Here’s SA’s best LGBT blog…

The winners of the annual South African Blog Awards have been announced, including the best LGBT blog of 2014.

The Gay Warfare blog by Pretoria forensic investigator Pierre LeRoux-DuPisani took the top spot in the category, while the overall winner was the music blog YoMzansi.

Organisers said they look forward to continued interest in the LGBT category, which had previously fallen by the wayside but was reintroduced this past year.

Gay Warfare features LeRoux-DuPisani’s unique take on life as a 30-something gay man raising a baby with his husband of almost 17 years. It’s often humorous, insightful and entertaining to read.

He told Mambaonline that being recognised by the blogging community gives him some validation for his work, and revealed that it was his husband who first suggested that he begin blogging, around five years ago.

“I’ve always had a very peculiar sense of humour and have had some rather interesting life experiences which he encouraged me to document in a blog. I also wanted to show other LGBTI people out there that we can also live a life that is full, that long term relationships aren’t a myth and that we can start our own families and have children. Or, as I like to call it, being a Stepford Fag,” explained LeRoux-DuPisani, tongue in cheek.

He commented that his biggest challenge has been staying motivated. “In the beginning I received a lot of hate mail, especially from fundamentalist Christians. At a time I was also being targeted by the Westboro Baptist Church. It was upsetting but I got over it.”

LeRoux-DuPisani added that becoming a parent has changed his blog tremendously. “Parenting is hard work and our woes seem to make for a good read. At first I thought that I would alienate my readers as some may no longer be able to relate. However, that’s not been the case. Most of my parenting articles are the most shared blog posts, which I am thrilled about.”

Read one of LeRoux-DuPisani’s recent posts republished on Mambaonline here, or check out his blog here.