Please keep flying that rainbow flag. Give me the PRIDE mouthwash. Make me all the gay sandwiches. And give us ALL a safe space to hold a little tighter.
Johannesburg, South Africa (02 June 2022) – It’s PRIDE month, and many brands, corporations and individuals will show their support by showing off their rainbow colours.
Even though the “alphabet mafia” laugh at some brands like Listerine bringing out a PRIDE mouthwash or “Marks & Spencer” making their sandwiches gay. It is actually so important.
You see, the “A” in LGBTQIA+ might be the most important letter… cause that means you’re an Ally. And we could still use a whole lot of allies right now because even in 2022, the simple act of holding hands is still difficult for some people!
I have been so incredibly lucky to have the support of so many amazing people in my life, but over 50 people I know and love have been bullied, beat up and abused because of who they are.
Some have even lost their lives.
Just 10 years ago, a really good friend lost her sister to corrective rape. I sat and held her and cried.
What is corrective rape?
It’s where a community – men that are pigs – gang-rape an LGBTQIA+ woman until she “turns” straight or dies. Deplorable. Heartbreaking. And so tragic.
In my lifetime, over 35 people I know, acquaintances, loved ones, and friends have taken their lives because they couldn’t deal with the way society hates the LGBTQIA+ community. Pure hate caused people to question if they actually belong here, and they chose to take their lives because of that hate. Usually, hate and judgement disguised as some sort of Love for a God.
Then there are the parents in South Africa who send their children to gay conversion camps. Local camps where many kids die.
HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA, WE HAVE CAMPS THAT STARVE AND BEAT UP YOUNG CHILDREN TO FORCE THEM TO BE STRAIGHT.
Just 8 years ago, an innocent young South African teenager died after being severely emaciated, dehydrated, left with brain damage, a broken arm, bruises, and cigarette burns all over his body because his parents had sent him to a camp to fix his gayness. His mother was told that the chances of him surviving were “virtually zero”. He died two weeks later. The man in charge was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison, but that doesn’t change the fact that in 2022 we still have conversion camps in our own backyards.
And then there’s travelling and seeing the globe where you could be put in prison. Or put to death.
According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) report on state-sponsored homophobia, six United Nations member states imposed the death penalty on consensual same-sex sexual acts. Brunei now brings that count to seven. The death penalty is also possible punishment in a further five member states. In some of those nations, like Brunei, the sentence is rooted in an interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. 70 UN member states still criminalize same-sex relations between two consenting adults. In 26 countries of those countries, the penalty varies from 10 years in prison to life.
Abuse, hatred and death… for being who you are. Who you were created to be! How incredibly heartbreaking?
So please keep flying that rainbow flag. Give me the PRIDE mouthwash. Make me all the gay sandwiches. And give us ALL a safe space to hold a little tighter.
Happiest of PRIDE to all.
Okay. Love you. Bye.
The “A” in LGBTQIA+ also stands for Ability, Ableism, Allosexism, Allosexual, Allistic, Allyship, Androgyne, Aromantic, Asexual, and Autism BUT in this context, I wanted to concentrate on Allyship… and how important that is to the community.
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