JOBURG PRIDE LAUNCHES 2008 THEME
The Joburg Pride Board has revealed the theme for the anticipated 2008 event, scheduled for October, at its Annual General Meeting in Johannesburg on Saturday 10th May.
In light of the continued threat to the lives of lesbian and gay South Africans, the theme “Love, Not Hate” was chosen to highlight the ongoing hate crimes crisis.
The theme is incorporated in a tattoo-style icon which will be included in all of Joburg Pride’s communication and marketing material for 2008. This year’s Joburg Pride Parade will take place on Saturday 4th October, once again at Zoo Lake.
“The latest brutal murder of a lesbian, this time former Banyana Banyana soccer player Eudy Simelane, reminds and reinforces for us that combating the scourge of hate crimes must remain a key focus of the gay and lesbian community,” explained new Pride Co-Chair Zakhele Mbhele.
“These acts of violence, which are fundamentally human rights violations, show the extent to which our communities need to reconnect with and live according to the principles and spirit of ubuntu. Hate is not an African cultural value.”
Simalane joins a heart-wrenching list of mostly black lesbians that have been murdered because of their sexuality. In February 2006, Zoliswa Nkonyana was beaten, stoned and stabbed to death by a group of around 20 men in Khayelitsha in the Cape. In July 2007 Sizakele Sigasa and Salome Masooa were murdered in Soweto.
Last year’s Joburg Pride Parade was seen as one of the most successful in years, with an estimated five thousand gays and lesbians – and their friends and families – turning out despite the rainy weather.
“We intend to improve on last year’s successes, providing members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community with a platform to express their concerns, while also celebrating their identity and successes with friends and family,” said Tanya Harford, new Pride Co-Chair.
At the public AGM, the board announced that, for the first time in years, Joburg Pride had made a healthy profit. These funds will go towards contracting a part-time administrator to assist the volunteer board. Joburg Pride is organised by a not-for-profit Section 21 Company and board members receive no remuneration.
What is a Hate Crime?
A hate crime is an extreme expression of prejudice, expressed through violent criminal acts, committed against people because of the group to which they belong or identify with. Perpetrators of hate crimes seek to demean and dehumanise their victims whom they consider different from them because of their actual or perceived race, gender, sexual orientation, health status, social origin or other characteristics. The prejudice of the perpetrator is what makes a hate crime distinct from other acts of violence.
Yeah!!. I cant wait. This year is gonna be great!
Pride 2008. Yippy, yippy, yippy, will be there with a big crowed.
Can’t wait. If last years pride was anything to go by, rain and all, it can only be fantastic!
I can not wait, it is one of my highlights of the year.
Well done to Tanya, Zakhele and their team. You are leaders in our community.
Why Hate. It’s a given that this years pride will be huge.
Just the theme…. Why Hate???? Keep it positive, focus on love, kill/convert them with kindness. Its a terrible theme for a gay festival, that’s suppose to be a party… Who came up with this? and who’s opinion was considered?
Pieter Qc
Pride. In reply to Pieter QC
There is more to pride than just have a big party and making money for club owners!
We still have lots to fight for and need to use this platform to highlight these issues.
The Secret. Hey if you’ve every watched the Secret then you’d have heard of the Law of Attraction that governs our experience in the universe. Basically focus, with intention, on the things you actually want to happen – not what you don’t. So instead of being anti-war, be pro-peace. Instead of being anti-crime, be pro-socio-economic development. Therefore the pride theme should have just been Love Love Love!
My piont exactly. Believe in the secret or not, it’s good common sense. It’s like calling the bad. Let’s stop being victims and take control of our destiny. We now have multiple legal tools to our disposal.
Bad Theme. Change the theme urgently
Theme. Hi all out there..
If you all wanted to have a theme then one should have put one forward and not just sit on the sidelines and shout what you think the theme should be.
You had loads of time to come forward and put it to the board at the agm (which only a hand full of people came to attend.) And even before that.
We dont just suck the theme up a lot goes into it and the people that brought it forward had reasons for this
If you look at most prides here in South Africa there is a theme We want to legalise gay weddings ,gay rights etc ..etc..etc
If you read the artical and the reason for this you will undersand what we are trying to do…people out there need to know thaty there are gay people out there that are been Killed and we should bring this to the gay comunity out there.
With all negatives there should be a positive..
Come on and stand together and make South Africa a place we all can live in. Dont turn a blind eye.
This theme is positive if you make it one..
Best
Bruce ..Pride Board Member
Sorry I’m in another part of the country, couldn’t be there… however there must have been at least some objection to including the word “Hate” in the theme. Did it even occur to the attendees that the theme conjures up a negative image? Why make such a “hateful” association at all? Rather “Love, Respect, Tolerance” is what you’re actually trying to encourage. Accentuate the positive! It’s not too late to change!!!!