BECOME A FRIEND OF JOBURG PRIDE

Joburg Pride has launched ‘Friends of Joburg Pride’: a new fund-raising initiative that will allow members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community to play a direct role in keeping Pride healthy and vibrant.

Starting with contributions as small as R200, these donations from individuals and small and medium size companies can collectively significantly boost the ability of Joburg Pride to put on a memorable event, said the organisation.

“We believe that every member of the LGBTI community should play a part in supporting Joburg Pride – not just big name sponsors and corporates,” said Joburg Pride Co-Chair Tanya Harford. “These contributions will make sure our community remains a beacon of hope and equality for lesbians and gays across the country and the continent,” she added.

The Friends of Joburg Pride donations will go directly towards making Joburg Pride 2009 a reality and could be used to fund the Pride Day infrastructure, the marketing material to get people there or to simply pay for the day-to-day running costs of the organisation.

Contributors will be named as a Friend of Pride 2009, have their name or logo listed on the Friends of Pride page on Joburg Pride’s website, have a separate area at Pride Day at Zoo Lake Sports club and have the opportunity to network with other LGBTI businesses and individuals.

Donation categories range from a R 200 minimum contribution for individuals, a R 500 minimum contribution for Professional Practices and a R 1,000 minimum contribution for companies.

Now in its 20th year, Joburg Pride is Africa’s oldest and biggest LGBTI event. The Joburg Pride Board consists primarily of volunteers from the LGBTI community. Two board members are representatives from the Joint Working Group (JWG) and the organisation is a registered Section 21 – not for profit – company.

If you’d like to be a Friend of Joburg Pride, please contact friends@joburgpride.org. Joburg Pride 2009 will be held on the 3rd of October 2009 at Zoo Lake Sports Club, Johannesburg.

Joburg Pride is an annual celebration of the lesbian and gay community in Gauteng. The 1990 Joburg Pride March was the first lesbian and gay pride parade to take place on the African continent. It was organised by the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand (GLOW) headed by the late legendary gay rights and anti-apartheid activist Simon Nkoli. Many of the participants wore brown paper bags over their head out of fear for their safety.