly like that! We drank, went to ULTRA and made a baby! After that weekend, what felt like an eternity, the first week passed. We started taking pregnancy test almost immediately, despite knowing it was impossible for them to be positive yet. We were all on board, excited, but mostly impatient. Then 2 weeks later, once we had all almost given up hope, thinking it hadn’t worked, the craziest thing happened. I woke up at midnight thinking it was time for work, and decided to pee on one last stick. Not really believing that it would amount to much I left it there when Myrna alerted me to the fact that it was the middle of the night. She then went to the bathroom, when I half asleep mumbled for her to look at the pee-stick. “Babe…I don’t have my glasses on, but I think it says pregnant!” I will never forget those words. The electronic pregnancy test said “PREGNANT – 1-2 weeks” … well that was it. Nobody slept after that. We contacted the boys and the lot of us sounded like screeching girls, chatting through the night, excitement uncontrollable.
The boys came down regularly for scans, gynae appointments and, of course, nursery and baby goodies shopping and by this time were fully committed to be part of the baby’s life. Gabriella Katherine Andrews-Nel was born on 1 November 2015 with Myrna and the Dads in attendance with Gavin cutting the cord. This little girl has had a huge impact on all our lives and is absolutely adored by all of us. Gavin and Craig visit at least every 6 weeks with a family holiday at the end of the year and loads of FaceTime calls inbetween. If you want to have a baby …. There’s nothing stopping you today. Just make it happen in a way that works for you.
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FAREWELL TO TIARA SKYE HARWOOD IT'S THE END OF AN ERA AS TIARA LEAVES SOUTH AFRICA FOR LONDON
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iara Skye Harwood is one of Cape Town's best known performers having formed the group 3D (Three Diva's) with Angel Lalamoreand Kat Gilardi.
A lot has happened in her life since she started out at the tender age of 19, she's become well-known as a drag performer, she made the decision to transition, she got married, and now she begins a new chapter in the UK. When did you start doing drag? Whilst I was at university – I entered the Miss Stargazer in 2009 and won and soon after began partnering in shows with Angel Lalamore, Kat Gilhardi, Anastasia Khan and Tristan Valentino. The five us formed a group, The 5 Roses and performed at On Broadway and Rosies in Cape Town. After the group parted company, I moved to Durban where I entered and won Miss KZN. I was there for six months performing at The Lounge. I returned to Cape Town and Kat, Angel and I formed 3D. We were very successful performing at Pride, venues like Bubbles as well as a number of straight functions and venues. It was a great time! Were your family aware that you were a drag performer? Oh yes. 3D was very successful, I was making money and I think that even my dad was secretly proud of me. Tell me about 3D? We started the group when I was 19 and were very successful ... I left the group in 2015, mainly because of the heavy work load and I also felt different to the other girls. We got together again in 2017 but even though I love performing with 3D, I always felt there was something missing … In 2014 I met the most wonderful man, Oliver and in October 2015 we decided to get married. Oliver fell in love with me, having always seen me as a woman – he saw past the physical side and loves me for who I am as a whole. When did you make the decision to transition? I have always felt that there is something about me that is missing. So I wanted to start the surgery because it is what I am and I need to be true to myself. Inside I am a woman and the physical transformation would make me complete.
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How did you go about it? Well I contacted the Triangle Project, a Government organisation to help those of us who want to transition and those who are unhappy within themselves. The Triangle Project is so important for anyone needing advise and help. I saw a psychologist who guided me through the process. Through Triangle Project you’ll be sent to Groote Schuur where there is a waiting list for free surgery. Otherwise it is expensive, and it’s not a simple process. What does the process involve? Apart from the psychologist I went on hormone treatments before undertaking surgery. To date I have had breast surgery done and whether I will continue with other surgeries remains to be seen. I feel that I am gender non-conforming – but as you know I don’t like labels. Now that you have had the breast surgery how do you feel? Finally I feel normal – like they belong. I am what I am and at this stage in my life I am where I want to be. It may change in the future – life is a learning experience. I have lived most of my trying to please other people, it is now time to please myself and be myself. Were you inspired by any one else who has transitioned? Oh absolutely. I think Caitlyn Jenner, being so high profile, it could have gone any other way and that’s the biggest fear I think, that you’re scared that people won’t accept what you feel is the true you, and for risking it all I think she was very brave. Can you say you are happy? Oh Yes…Very happy… I believe everyone deserves to be happy with themselves. I'm sure all our readers wish Tiara all the best in her new adventure. She will be missed by fans and friends. Kat says it is not the end of 3D - Jayde K will be joining the group for the bookings that have already been made. Angel said that, "It's sad to be parting ways after we built so much together..."
3D will be on the PRIDE stage on Saturday 3rd March and once again will have the crowd eating out of their hands, screaming for more!
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EXPOSING THE LAST GAY PREJUDICE AGEISM --- Yes, old Queens exist! Alfred Molina & John Lithgow in “Love Is Strange”
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e live in a youth-obsessed culture, this is the case whether you are gay, lesbian, straight, black, white, marketing and advertising, our TV programming, the internet and smart phones, apps like Instagram all seem directed at and for young people, so from an early age we unwittingly internalise the message that youth is the most important thing in life. And this is especially true within the gay male community, where youth—and the sexual attractiveness that supposedly comes with it—is a valuable currency. Obviously straight folks prize smooth skin and nubile bodies as well, but there’s a certain way in which the youth cult gets hyper-concentrated among gay guys. And as a new study shows, that this youth emphasis has a disturbingly negative impact on us as we inevitably age. The baby-boomers generation are now in their 60’s and more – they’re the ones who were born after the 2nd World war up to 1964 … they’ve lived through constant wars and upheavals, the AIDS crisis, led the way for gay liberation, invented the internet, smart phones and all the technologies being claimed by young people as theirs. These ageing gay men and women lived through an age when it wasn’t legal to marry, adopt or have children and so unlike their heterosexual counterparts are ostracised by their own community and it seems very little is being done to assist or even include them. A study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, looked at a sample of 312 gay men with an average age of 61; a team of researchers asked the men the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with statements like “aging is especially hard for me because I am a gay man,” and “as I get older, I feel more invisible when I am with other gay men.” The researchers’ goal was to test their hypothesis that “the particular overlap between internalised ageism and internalised homophobia among midlife and older gay men generates ‘internalised gay ageism.” In other words, in gay men, the wider overvaluing
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of youth in our culture mixes with standard homophobia to create a brand-new internalised “sexual minority stress.” Unsurprisingly they found that “Internalised gay ageism” is a real thing. While the paper warns that these results, which focused on an urban cohort, should be tested on a larger scale before being taken as 100% conclusive, it is enough to suggest that Internalised Gay Ageism is a very real problem for our older generation. John French wrote in an article in OUT Africa Magazine (Issue 11 – The Pink Prejudice) that ageism is “the quietly-accepted gay prejudice” and “undoubtedly the greatest prejudice in our gay world.” He went on to say, “It is strangely ironic that the gay community which collectively has been so persecuted for centuries, is in turn so very prejudiced and unaccepting of itself.” Getting older is a challenge for most people from a health and well-being aspect especially but as with all people as one grows older there’s a gradual loss of looks and as youth occupies only a third of our lives it seems strange that there is such an emphasis on it. It seems though that in heterosexual environments, there are activities, centres for the aged, old-people’s homes, retirement villages, family support groups and so on … but not in the gay community, a group who are far more vulnerable to loneliness, feelings of being left out, social stress and abandonment. Often older gay people become objects of ridicule and not from the heterosexual community by their own and it is embarrassing and uncomfortable to witness. Just recently a friend who, I think, is a young 62, was at a club venue in Cape Town where a young woman suggested to him that he ought to be in bed and that it was a young-person’s venue. Conveniently forgetting that the venue is owned by an almost as old friend, that the music belting out of the speakers was none
other than a 59-year-old Madonna and that the huge tip her barman boyfriend might have gotten is because he is financially secure and the boyfriend is not! Needless to say a few strings were pulled, and she was escorted out… Alleviating age-related social stress could come from a variety of sources, but one that immediately comes to mind is for young gay people to make a point of spending time and developing friendships with older gay men and women. There’s something of a taboo on this within the community—partially due to the (sometimes true) idea that older gay men are only after sex and partially because younger gay men can be incurious and historically ignorant—but it’s one we have to overcome. Encouraging cross-generational conversations as a way of transmitting and preserving our unique history, so perhaps workshops and support groups would be a starting point. I also feel that as a high-income community it is important that we try and develop a home to accommodate ageing gay men & women with a community meeting place. To this end the Cape Town Gay Pride has approached the City of Cape Town and hopefully can get something on the go during this year. However it is actor Rupert Everett that put it best: “Being gay is a young man’s game,” he said, “Gay men become invisible after the age of 42. Who wants a gay 50 year old? No-one let me tell you. I could set myself on fire in a gay bar, and people would just light their cigarettes from me …” To their credit, the study referred to earlier, recognized the injustice inherent in having our elderly think they don’t matter because they are no longer idealised young studs: “These men have traversed unparalleled, personally relevant historical changes across their adult lives and have paved the way for younger generations of sexual minorities to live in a time of less institutionalised discrimination,” they write in the conclusion. “Still, they are subject to feeling socially invisible and depreciated in their later years, especially within the gay male community.” This is shameful—the very place they should feel at home and cared for should not be a source of stress. We can and must do better!!!
“We’ve made so many advances in other areas – civil rights, gay rights – but ageism is still an area that’s taboo and not talked about and dealt with.” — Madonna
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PRIDE DONATION THE PRIDE SHELTER TRUST
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n 2010, The Pride Shelter Trust announced that they had acquired a building at No:1 Molteno Road, Gardens for a shelter for the gay, lesbian and transgender people of Cape Town. The Pride Shelter offers safe short-term accommodation for the LGBTI+ community who are in crisis.
The building was fairly run down and over the years has been transformed by volunteers and charitable donations from the community into a functioning shelter and community centre. Today the Pride Shelter is the only autonomous shelter and crisis centre in Africa, providing a safe, nurturing and semi-structured environment for people in crisis needing a safe temporary shelter and who might find other resources unsympathetic to alternative sexualities. Since its opening the Shelter has been the focus of extraordinary kindness and generosity from Capetonians, both gay and straight: from the neighbour who delivered one of the famous Charlie's Bakery cakes on Christmas Day, to strangers dropping off food and clothing, linen and curtains, and the many individuals and companies that have made large financial contributions, whilst others have committed to a monthly donation by debit order.
Tommy Patterson hands over a cheque for R30000 at Pride 2017 The primary aim of the Shelter is to help people get back on their feet after experiencing a crisis, and many residents have found jobs, completed degrees and staying at the shelter. Residents with medical complaints receive free medical attention through Health4Men which includes free mental health and psychiatric services provided by Health4Men, in partnership with the Dept. of Psychiatry at Groote Schuur Hospital. Much of the Shelter's success is due to the dedication and hard work of matron, Jan Richter whose warmth and compassion have made her a surrogate mother to many. All-in-all the Shelter is an amazing place doing fantastic work and is a facility which the City of Cape Town can be proud of. It is a unique safe haven which needs to be nurtured and sustained and Cape Town Pride is proud to support the Shelter by a generous donation each year. Last year. Cape Town Pride gave a cash donation of R30 000 and we hope that this year we'll be in a position to increase the amount. The Pride Shelter is gratefully accepts donations, financial and material so please continue you generosity by donating unwanted items of clothing, food items, or a nominal monthly cash contribution via debit order. Bank details: PRIDE SHELTER TRUST COMPANY Standard Bank, Thibault Square branch, Cheque account number: 072808055 (ref: Donation / Your Name)
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Forms can be downloaded at: www.pridesheltertrust.co.za
CAPE TOWN TOURISM PARTNERS WITH NEW YORK CITY FOR 2018
STONEWALL & THE HISTORY OF GAY LIBERATION
The ‘69 Stonewall Uprising in New York City was the spark that ignited the United States’ gay rights movement and susequently gay rights movements around the world. Tommy Patterson
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his iconic event was a turning point for millions of gay people, finally some people had found the courage to stand up and say ENOUGH!
And no! it wasn’t the butch boys, the muscle Mary’s or the “straight-acting” gay boys that made a stand... It was the 28th June 1969, at a seedy bar in Greenwich Village that a group of people on the fringe of gay society - drag queens, butch dykes, transgender people, effeminate young men and male prostitutes said no to the authorities. When the New York City police decided to raid the bar yet again, this assorted group of people who had gathered at the Stonewall Inn to commemorate the death of an icon, Judy Garland, who had been buried that day, said NO! Armed with a warrant, police officers entered the club, roughed up patrons, and, finding bootlegged alcohol, arrested 13 people, including employees and people violating the state’s gender-appropriate clothing statute (female officers would take suspected cross-dressing patrons into the bathroom to check their sex). Fed up with constant police harassment and social discrimination, angry patrons and neighborhood residents hung around outside of the bar rather than disperse, becoming increasingly agitated as the events unfolded and people were aggressively manhandled. At one point, an officer hit a lesbian over the head as he forced her into the paddy wagon — she shouted to onlookers to act, inciting the crowd to begin throw pennies, bottles, cobble stones, and other objects at the police. Within minutes, a full-blown riot involving hundreds of people began. The police, a few prisoners, and a Village Voice writer barricad-
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ed themselves in the bar, which the mob attempted to set on fire after breaching the barricade repeatedly. The conflict over the next six days played out as a very gay variant of a classic New York street rebellion. It would see: fire hoses turned on people in the street, thrown barricades, gay cheerleaders chanting bawdy variants of New York City schoolgirl songs, Rockette-style kick lines in front of the police, the throwing of a firebomb into the bar, a police officer throwing his gun at the mob, cries of “occupy -- take over, take over,” “Fag power,” “Liberate the bar!”, and “We’re the pink panthers!”, smashed windows, uprooted parking meters, thrown pennies, frightened policemen, angry policemen, arrested mafiosi, thrown cobblestones, thrown bottles, the singing of “We Shall Overcome” in high camp fashion, and a drag queen hitting a police officer on the head with her purse. After six days of skirmishes between these young gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals and the New York Police Department the situation was finally brought under control but attitudes had changed and whilst the Stonewall uprising may not have in truth started the gay rights movement, it was a galvanizing force for LGBT political activism that spread throughout the United States and beyond ... but that was the USA, and it wasn’t long before that new-found activism found its way to the UK, Europe and the rest of the former British Empire nations such as Canada, Australia and of course South Africa. Little is documented about gay life in South Africa before this time, but some of us were around and can speak from experience ... but as was the situation of apartheid my experiences can only relate to gay-life in
South Africa from a well-educated, privileged, white background. But what I can vouch for is that the activism for gay rights was spearheaded by white LGBTI’s and of course the invaluable contribution of the few gay activists of colour like Simon Nkoli can’’t be denied. In those days, only a handful of activists dared to challenge the homophobia and sexism that pervaded every aspect of South African life as well as each culture within the South Africa. By that I mean homophobia was practiced, encouraged, in all communities, black, coloured and white. As far as the law was concerned anti-gay laws were on the statute books. Gay venues, bars and clubs were raided. The homes of known gay men were searched, LGBT’s were fired, harassed, arrested and hassled. The brunt of all this homophobia was of course endured by the camper, more effeminate men, drag queens and transgenders in all societies and the butch lesbians had their fair share of discrimination too. During the 1980’s a number of organisations were formed, mainly in Johannesburg but in smaller metropolitan areas as well. I was one of the organisers of BENEFIT, a group of 20 organisations which held a large gay festival called SHAFT 8 at Crown Mines in 1986, this was the closest to a gay pride event ever in South Africa and it happened a year before Simon Nkoli was acquitted and released from jail. SHAFT 8 was a gay fund-raising day where there were high-profile performers such as the Pink Lady herself - Marloe Scott-Wilson as well as prominent gay community leaders speaking on stage. The event was not political but as a community fund-raising drive was a huge success. I was a compėre and we raised money to fund various AIDS awareness campaigns as the government, believing the disease to be a “gay plague”, were doing very little to help gay men with AIDS. In fact hospitals staff were refusing to treat people with AIDS. If they did, many wore masks and gloves fearing that touching a person with AIDS would spread the illness. In 1988, GLOW (the Gay & Lesbian Organisation of the Witwartersrand) was formed and they organised of the first Gay Pride March on the African Continent. As a member of BENEFIT I participated in the march which took place in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. It was both exciting and daunting as the marchers, some 800 of us walked through the streets, many with brown bags over our heads for fear of being recognised, mainly by the State security police. Speakers at this very politically energised event included famous gay activists Edward Cameron and Simon Nkoli. Edward Cameron, Dennis Sifris, Simon Nkoli, Peter Tatchell, Ivan Toms, Sheila Lapinsky and Julia Nichol and the many whose names I either don’t know and perhaps weren’t as high profile, but were all instrumental in lobbying and pressurising the people responsible for drawing up South Africa’s new post-apartheid constitution to include rights for LGBTI+ people of this country. - To these people we owe a huge debt of gratitude, without them our lives may have been very different as illustrated in an interview Peter Tatchell had with ANC Executive member, Ruth Mompathi in 1987,. When he raised the issue of the human rights of lesbians and their role in post-apartheid South Africa, she replied, “I hope that in a liberated South Africa people will live a normal life. I emphasise the word normal ... tell me. Are lesbians and gays normal? No! It is not normal”. In October 1994, President Nelson Mandela appointed Ed Cameron as an acting judge of the High Court and in 1999, Cameron was given an acting stint on the Constitutional Court. On 31 December 2008 President Kgalema Motlanthe appointed Cameron to the Constitutional Court, taking effect from 1 January 2009. He is considered a crucial member of the Court’s progressive wing.
Simon Nkoli was a founder member of GLOW and campaigned to have LGBT rights included in the South African constitution. He was one of the first gay activists to meet with President Nelson Mandela in 1994. Simon died of AIDS related complications in 1998 but is remembered for his contribution to the freedoms gay people enjoy in South Africa today. I knew Simon - he was a brave man.
GAY PRIDE IS WORLDWIDE Pride Parades Embraced
Pride Parades either don’t occur or happen in face of violent or political opposition
1970 - THE CHRISTOPHER STREET LIBERATION DAY MARCH - named after the site of the rebellion - begins the PRIDE PARADE tradition. Pride Parades happen in all the major centres in the United States - in every state and are huge events attracting many thousands of people. New York Pride was for many years the largest pride event in the world.
No Pride parades Homosexuality is outlawed
Both Berlin Pride and Cologne Pride claim to be one of the biggest in Europe. The first so-called Gay Freedom Day took place on June 30, 1979 in both citie
Since 1997, São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade (Portuguese: Parada do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo) has taken place annually in Avenida Paulista, and is the largest gay pride event attracting over 4-million participants.
There are five main Pride events in the UK gay pride calendar: London, Brighton, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. These are all large events with London Pride attracting a million participants - the march however is restricted to 25000. The first official UK Gay Pride Rally was held in London on 1 July 1972.
Madrid Pride Parade, known as Fiesta del Orgullo Gay has been held on the first Saturday after June 28 since 1979.
In 1978 the first Rainbow Flag made its debut at San Francisco Pride. The flag which has become an symbol for LGBTI+ people the world over. It was designed by artist Gilbert Baker who passed away last year. The original design had 8 colours including Pink and Indigo. In 1994 Gilbert Baker led the creation of a MILE-LONG RAINBOW FLAG to honour the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The Guiness Book of Records recognises this flag as the World’s largest
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The oldest surviving LGBT organisation in the world is the Netherland’s Centre For Culture & Leisure (COC) - founded in 1946, it used the cover name to mask it’s then taboo prupose
South Africa’s first Pride Parade took place on October 13, 1990 in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. The event attended by 800 people was a huge success and since then Pride parades have taken place every year. There are now Pride parades in Pretoria, Durban, Nelson Mandela Bay, Soweto, Limpopo, Erhekuleni and Cape Town which is the bigggest in the country.
The year after the Stonewall Riots, gay communities from New Your to Los Angeles organised marches, called PRIDE PARADES to commemorate and celebrate the riots. Since then the movement has spread across the globe in support of the original mission: CIVIL RIGHTS FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY. The map below shows which countries celebrate openly and which are forced to celebrate in the dark Countries where only male homosexuality is illegal
TEL AVIV hosts an annual pride parade, attracting more than 100,000 people, making it the largest LGBT pride event in Asia. The first Pride parade in Tel Aviv took place in 1993. because of religious opposition Jerusalem Pride was cancelled by the city authorities On November 1, 2003 the first TAIWAN PRIDE was held in Taipei with over 1,000 people attending. Japan had its first Pride Parade in TOKYO in 2012 when two events were held that year.
KOLKATA, INDIA held the first Pride Walk in 1999 - making it South Asia’s first. Other Indian cities have since held pride parades annually.
HONG KONG hosted theie first Pride Parade on May 16, 2005 under the theme “Turn Fear into Love”, calling for acceptance and care amongst gender and sexual minorities in a diverse and friendly society.
NEW ZEALAND’S first gay pride week was founded in the 1970s in the wake of the Stonewall riots. In 1991, New Zealand’s most prominent gay pride event, the Hero Parade, was founded in Auckland. In August 2012, the first UGANDAN PRIDE PARADE was held in Entebbe to protest the government’s treatment of its LGBT citizens and the attempts by the Ugandan Parliament to adopt harsher sodomy laws, colloquially named the Kill the Gays Bill, which would include life imprisonment for aggravated homosexuality. This parade and subsequent attempts to celebrate Pride have been met by harsh resistance from the Authorities ... despite local as well as international pressure the Ugandan Government remains defiant and homosexual acts are still illegal in the country.
The longest Pride celebration happens in Sydney, Australia - it is also one of the worlds most popular, attracting people from all over the world and injectiong some 70 million dollars in to the city’s economy. Their Pride celebration lasts 3 - 4 weeks and culminates in the Mardi Gras
Early marches commonly used “GAY LIBERATION” and “FREEDOM” in their names. But over the years as militancy has decreased and with society becoming more tolerant the use of thes words has become less frequent and the term “GAY PRIDE” is most commonly used
AMSTERDAM PRIDE is the only Pride event which takes place on water. The parade take place on a 100 boats that sail through the city on the Prinzengracht Canal
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GAY GAMES
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THE WORLD’S LARGEST SPORTING & CULTURAL EVENT
he games are held every four years and this year, its from 4 August to 12 August, Paris will be hosting the 10th edition of the Gay Games.
Attracting some 15,000 participants from around the world, and many more thousands of spectators, the games are the largest hetero-friendly sports, cultural, festival event in the world! This year's theme is "ALL EQUAL" and the games are open to everyone ... young or old, athlete or artist, experienced or novice, gay or straight... and since 1982, the Gay Games have brought together people from all over the world, with diversity, respect, equality, solidarity, and sharing. And of course they are a platform for LGBTI+ visibility and being welcome to everyone, no matter their sexual orientation, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origins, political views, their physical, athletic or artistic capabilities, their age or health status. No performance standards are required, only what is essential is the desire to uphold the objectives of the games, the Gay Games thus offer the opportunity to openly express oneself and to enjoy the spirit of friendship through sports, culture and art – all in an environment of tolerance. And what better city to be in ... Paris, apart from being one of the World's major cities, is known as the City of Light. Perfectly situated in the heart of Europe the Games should attract huge numbers of visitors, many for the pure convenience of getting there and of course, who doesn't love Paris? Cape Town was short-listed to host the 2018 games, but our bid was unfortunately unsuccessful, Hong Kong will host the 2022 Gay Games, fighting off bids from cities in the United States and Mexico to become the first Asian city to stage the sports and cultural event. Perhaps our turn will come in 2026 ... However, some of the city's gay residents have participated and excelled in the games. Ian McMahon, the very well known owner of Crew Bar, and doyen of the Cape Town gay community, has participated in the games... Ian attended the games in Amsterdam 1998, Sydney 2002, Chicago 2006, Cologne 2010 - he won a bronze medal in 2002 Sydney for Javelin and Silver in 2006 Chicago for long jump. Ian is quick to point out that one competes in your age category making the entire experience so much fairer. Another Capetonian who excelled in his sport is Dave Nel. Dave competed in his first Gay Games in Cologne 2010 and scooped an awesome 5 gold medals. He also broke 2 South African Masters swimming records in the 30-35 age group, as well as 5 Western Province records - phew!!! When chatting about the games, Dave said, "the great thing about the Gay Games is that anyone can compete. 300-400 people competed in every race. The guys at the top of their game are very competitive." He added that, "South Africa's participation wasn't really publicised, although 39 athletes went to Cologne."
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Dave Nel
Well-known, Survivor South Africa contestant Zavion Kotze, competed in the Gay Games in Cleveland, Ohio, USA in 2014, in track and field, taking part in 12 events. He walked away with an astonishing 8 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals and a Bronze medal ... saying in an interview afterwards that, "It was an amazing experience! Hopefully we can get the games here to South Africa in the future." When asked what he most enjoyed about the games, he replied, "The pure love and acceptance all around me. There was no discrimination at all. Everyone was happy and there to compete or to support their loved ones... Its truly an amazing competition." Asked whether he would be going to Paris 2018, "Absolutely!!" he replied.
Zavion Kotze
To anyone who is traveling to Paris to compete in the games we wish you all the best and look forward to a huge pile of medals coming back to South Africa.. Good luck to you all ...
Ian McMahon & Dave Nel at Gay Games Cologne 2010
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE CASTER SEMENYA showed the world her true colours - GOLD, GOLD and more GOLD. The openly gay athlete blasted past her competition at the 2017 London World Atletics Championships making not only the LGBTI+ community shout out loud but the respect and honour from South Africans from all walks of life. Well done Caster we’ll all be watching and supporting your throughout 2018. COSMOPOLITAN SOUTH AFRICA has broken new ground by featuring Emmy-winning American transgender actress Laverne Cox on its cover. It’s believed that this is the first time that a trans model or celebrity has ever appeared on the cover of any edition of the iconic international women’s magazine. Holly Meadows, the Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan South Africa explained that the magazine’s goal “was Ten South African lawmakers have stood up for equality by posing for a group photo as openly LGBTQ MPs.
The Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival is proud to announce that it will make history by hosting the 10th edition of the MR GAY WORLD competition in Knysna in May 2018.
The image, which was taken in Cape Town outside the National Assembly building in Parliament on the 1st of June, includes the following MPs: Top Row (left to right): Marius Redelinghuys, Beyers Smit, Patrick Atkinson, Gordon Mackay, Dean Macpherson and Michael Cardo. Bottom row (left to right): Manny de Freitas, Zakhele Mbhele, Ian Ollis and Michael Waters.
This will be the third time that South Africa has presented the prestigious event; a world first. It will also be the second time that the contest will be held during the Pink Loerie, Africa’s biggest LGBTIQ+ cultural festival.
THE JOZI CATS got going ... South Africa’s first gay and inclusive competitive rugby side only won one of their four games in the Diggers 7s Tournament in 2017. Even though they were not triumphant we salute them for a stirling effort. Not only do they fly the gay flag on the field, they do loads of great work holding rugby workshops in disadvantaged communities, showing young people that its ok to be out and its ok to be proud of who you are.
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to play a small part in providing visibility for the LGBTQI+ community, of which Laverne has become a revolutionary icon.
Thato Maseko of Jozi Cats breaks through to score a try against Liberty Sables.
Eric Butter, President of Mr Gay World, revealed that three other cities had expressed interest in hosting the next Mr Gay World, but “when the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival Knysna 2018 came forward I couldn’t have been more overjoyed.”
Star t Refreshed with real, natural cider.
CAPE TOWN 23 FEB - 3 MARCH
www.capetownpride.org THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED
ZOE ZANA 3-TONS OF FUN
MANILA VON TEEZ
MATHEW GOLD LATHEEM GABRIEL
3D
THE COMPÈRES
THE DJ’s BASH
GROOVY Q THECHAD
SOLLY
CHANTAL
HEA
HEARTACHE VINE
HEA RTACHE VINE
MAIN ROAD SEA POINT CAPE TOWN