Mamba's 21 most-read queer stories of 2022

Mamba's 21 most-read queer stories of 2022Below we present Mamba's 21 most-read queer stories of 2022.

by Mambaonline.com

31-12-2022 10:21

in LGBTQIA

Mamba's 21 most-read queer stories of 2022 that impacted the LGBTQIA community. Photo: Pexels

The year that was 2022, thankfully, saw a decline in the number of reported LGBTIQ hate crimes in South Africa, compared to 2021. There were nonetheless still several deadly attacks against queer individuals based on their sexuality, gender identity or gender expression.

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The year was dominated by issues impacting LGBTIQ young people. These included unfounded hysteria about sexualising children, incidents of discrimination and bullying of LGBTIQ pupils (which at times had tragic consequences), and pushback by right-wing religious elements against efforts to create more inclusive schools.

21. Civil society responded to the dangerous panic over unisex school toilets More than 40 LGBTIQ and allied organisations responded to the extraordinary backlash against proposed Department of Basic Education guidelines that aim to make South African schools safer for LGBTIQ learners. It was the recommendation that schools provide gender-neutral toilets that was particularly controversial. Critics claimed the proposals are part of an LGBTQ agenda and are a direct assault on the constitutional rights of learners coming from homes with religious, faith and cultural objections to LGBTQ In the letter, the groups clarified the guidelines and their purpose and urged parents to apply their own minds to the document, and not to be misled by deliberate campaigns of disinformation, which exploit parents' fears and manufacture panic Read the full article here

ALSO READ: Kylian Mbapp rumoured to be dating trans model In s Rau

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20. Rainbow crossing unveiled in Cape Town's LGBTIQ district In October, Green Point in Cape Town became the site of a pedestrian crossing in the Pride rainbow colours, the worldwide symbol for the LGBTIQ community. The crossing, which was launched during South Africa's Pride Month, was supplemented with a pink strip painted on the sidewalks to serve as a Pink Route to guide visitors and tourists through the historically LGBTIQ neighbourhood. Soon after, the queerphobic African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) demanded that the crossing be scrapped.Read the full article here

19. Rainbow families: 6 South African queer celebrity parents Many among us consider becoming a parent one of our biggest desires in life. For gay people, though, having kids isn't necessarily as, well, straightforward as it is for the rest of the population. With that being said, the number of gay celebrity parents is steadily growing. In this article, Angie Gallagher looked at six local queer celebrity parents who are helping to normalise rainbow families in South Africa. Read the full article here

18. I Knew Sheila Lumumba: Here Is My Story Kenya's LGBTIQ community was shocked by the horrific 17 April murder of 25-year-old Sheila Lumumba, a non-binary lesbian. Well-known sexual and gender minorities' rights activist Denis Nzioka was moved to honour Sheila in this tribute. As I looked at Sheila in the mortuary, I could not help but think how Sheila fought back. Sheila defended and fought back if the defence wounds and broken limbs are anything to go by. Sheila did not die a victim. They fought back and that is the Sheila I knew, wrote Nzioka. Read the full article here

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17. You are fully embraced, Botswana President told LGBTIQ leaders In a landmark moment, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi told representatives of the LGBTIQ rights organisation, LEGABIBO, that he was committed to upholding their human rights in an official meeting in January. This followed an earlier historic Botswana Court of Appeal ruling confirming the decriminalisation of consensual same-sex sexual activities. Members of LEGABIBO can now derive comfort in the expectation of being fully included to benefit in all government services that they had hitherto been unable to access the president said. He added: And please know for the record, you are fully embraced. Fear not, my job is to protect you and everybody else. Read the full article here

16. Bongs Ndima resigned as Mr Gay World South Africa In late 2021, Bonginkosi Bongs Ndima became the first black man to officially hold the Mr Gay World South Africa title but in March he publicly and acrimoniously ended his relationship with Mr Gay World South Africa. In a statement, he made several allegations against the organisers, such as questioning their commitment to inclusion and claiming that they'd failed to support him. Mr Gay World South Africa denied the allegations and wished Ndima nothing but love, happiness, prosperity and success in all his future undertakings .Read the full article here

ALSO READ: The 80th Golden Globe Awards: LGBTQ representation

15. KZN lesbian murdered after she rejected man's advances In March, police received reports of a body lying along a path in Umlazi H-section, just outside of Durban. They found Pinky Shongwe, a 32-year-old lesbian woman, who had been brutally stabbed to death in a suspected hate crime. It was reported that when Shongwe was on her way home from the shops, she was approached by a man who professed his love for her. It's alleged that when she told the man that she dated women, he stabbed her to death in a rage. Read the full article here

14. Body of Refiloe Malope was found in mine shaft This article reported the tragic conclusion of the weeks-long search for lesbian woman Refiloe Malope. In May, witnesses saw a screaming Malope being forced into the boot of a white sedan by two men in Kgaphamadi village, Limpopo. Police later learned that she had been murdered and her body dumped into a disc

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/lgbtqia/mambas-21-most-read-qu...
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