Breakthrough as WHO affirms being transgender not a mental disorder
South African activists have welcomed the groundbreaking decision by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to stop classifying gender incongruence as a mental disorder. The change was announced as part of the launch of the WHO’s new International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) this week, the global guide’s first revision in 18 […]
Caster Semenya: I am a woman and I am fast
South African LGBTQ Olympian and sports icon Caster Semenya will formally challenge an attempt by international athletics bosses to force her to change her testosterone levels. On Monday, Semenya filed a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland against controversial new International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) regulations concerning women athletes with […]
Love, Simon sneak preview screening pics
Mambaonline hosted a sneak preview screening of the new American gay teen move, Love, Simon, courtesy of Empire Entertainment and 20th Century Fox. More than one hundred members of the community and their friends and allies braved the winter chill for the event at Killarney Mall in Johannesburg to watch the heartwarming coming of age […]
LGBTQ youth in SA facing high rates of bullying and discrimination
While June is Youth Month in South Africa, the challenges facing young LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning) people, including high rates of bullying and discrimination, are often overlooked over this period. Our school days are a formative time that can have a major impact on our adult lives; affecting our sense of identity, […]
Jozi club Babylon responds to opening night complaints
Bruce Walker, the promoter behind the new Babylon nightclub in Fourways, has spoken out after a number of damning reviews about the venue’s recent opening were posted on its Facebook page. Mambaonline was contacted by Kaye Ally, head of Johannesburg Pride, who complained that the issues regarding the event’s opening had been ignored by the […]
Pink Loerie reacts to George Mayor’s homophobia
The organisers of the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras and Arts Festival say they are saddened that the Mayor of George does not support the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus’ visit to the town due to his Christian beliefs. On Tuesday, Mayor Melvin Naik went on to local Christian radio station Heartbeat FM specifically to publicly distance […]
Mayor of George condemns gay choir show as “unchristian” [Listen]
The Mayor of George has lashed out at a planned performance by the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus as part of his town’s first LGBTQ Pride event next week, despite it being promoted by the city. On Tuesday, in a remarkable move, Mayor Melvin Naik went on to local Christian radio station Heartbeat FM to publicly […]
Orlando Nightclub Massacre remembered with calls for gun control
It’s been two years since the single biggest known massacre of LGBTQ people in modern history, in Orlando, Florida. On June 12, 2016, while patrons were celebrating Latin Night at the Pulse nightclub, 29-year-old Omar Mateen burst into the venue and opened fire on the crowd. A total of 49 LGBTQ people and their friends […]
LGBT awareness campaign launched in Southern Africa
A radio and digital campaign called Unheard Voices launched on 8 June, sharing real-life stories of people across Southern Africa who are LGBT or sex workers and how they were accepted. These never-heard-before human stories show us how for every act of intolerance, there is an act of compassion. These are the stories of mothers, fathers, […]
Miss Gay Jozi 2018 – In Pictures
Crystal Gunz, a 21-year-old graphic design student from Alexandra, was recently crowned Miss Gay Jozi 2018, at Club Simply Blue. The event, held under the theme of ‘Back in the Habit’, was packed with supporters and revellers who cheered on the contestants and danced and sang to high energy performances by some of Gauteng’s best […]