Hlengiwe Buthelezi runs her own race as a queer activistActivism involves speaking up for minorities and the voiceless. Queer activist Hlengiwe Buthelezi speaks to us about the challenges of it all.
by Luh Tsele
02-05-2023 16:28
in LGBTQIA
Queer Activist Hlengiwe Buthelezi. Images via Instagram: @Hlegs55
Queer liberation in Africa is still a dream. That's why we need the bravery of LGBTIQ activists to keep trying to fight against those who wish to invalidate our existence. Former soccer player, athlete, and queer rights activist Hlengiwe Buthelezi is one of the brave ones. She talks to me about her passion for activism and sports. The challenges she has faced as a lesbian and her hope for the future.
--
Hlengiwe was led to activism by circumstances It is simple to assume that being an activist has always been on the cards for someone. For Hlengiwe Buthelezi, this was never a path she thought she would take. Growing up in a world where she was grossly discriminated against for her sexuality prompted her to take this direction.
I said there shall be no other person who will suffer if I can help it. I will do my best to prevent the suffering of queer bodies.
Activism involves speaking up for minorities and the voiceless. This reality often leaves activists vulnerable to harsh discrimination and homophobia. The sad truth is that we get discriminated against by the same law enforcement officers that are meant to protect us as citizens of this country, says Hlengiwe.
I have hardly ever gone 48 hours without experiencing some sort of discrimination.
Sports and its challenges Women face social stigma in the sporting world. I asked Hlengiwe about some of the challenges she has faced in sports, and she said that the prejudice was not so severe in soccer because over 50% of the women that she played with were butch. Most of the bias she faced during her soccer days was from the officials.
--
With athletics, you will have to endure discrimination even from your training mates. Sometimes it happens because people are ignorant.
According to Hlengiwe, sports is very fundamental for the young ones, queer or not. She talks about sports as a healing and therapeutic activity that can help everyone. She also describes sports as being a unifying factor. Because no matter how you identify or what your sexuality is, there is one team.
I founded Afro Games because I wanted them to be an inclusive sport. They are not just for the LGBTIQ , they are for everyone. The aim is for us to co-exist, and additionally learn about each other
The LGBTIQA Desk Among other things, Hlengiwe is a Convener of the LGBTIQA Desk within the ANC Women's League. When I asked her about this LGBTIQA Desk, she says it was important to establish it. She and the other members of Embrace Diversity wanted to further validate and amplify the voices of LGBTIQA individuals within the ruling party and the country.
We ultimately want to have a Queer League within the ANC, existing as an equal to all the other leagues in the organisation.
A message to Africa by Hlengiwe Buthelezi Regarding the state of affairs when it comes to queer people in Africa, Hlengiwe says it's disheartening, to say the least. But if she was allowed to address the leaders of our African countries, she would let them know that we don't choose to be homosexual, nature chooses for us. We get victimised, murdered, and discriminated against daily. If it was a matter of choice, no one would choose that life.
--
How do you wake up as a leader of a nation and want to victimise other people? Moreover, in every community, family, and country, there is a homosexual person.
Queer icons and the change she wants to see When it comes to queer icons, Hlengiwe gives her flowers to actress, singer, and rapper Queen Latifah; and tv personality and comedian Ellen DeGeneres.
If she had the power to change one thing in the world, Hlengiwe says she would change people's mindsets. To make people realise that we are one. And additionally that sexuality, race, class, culture, religion, and all the other barriers we use to separate ourselves do not matter. We are all human beings.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY LUH TSELE
We pay cash for videos. WhatsApp 060 011 021 1
Most recent headlines
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today! By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
23/12/2025
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...
22/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...
22/12/2025
Hitting the bullseye: Sky Sports readies itself for the biggest PDC World Darts ...
22/12/2025
Unique skillset: Bringing new directors to the world of darts at The Worlds with...
22/12/2025
Gravity Media prepares for a flight of fancy with the PDC World Darts Championsh...
22/12/2025
One hundred and eighty: Gravity Media on hitting the production bullseye at the ...
22/12/2025
The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content...
22/12/2025
ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Spo...
22/12/2025
ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next ...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Paramount Scores Largest Share Increase Among Distributors as Paramount and CBS...
22/12/2025
New multi-year deal integrates Roku's data to fuel Nielsen's measurement suite
Roku gains access to Nielsen's streaming ratings, showing The Roku C...
22/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
22/12/2025
Berklee Wrapped 2025: Our Top News and Stories A look back at a year highlighted by faculty milestones, major film and television projects, Bob Dylan's ho...
22/12/2025
The works of Plato state that when humans have an experience, some level of change occurs in their brain, which is powered by memory - specifically long-term me...
22/12/2025
Partnership integrates complementary satellite data and AI analytics to enhance security, infrastructure, and environmental monitoring solutions for global cust...
22/12/2025
Workflows allow you to create a sequence of planned events which may be added to your template(s) or inserted directly into your sequential or background playli...
Hlengiwe Buthelezi runs her own race as a queer activistActivism involves speaking up for minorities and the voiceless. Queer activist Hlengiwe Buthelezi speaks to us about the challenges of it all.
