SA’s 1st Pride Transparency Index: How well do you know your Pride?
Our Pride events are important spaces of protest and celebration, but they can also be deeply contentious events within our community. Questions are often asked about who runs them, how they are run and what their aims are.
Pride boards / committees are often and easily accused of profiteering, not focusing on important issues, of not being political enough or of not representing all sectors of the LGBTQ community. Mudslinging, criticism and allegations are common on social media. That’s why, during International Pride Month, Mambaonline conducted the first national Pride Transparency Index.
We reached out to 10 Prides that take place around the country. Of those, seven directly responded to our questions while two (Free State and People’s Pride) did not answer us at all. Johannesburg Pride did not directly reply to our questions but rather referred us to a press statement published on Exit, which answered some of the questions.
The aim was not to catch anyone out or to point fingers but to present an overview of how our Pride events are run. This is important information; we all have an interest in the transparency of these events that represent our community, issues and struggles.
Clearly our index is not perfect. We relied on Pride organisers to supply the information, much of which is not verified. But we believe that this is a first step in getting a better understanding of South Africa’s Pride events, and holding them accountable.
We forwarded 17 questions to the following Pride events:
- Cape Town Pride
- Durban Pride
- Ekurhuleni Pride
- Free State Pride
- Johannesburg Pride
- Limpopo Pride
- Nelson Mandela Bay Pride
- People’s Pride (Johannesburg)
- Pretoria Pride
- Soweto Pride
These were the answers they provided us with.
CAPE TOWN PRIDE
1)How long has your Pride been in existence:
Cape Town Pride has been running for 17 years and has been organised by OUTReach Africa for the last 3 years.
2) When will the next edition take place?
Cape Town Pride 2019 will happen between the 23rd February to the 3rd March 2019.
3) Please give us a one-line description of your Pride?
Cape Town Pride is a 10 day festival that is fully inclusive and that services the LGBTI+ community of Cape Town.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
NPO
5) Can you provide us with your registration no? (eg company, NPO reg no)
157 -896 NPO
6) Can you give us the names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? eg committee members / directors / board members?
Matthew Van As – Festival Director – White – gay – male; David Lee – Photography and Social Media – Asian – gay – male; Roger Paulson – Event Organisor – Coloured – gay – male; Thando Hermanus – Event Organisor – Black – Lesbian – female; KK Fatyela – Events Organisor and Transport co-ordinator – Black – lesbian – female; Sethu Mwenga – Event Organisor – Black – lesbian – female; Shane Engel – Event Organisor – Coloured – male – gay
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender / gender identity demographics of the organisers / board members?
Please see above.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
Transport, cell phones, food and drinks are remunerated.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed / selected?
OUTReach Africa selects a Festival Director and in-turn he/him/they create a Pride committee.
10) How can members of the community become an organiser/member in your Pride committee / board?
Yes, there is an application form on the website.
11) Do you hold regular/annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
OUTReach Africa hosts an annual AGM where one of the sections is Cape Town Pride.
12) Do you you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? And why/why not?
Our financials are available on the DSD (Department of Social Development) website.
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
Not answered / See above
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
Cape Town Pride made a profit and as such money was donated to various charities.
15) How is your Pride funded? (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)
Corporate sponsorship, local government services, entry fees.
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, project/s or cause/s? If so, which one and how much was raised in the last year?
Yes, the following charities and causes had money raised: 1. Pride Shelter – R35 000.00; 2. Kasi Pre-Pride – R10 000.00; 3. Rainbow Ye2 – R2000.00; 4. ONE VOICE magazine – R30 000.00
17) Any other comment you would like to make?
Not answered
DURBAN PRIDE
1) How long has your Pride been in existence?
The campaign, through the [Durban LGBTI] Community and Health Centre, has been running annually since 2011. However, similar campaigns have been organised at various points in the past.
2) When will the next edition take place?
30 June 2018 (it just took place)
3) Please give us a one-line description of your Pride?
Durban Pride is a human rights, well-being and advocacy campaign by the LGBTI Community and Health Centre aimed at commemorating lives lost and creating an awareness of struggles that still need to be overcome towards realising the rights of LGBTIQ+ people to equality, dignity and freedom.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
A Non-Profit Organisation: LGBTI Community and Health Centre (formerly Durban Lesbian and Gay Community and Health Centre).
5) Can you provide us with your registration no? (eg company, NPO reg no)
013 359 NPO
6) Can you give us the names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? eg committee members / directors / board members?
Nonhlanhla, the Community Centre’s Director.
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender/gender identity demographics of the organisers / board members?
Black, Woman, Lesbian.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
It is a volunteered position.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed/selected?
The Human Rights Advocacy Officer is tasked with this as it falls within the programme. This post is vacant (no funds). The campaign is [thus] organised by the Director.
10) How can members of the community become an organiser / member in your Pride committee/board?
They simply indicate interest and willingness to volunteer their skills and expertise with the organisation in this regard.
11) Do you hold regular / annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
Ideally, but not necessarily, unless there is a specific issue of contention that must be engaged with using the relevant public forum. Communities are engaged with in this regard, through our various community and M&E platforms.
12) Do you you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? And why/why not?
Not necessarily as these are not separately prepared outside the overall organisational audit.
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
I will ask a member of staff to help segregate these and then perhaps share when available.
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
All Durban Pride campaigns so far have run at a loss to the programme/organisation. As a result, 2018 nearly did not happen.
15) How is your Pride funded? (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)
It relies on fundraising, sponsorships, donations, sales, partnerships with other organisation’s campaign activities, and lots of individual/business giving (e.g. DGLFF, KZN GALTA and Centre Staff).
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, project/s or cause/s? If so, which one and how much was raised in the last year?
For now, Durban Pride raises funds to sustain itself. It is our hope that it will contribute immensely to the Human Rights Education and Advocacy Programme of the Community Centre.
17) Any other comment you would like to make?
None.
EKURHULENI PRIDE
1) How long has your Pride been in existence
10 years
2) When will the next edition take place.
1 September 2018
3) Please give us a one-line description of your Pride.
Ekurhuleni Pride is bringing the Ekurhuleni LGBTI community together to make a political statement by marching and opening conversations about homosexuality, diversity, safety and HIV, TB & STI.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
EPOC, which is an NPO.
5) Can you provide us with your registration no.? (e.g company, NPO reg. no.)
091128
6) Can you give us names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? e.g. committee members / directors / board members?
Ntsupe Mohapi (Founder, Director, African, Lesbian, Female, Kwa-Thema); Xolile Dzanibe (Chairperson, African, Gay, Male, Kwa-Thema); Refilwe Lentsitse (Secretary, African, Lesbian, Female, Kwa-Thema); Thuli Msipha (Volunteer, African, Lesbian, Female, Kwa-Thema); Lebo Tshoma (Volunteer, African, Lesbian, Female, Tsakane); Segopotso Shilakwe (African, Gay, Male, Tsakane)
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender / gender identity, demographics of the organisers/board members?
See above.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
All are volunteers, no salary, no stipend.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed or selected?
They are part of the organisation so automatically they become Pride staff.
10 How can members of the community become an organiser / member in your Pride committee or board?
They can visit our offices and fill in the membership form.
11) Do you hold regular/annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
Yes. Because the Pride rotates from one Ekurhuleni township to the other, we only hold meetings with the members of the LGBTI community where the Pride is going to be held. The last meeting was on the 2nd June 2018 in Tembisa.
12) Do you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community?
No, because we do not have funding. The Ekurhuleni Municipality assists with providing the materials and equipment that we need.
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
Not answered / NA
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
Not answered / NA
15) How is your Pride funded? e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc.)
Ekurhuleni Municipality (we do not receive funding, they provide what we need).
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, projects or cause?
No.
17) Any other comments?
The board members are not active, we are in a process of establishing a new board.
JOHANNESBURG PRIDE
1) How long has your Pride been in existence?
Johannesburg Pride is in its 29th year and the current Johannesburg Pride team has been actively working on growing the Johannesburg Pride platform since the 24th annual event in 2013.
2) When will the next edition take place?
We are looking forward to seeing you all at Johannesburg Pride running from the 25 – 28 October 2018.
3) Please give us a one-line description of your Pride?
The team at Johannesburg Pride has worked hard to make pride an all-inclusive platform catering for the LGBTQ+ME community.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
We manage this event via an entity registered in the name of Johannesburg Pride NPC.
5) Can you provide us with your registration no? (eg company, NPO reg no)
Not answered.
6) Can you give us names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? e.g. committee members / directors / board members?
Not answered.
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender / gender identity demographics of the organisers / board members?
Volunteers with identification across the spectrum of straight, gender reassigned, lesbian and gay males.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
Non-remunerated volunteers.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed/selected?
Due to the number of disappointments experienced at the hands of volunteers, the policy now requires anyone who wishes to volunteer to submit a detailed CV outlining capabilities to ensure the correct synergy is established. All CVs are reviewed by an independent team who then execute the on-boarding process of any successful volunteers.
10) How can members of the community become an organiser/member in your Pride committee/board?
See above.
11) Do you hold regular / annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
To help build support, we attempted to hold public meetings, but in most cases the Pride team ended up disappointed due to public no show.
12) Do you you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? And why/why not?
Not answered.
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
Not answered.
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
Not answered.
15) How is your Pride funded? (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)
We have been fortunate to draw the attention of a few supporters within the corporate sector who help us pay the bills but to date the directors have always chipped in to ensure all Johannesburg Pride’s bills are paid before the event. On our path to ensuring Johannesburg Pride’s self-sustainability, we sell the pouring rights, market space and VIP tickets. Some activities are being sponsored and some have direct costs associated with them and will require tickets to be purchased to ensure the relevant costs are managed.
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, project/s or cause/s? If so, which one and how much was raised in the last year?
To further develop the LGBTQ+ME community of Johannesburg we are in the process of engaging with sponsors for a much needed Johannesburg Pride Safe House. This initiative has been slow to start but we will continue to persevere until we are able to provide a decent calibre Safe House for the Gauteng Community and beyond.
17) Any other comment you would like to make?
Not answered.
LIMPOPO PRIDE
1) How long has your Pride been in existence?
7 years
2) When will the next edition take place?
11 May 2019
3) Please give us a one-line description of your Pride?
It is a space for LGBTI to raise awareness, embrace diversity and allow LGBTI to freely express themselves and celebrate collectively.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
NPO (Limpopo LGBTI Proudly Out)
5) Can you provide us with your registration no? (eg company, NPO reg no)
104 606 NPO
6) Can you give us names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? e.g. committee members / directors / board members?
Cindy Maotoana – Executive director Limpopo LGBTI Proudly Out (LLPO); Lornah Nefale – coordinator; DR Joy Summerton – chairperson LLPO; Lerato Tshehla – coordinator; +-5 volunteers.
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender / gender identity demographics of the organisers / board members?
Homosexual, African, female, Limpopo Province.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
No one is paid.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed/selected?
The Limpopo Pride was founded by the director of LLPO. It is run by an NPO – mostly the people who volunteer for LLPO take part in the organising.
10) How can members of the community become an organiser/member in your Pride committee/board?
By contacting the organisation.
11) Do you hold regular / annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
We used to have in the past 6 years apart from this year due to unforeseen circumstances.
12) Do you you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? And why/why not?
Limpopo Pride doesn’t have any financial support it depends on individuals who contribute.
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
Not available.
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
Not provided.
15) How is your Pride funded? (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)
It is not funded.
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, project/s or cause/s? If so, which one and how much was raised in the last year?
No.
17) Any other comment you would like to make?
LLPO has been trying to make sure Limpopo Pride exists to raise awareness in the province only, which affects the growth of Pride. Next year’s plan is to have a VIP section and bring more business into it so we can raise funds to run all the costs for Pride, although not deriving from the Pride’s mission in this province.
NELSON MANDELA BAY PRIDE
1) How long has your Pride been in existence?
For 7 years
2) When will the next edition take place?
November 2018
3) Please give us a one-line description of your Pride?
For the people.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
We are in the process of registering as an NPO. For now we are a committee of volunteers.
5) Can you provide us with your registration no? (eg company, NPO reg no)
Not applicable.
6) Can you give us names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? e.g. committee members / directors / board members?
Kelley Felix – Straight Cisgendered – Black (So called coloured); Heinrich Terblanche – Gay – Coloured; Kuhle Baart – Lesbian – Black; Tando Mcata – Gay – Black; Nasiphi Dandala – Lesbian – Black.
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender / gender identity demographics of the organisers / board members?
See above.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
Everyone in the committee are volunteers.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed/selected?
They are nominated by the community and then elected.
10) How can members of the community become an organiser/member in your Pride committee/board?
By identifying themselves and availing themselves.
11) Do you hold regular/annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
14 June 2018 – We had a meeting with 2 community members.
12) Do you you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? Why/why not?
Not answered / NA
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
We are new committee and do not have these records.
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
We do not have this information.
15) How is your Pride funded? (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)
We are in the process of registering as an NPO so that we can receive funding and sponsorship.
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, project/s or cause/s? If so, which one and how much was raised in the last year?
Not answered / NA
17) Any other comment you would like to make?
Not answered
PRETORIA PRIDE
1) How long has your Pride been in existence?
This will be our 6th Pride.
2) When will the next edition take place?
6th October 2018 at Centurion Rugby Club.
3) Could you please give us a one-line description of your Pride?
Gay by nature Proud by choice.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
We are an NPO; Pretoria Tshwane Pride.
5) Can you provide us with your registration no?(eg company, NPO reg no).
2016/318282/08
6) Can you give us names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? e.g. committee members / directors / board members?
Parade and stalls: Sean Hide; Day Logistics: Bruce Walker; Entertainment: Claudette; Fundraiser and sponsorship: all; Media and social media: Richard v.d Walt and Hendrik Baird; Bar: Gerhard Schoonraad; Waste: Sean Hide; OC: Wayne Helfrich; Mr and Miss Gay Pride: Claudette Lee Coope; Chair: Bruce Walker; Deputy Chair: Wayne Helfrich.
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender / gender identity demographics of the organisers/board members?
At the moment 100% gay: 90% white men 10% black male.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
We are all volunteers.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed/selected?
We have an open meeting once a year to get people to volunteer their services to put on Pride (we put this out on social media).
10) How can members of the community become an organiser / member in your Pride committee/board?
Anyone can be part of this come to the meetings and you can be part and help.
11) Do you hold regular / annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
We have one AGM / open meeting where we report back on the previous year and give the financials of the last year. We then open the year by asking for people to look after portfolios and we have meeting twice a month. The last one was on Tuesday 19th June.
12) Do you you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? Why/why not?
Yes we do. We have to do this as we are an NPO and anyone can ask for a copy.
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
Pretoria Pride 2017: Income: R 154 200.00 Expenses: R 187 145.00 (Editorial note: documentation for 2017 was provided).
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
We ran at loss and over the 5 years we stand at a [tota] loss of R311 000.00.
15) How is your Pride funded (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)?
We have fundraisers and get a few sponsors and now charge R20 entry and R100 at the VIP clubhouse.
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, project/s or cause/s? If so, which one and how much was raised in the last year?
We try to fund as many things as we can by raising clothes and blankets and raise sponsors for buses to help get people to Pride.
17) Any other comment you would like to make?
The main cause for Pretoria Pride is to help get a strong united community and to help educate the younger generation about where we came from and the people who helped us gain our rights as LGBTI community. Our (2018) theme is ‘honouring our heroes’. The stronger we are the less chance people will push us around.
SOWETO PRIDE
1) How long has your Pride been in existence?
Since 2004
2) When will the next edition take place?
29 September 2018
3) Please give us a one-line description of your Pride?
Soweto Pride is a political project initiated by the Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW) in 2004 with the aim of creating and making a political and social space for black lesbian women with other LGBTI people to increase visibility and amplify the voices of black lesbian women and the broader members of this community.
4) What kind of entity runs the Pride (eg company, NPO, community organisation) and what is its name?
NPO – Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW)
5) Can you provide us with your registration no? (eg company, NPO reg no)
030-374
6) Can you give us names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? e.g. committee members / directors / board members?
Siphokazi Nombande & Jamilla Madingwane
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender / gender identity demographics of the organisers/board members?
Not answered.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paid a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
Pride is the project of FEW and the people who run it are the staff of FEW.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed/selected?
Pride is the project of FEW and the people who run it are the staff of FEW.
10) How can members of the community become an organiser / member in your Pride committee/board?
They can write to us to become volunteers.
11) Do you hold regular/annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
We don’t hold annual meetings for Pride.
12) Do you you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? And why/why not?
No one has ever asked for that. The financials for Pride can be made available.
13) If so, can you send us the last two years’ financials for the Pride, if available?
I will send you the expense analysis for Pride (The financials were not received).
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
Our Pride is not for profit. We seek funding for Pride from donors and individuals.
15) How is your Pride funded? (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)
Unfortunately we do not take corporate sponsorship. it is through donor funding and individuals.
16) Does your Pride raise money for any charity, project/s or cause/s? If so, which one and how much was raised in the last year?
No it does not.
17) Any other comment you would like to make?
Not answered.
One of the best articles I ever seen on mambaonline. Well done.
Here some comments regarding the Durban Pride.
6) Can you give us the names of the people who run the Pride and their positions? eg committee members / directors / board members?
-Question not fully answered and in-complete.
7) Can you provide us with the racial, sexual orientation, gender/gender identity demographics of the organisers / board members?
-Wrong again, what about the other people.
8) Are the organisers / directors / board members paying a salary or a fee to run the Pride or are they volunteers?
-They failed to mention their personal benefits, advertising their own businesses, so I take this was wrongly answered.
9) How are the people who run the pride appointed/selected?
-Incorrect. Never advertised and there is no opportunity for new members to join.
10) How can members of the community become an organiser / member in your Pride committee/board?
-Incorrect. I can provide you with at least 5 people names who repeatedly tried to contacted the Human Rights Advocacy Officer, both on email, telephone and in person over a period of 6 weeks before pride. The Human Rights Advocacy Officer in pride week walked out of an event when asked by someone why she do not respond to any responses. There was about 20-30 people who witnessed this as she stormed out, refusing to talk or great anyone.
11) Do you hold regular / annual public meetings open to the LGBTQ community for input? If so, when was your last one?
-Meetings are only held in “secret”, when you try to attend, they move it. Not sure about the “relevant public forum”, would like to know what this is.
12) Do you make the financials for the Pride event available to the community? And why/why not?
-Big problem, as many of us speculate about this.
14) Did your last Pride run at a loss, break even or make a profit?
-No proper financials is kept as per the above comments, so how can this be verified?
15) How is your Pride funded? (e.g. corporate sponsorship, donor funding, government funding, entry fees, alcohol sales etc…)
-Seems like only the volunteers are listed, not the financial sponsors.
Overall. Durban Pride is known as the “exclusive pride” for the past couple of years, highjacked by some individuals. Thanks to the DA for supporting and providing the music, but apart from this it felt more like a political rally with all the “VIVA” and slogans over the microphones. Bystanders asked us why we protesting????????
For the Human Rights Advocacy Officer to personally promote and advertise on social media “Pride afterparties” that are not openly gay supportive is discussing. Where does the Human Rights come in? Should you not support those who actively support the Gay community during the year?
I wish to commend Cape Town Pride for “getting it RIGHT! What a perfect example – and despite not a word of boasting, arrogance or deceit. Thank you Mother City!
However, it is the Durban Pride responses that leaves me saddened. I have personally been involved in workshops and meetings in an attempt to assist Durban Pride. Wonderful conclusions were reached and a game plan drafted. But, this was years ago – and nothing came of it.
Every effort by ANYONE to get involved is ignored. Yes, indeed, one organisation (KZNGALTA) and one business (DGLFF) ARE involved – both steered by one and the same person! So reading the organiser’s comments, I guess one can conclude that “the two has it under control”.
Durban’s community, all race groups, all genders etc, would LOVE to get involved in a well organised, well represented Durban Pride. Sadly, our efforts have been shunned over many years.
I need not comment on every one of the answers by Durban Pride in your article; I think it is VERY clear to your readers that Durban Pride is NOT transparent, not all-inclusive and certainly not run to its full potential.
A call for public participation was organised in consultation with the (one) organising body – and that happened 5 years ago. So calls for public participation as stated is a farce, to say the least.
One does not even have to KNOW what is going on in Durban to conclude from the Durban Pride Organiser’s comments – that something is terribly wrong.
What we in Durban are hoping for – is that some authority will be established to ensure that a Pride, anywhere, can not be hijacked, used for personal gain, be a one-man band or be secretive – we owe it to our LGBTI+ Community!