JOBURG PRIDE 2011 THEME REVEALED
The board of Joburg Pride yesterday launched the theme for the 22nd annual Joburg Pride parade and festival.
A clear homage to Lady Gaga’s groundbreaking hit musical celebration of identity and diversity, the Pride 2011 theme is ‘Born This Gay.’
The theme logo was also revealed at the media launch in Johannesburg; the word ‘gay’ strongly emphasised and painted with the rainbow flag colours.
Dineo Ranaka from YFM presented the creative and also won the pitch to design all Pride creative elements this year.
“It’s not an easy life being gay,” the board said in a statement. “Growing up you get laughed at, bullied, beaten up, called names. You get put into a box, labelled, discriminated against within your family, in the community, in life. Now add rape and even murder to the mix, just for living as you were born to be! Would anyone choose this hardship for themselves?”
The board explained that the theme was chosen in the context of the recent spate of ‘corrective rape’ attacks against primarily black lesbian women.
“The aim is to creatively, without fail and without shame, encourage society to speak out and take action against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender hate crime,” it said.
“The entire community needs to consistently drive the message that being gay or lesbian is NOT a fashion statement, a sickness, a crime, a curse or a choice.”
Details about this year’s event announced
The board added that the Joburg Pride parade will take place on Saturday 1 October 2011 at Zoo Lake, “calling for the protection of all human rights protected in South Africa’s constitution, but especially those of sexual minorities who are victimised on a daily basis.”
The members of the 2011 board were also revealed at the launch: They are Tanya Harford; Fulvio De Stefanis; Samantha Durkin; Kerry McMaster; Josef Talotta; Thami Kotlolo; Jenni Green; and Ian Ollis (non-executive).
McMaster announced that the board has hired an independent research company to help it better understand what the gay market wants and needs from Pride. The research will give the board a blueprint to determine a way forward for the next three years.
Unlike last year, Pride day will be a daytime celebration and artists will only perform during the day. Everyone will be expected to leave after the event and go to independent after-parties.
Another Pride launch will be held later in the year to announce sponsors and artists.
The Joburg Pride day and parade is the oldest and largest annual LGBT gathering in Africa.
Fabulous or uninspiring? Tell us what you think about the 2011 theme. (Please note: abusive or personal attacks on individuals will be removed.)
Watch a short video clip of the theme launch below.
Cool but…. The theme is a bit dull. Does Gaga approve????
who are they?. Well after all this Pride Board make up whatever they want.
They did not even have an AGM not even say where the money went from last year and the other Pride we had.
They did not even ask the community out there what they think or what we want.
Who are they that they don’t ask for input.
The first PE pride theme is BORN THIS WAY and it is taking place before our pride.
MMM makes you think they just a bunch of fools who are there for what reason but to take money for themselves.
happy and sad. Happy they took the step to use the word Gay again and give this event back to the Gay community.
Sad they have not included input form others about JHB gay Pride.
What they stand for and what they have done with the money they made over the last few years.
And what they plan to do with money made like Cape Town Gay Pride has done.
What happened to money from last Pride. What happened to all the money made from last Pride?
When will thecommunity ever find out about these things?
Surely a new board should be elected soon!
Hopefully the community will have a say inthe artist that appear this year at Pride?
Get over the shame!. C’mon Luiz…get over feeling that you have to justify being Gay. We do not have to be accepted through the pity of others. Proclaiming that we are ‘born this way so please excuse/accept my sexuality on those grounds’, needs to stop NOW! If I choose to be Gay or am born this way, it is nobody’s business but mine. I am proud to be the person I am, sexuality and all. When last did you hear a straight person address a Gay person with ‘Sorry I am different from you, it’s really not my fault, I was born like this’?? NEVER?!?!
It is only through accepting ourselves with love and respect that we will be afforded the same by others xxx
Gay Pride or not. I could not agree with you more on this Little Steve. But I must say the theme “Born This Gay” how original – Not!!! I can just see another gay pride of Mayhem, bad organisation and ripping off the public. I will never attend a JHB pride again. You need to learn from CPT pride how come they get it so, so right and we get it so, so wrong? I think this so called committee need to be abolished and a new committee put into place one the actually cares about GAY PRIDE not how much money they are going to line their pockets with.
Steve. I think we need to be cautious when we speak about money issue. Maybe pride committee should show us what they do with the money, before we make incorrect statements. I agree with the Cape Town pride…I have been to gay pride
In cape town..the most fab pride to attend….well organize..what about ellis park stadium…?
Terrible Theme. Feels like we just stepped back 20 years arguing that we can’t help ourselves. Maybe i was born this gay, maybe i chose to be this gay. They say in the release that being gay is not an illness but they certainly seem to imply that it is a medical condition. I don’t want to justify my lifestyle by blaming my genes, where is the Pride in that????
activism. Whatever the logo etc, I am encouraged that there are signs that activism will become a feature of gay pride once again.
Hopefully this will be a central theme of the day and not just paying lip service to the concept.
In spite of our constitution , we are facing attacks all around and the silence over events affecting gay people in the rest of Africa is deafening.
Not to mention the horror of corrective rape.
remeber the old days when people like Cheryl Carolus from the ANC , Sir Anthony Sher, SIr Ian Mckellan , Edwin Cameron etc would speak out.
I am encouraged by the initial announcement.
I
LOVE IT. So excited, planning outfit already. can’t wait for our national gay day!
Started to read …… Started to read the article and lost interest!
City divided. Why do we continue to be stuck in our safe little ways. Where’s the pride in that?
When will someone grow some balls and invite the Soweto pride to merge with Jo’burg pride from now on.
On that note, why does Jo’burg pride have to be in the same place year after year. This is an enormous city. Is there no possibility to move it around from year to year? What’s wrong with Vilikazi Street, or starting/ending at Thokoza Park and going round Maponya Mall?
If you’re serious about pride and activism, going round Rosebank every year is stupid; it’s like preaching to the converted.
Rob
City divided. I partially agree with rob. Pride needs to move away from Rosebank,,,bring it closer to the people. Johannesburg city have few spots where the pride can be held. Combine the prides and celebrate it under one umbrella.Parade through the inner city….that is where the masses are. But I salute the committee in their combined effort to run pride. Why is pride closing so early…if Lusito Land can run till late…Is there a Reason for the time limit ??
will it be safe. This would be nice to move it.
Just one small thing
The last time pride went throught down town Bricks were Thrown at the people and one person was badly hurt.
Will there be a repeat of this and as the President says he will hit a gay person I am sure no one will be arrested or pay the medical bills.
Rob – races. Jhb Pride has become much more representative in the past, There is no need for Soweto Pride. I agree it should be one – but not in the township as virtually no whites will attend. And theys till make up a good 70 – 80% of the ppl who actually attend. 18 000 for Jhb against 800 for Soweto Pride. Youw ill have to go where the amjoprity wants it, and fact remains, here it is white. Nothing anyone can do about that. I do not like Rosebank as very few watch it. But not a township or the CBD where it is not safe, it will never work, end of story.
7 people. So seven people tell us what we want.
There was never any input from anyone.
Not an artical in exit Gay pages or even on their facebook or Web.
Would it be not better if they asked for some input.
Maybe get the clubs and Bars to help by putting out a few Questions so they could at least feel how other people think or what the gay comunity are talking about.
Think they jut sit there and say ok lets do something that we want.
come on you want us to go to the day and we have no say what so ever.
What a stuff up.
These guys are a law to themselfs.
And you want us to give you money again to have pink money to rip us off again
shame. you’ve never been to big events have you dear?
petrol too expensive to venture beyond the borders of ventersdorp?
well in the big wide world tokens are used at the major events and festivals.
there we go little boy – some general knowledge for you to forget the moment you close this message
tokens. Well lots of us do travel and have been to big events around the world and here in South africa where they used tokens…
And supprise supprise it worked ok but the way they did it at Pride last year was a total fuck up.
Have more places to get the tokens so people dont not have to stand in a Que for 45min to get tokens and then another 20min to get your drink.
So if you want to compare Pride to other events then Pride must be orgnised like other events.
OR….. Or you could actually attend the AGM and have your say and input there. Its always amazing how many gays are prepared to bitch about the event, yet so little are willing to get of their asses and actually get involved in organising events….
AGM. What AGM.
There was no AGM this year.
Was closed to the public
AGM. Why no AGM? And why is no one saying anything?
So I take it you were at the AGM?
AGM – there was none. There was no AGM.
There was no AGM. PS again, there was no AGM, and no accountability
7? More like one. Most of the members left. There is one person who ghnadles Pride as his personal fiefdom and we all know who that is. Where is the annual financial statements and where is the AGM>?
Seven? More like 1. Most left the Pride board, it is run by one person. And from what we see, no Annual general meeting – no accountability
Weenies and whiners. I am dumbstruck by the responses. To you little whiners ? if you don’t like Pride or the theme or the venue or the organisers, stay away. Nobody will miss you. Or start your own Pride (which will be attended by all 10 of you). To the organisers ? I take my hat off to you guys, keep up the good work.
and losers. you couldn’t have said it better
but these losers also seem to be stupid as they haven’t really read above what the theme represents which is SO important in our country today
then the bigger idiots who keep on asking where the money goes. it’s very obvious when you GO to pride and see what a professional set-up the organisers put together for us gays FOR FREE
these guys are sods with nothing better to do but critise and tear down thinking
stay away stay home stay on the moon but please let us fluff our feathers for the day and enjoy the best celebration of our gayness with our friends and familes
and while celebrating let us think about our gay brothers and sisters in the townships that are raped by ignorant men thinking they can turn them straight but not realising that WE ARE BORN THIS GAY!
Lady Gaga will be proud!
Gay brother and sisters. Would those be the same brothers and sisters s from the townshipwho have to leave Pride straight after the event because they can’t afford the ridiculous prices for food and drink and were banned last year from bringing picnics? The same brothers and sisters from the townships who had to start Soweto Pride and then Kwa Thema Pride because Joburg Pride didnt want to be a political march when we were still dying. The same brothers and sisters from the townships who have to take three taxis from some places just to get to Rosebank and have been asking for years for the march to move back to a central location. Are those the brothers and sisters from the townships you are talking about, if so don’t you dare use our names to defed this terrible event!
yes you are right in what you say…
But this is a community event and the community should have input to the theame where the funds go to.
We have the right to have a say if it is used to better the Gay community.
Pride. I have been an avid fan of pride for the past couple of years, and it has been one of the year’s higlights.
But if it is anything like last year, I am staying home.
– The no water allowed inside ban was totally ridiculous. I understand that alcohol might be a problem, but water? It’s a hot day, we need to hydrate. Especially after you come back from the march. But we had to wait over half an hour to get in again after the march, because 3 very rude guys were apoointed to search everyone. One guy had a water cooler that was used during the march, and he actually opened it to show the idiot searching that it was completely empty, yet this ape refused him to go in, holding up the 600 people behind him. I also heard one of the “searchers” actually call someone a “fucking faggot” – nice! And that at gay pride. At least get your organisation of this a bit better if you are going to insist on the water ban.
– The tokens, oh my, the tokens. So now you were forced to wait half an hour more in the sun after the march to get in, WITHOUT water, and all you wanted was a drink. Shock Horror! You had to get in line in a loooooong snaking queue to buy stupid tokens before you could actually get a drink, and then wait another half an hour to get to the front of the bar, because all 10000 dehidrated people are dying of thirst. Pathetic! What was wrong with cash like the year before.
– And to top it all off, you were not allowed to return unused tokens, unless you went to their afterparty and use it there. But because no one was prepared to stand in the token queue 10 times that day, you bought “enough” tokens to last a while. I think they knew that and made a lot extra like that – which in my opinion is nothing more than stealing.
The new pride organisers have definitely upped the standard of pride, yes, but like the government they are becoming greedier and greedier every year. And stealing from your own people is worse.
We were was so fed up by the time we FINALLY got a drink that we sold our left over tokens to people in the queue and left. And that is why I am not so sure if I even want to go this year, as much as I used to adore Pride.
And … no AGM. And … no AGM
The theme is not inclusive – LBTI left out. The theme is not inclusive – LBTI left out …
Really great article with very interesting information. You might want to follow up to this topic!?! 2011
Really interesting blog, keep up the good work!
Im really loving the contents of your blog. Hopefully you keep posting regularly. Thanks.
Thanks for tris interesting information! I found it very useful =)
iuurr 588 kkk
iuurr 588 kkk
iuurr 588 kkk
Help plz!
I want download for free XRumer 7.0.10 ELITE?
Send me URL please!
It is the best program for mass posting on forums! XRumer can break most types of captchas!
How to free XRumer 7.0.10 ELITE?
Send me URL please!
It is the best program for mass posting on forums! XRumer can break most types of captchas!