Inclusive Buffalo City Pride to Highlight Health Access Gaps and Hate Crimes

Following last’s year’s successful inaugural edition, Buffalo City Pride will host its second Inclusive Pride on Saturday, 7 December 2024, in East London. 

More than just a celebration, this year’s Pride will serve as a rallying call for justice, focusing on the urgent healthcare needs of transgender individuals and the alarming rise in hate-fuelled violence targeting LGBTQIA+ people across the Eastern Cape.

Focus Areas for Buffalo City Pride 2024

Organisers have drawn attention to the ongoing challenges faced by transgender people in the Buffalo City Metro, which also includes the towns of Bhisho and Qonce, particularly regarding access to life-saving gender-affirming healthcare, including hormone therapy.

While the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute (Wits RHI) at Duncan Village Day Hospital is ready to provide these essential services, Frere Hospital management is reportedly blocking the distribution of hormone therapy.

Activists say this obstruction continues despite approvals from the Provincial Pharmaceutical Committees (PTC) and Frere PTC in 2022, as well as a directive from the Eastern Cape Department of Health in September 2023.

“This negligence has dragged on for over a year, forcing transgender people to navigate an under-resourced system that disregards their fundamental right to health and self-determination,” asserts Sikhander Coopoo, one of the Pride organisers.

These barriers are further exacerbated by an increase in hate crimes. At least five LGBTQIA+ individuals were murdered in the province between August and September this year.

Premier Oscar Mabuyane has publicly acknowledged the Eastern Cape as the most homophobic province in South Africa, with frequent incidents of harassment, violence, and “corrective rape.”

“LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly transgender people, are under siege by relentless prejudice, and society must no longer ignore or tolerate this reality,” says Coopoo.

Buffalo City Pride Day – What to Expect

The Inclusive Pride will take place on Saturday, 7 December 2024, from 12:00 to 15:00. Participants are encouraged to bring colourful Pride gear, banners, and placards.

The March: Assembly will begin at 11:30 at the Cenotaph War Memorial (Upper Oxford Street, opposite Buffalo City FET). The event will kick off with a welcome and opening speeches, including mini-talks.

Participants, alongside Buffalo City’s Inclusive Pride partners and allies, will then march to Frere Hospital in a public demonstration advocating for immediate and unrestricted access to gender-affirming hormone therapy, as mandated by law.

A memorandum will be read to Frere Hospital management outlining the marcher’s demands at around 13:00.

The Pride Picnic: After the march and demonstration, participants  will return to the Cenotaph for further mini-talks and engagement with partner organisations offering advice and information.

Attendees are invited to bring blankets, umbrellas, and picnic baskets for a relaxed yet informative afternoon.

Entertainment will be provided by the Yamiez School of Arts, with Akona Ntsaluba (TAC) and Sivuyile Mtana (Gaycella) serving as emcees.

The event is free and open to everyone. Efforts have been made to ensure the march route is short and accessible to differently-abled participants. The event is alcohol-free.

A Call for Justice and Inclusion

Organisers stress that “Buffalo City’s Inclusive Pride is more than an event; it is a movement for justice, health equity, and human dignity. We call on everyone who believes in a fair and just South Africa to stand with us, raise their voices, and help build a future where no one faces discrimination, neglect, or harm because of their gender identity. Together, let’s turn these words into action and make Buffalo City a place of true inclusion and safety for all.”