The celebration of the LGBTI Pride Human Rights in Pretoria on Wednesday, honoured late gay rights and anti-Apartheid activist Tseko Simon Nkoli, who passed away two decades ago of an Aids related illness.
GaySA Radio manager Hendrik Baird who is a guest speaker at the celebration, says Nkoli was the first Black anti-Apartheid activist and founder member of the first multiracial gay rights organisation in South Africa.
Baird says, “Simon Nkoli was, I think probably one of the most important people in the history of the LGBTI community here in South Africa. He worked tirelessly behind the scenes. He convinced our politicians to include the rights that protect the sexual minorities into our Constitution…”
“I know he was part of the gay and lesbian organisation in the early days and he was also one of the first people who said let us for our rights and he organised or was part of the organisation committee who did the first pride. I think Simon would have been so proud today to see that finally we can host the gay flag the pride flag,” added Baird.
Baird says the LGBTI community welcomes the legislating of hate speech by parliament. He says the new political dispensation which started in 1994 has brought hope and confidence to the LGBTI.
He also commended the Constitution’s Bill of Rights and government departments for promoting and protecting LGBTI rights.
“I think a lot of work has been done at Home Affairs and that Police Services and other government departments to sensitise people; But that message maybe doesn’t go out to all the regions. I know some people are very scared to go to the police and report hate crime. And there is now a new way of doing that the “Love-Not-Hate” campaign which has just opened the website where you can anonymously report hate crimes or things that go unreported. So we can build up a database and see what exactly is happening, where the hot spots are and what we need to do to solve it,” said Baird.
