Hlengiwe Buthelezi runs her own race as a queer activist
02/05/2023
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
LINK: | https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/lgbtqia/hlengiwe-buthelezi-run... |
See more stories from thesouthafrican |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
26/07/2024
Talking Story and Building Community: A Conversation With Indigenous Program Alumni and Advisor Bryson Chun
by Ianeta Le'i I honestly don't remember the first time I met Bryson Ch...
26/07/2024
Magical Moments and Letting Your Brain Free: A Conversation With Lisa Steen, Director of Late Bloomers
(L-R) Louise (Karen Gillan) and Antonina (Margaret Sophie Stein) strike up an un...
26/07/2024
Check Out Our Updated Songs of Summer Predictions (Complete With Five New Wild Card Picks)
Last month, Spotify's annual Songs of Summer predictions made their return, ...
26/07/2024
Go for the Gold This Summer With These Sports-Themed Audiobooks and Podcasts
Summer is peak season for some of our favorite sports and events. Whether you're rooting for the home team at the ballpark or cheering for your country as i...
26/07/2024
Congratulations to newly trained specialists at SGL Carbon
Nine talented young professionals completed their vocational training at SGL Carbon in Meitingen from the beginning of June to mid-July, achieving an overall gr...
26/07/2024
L3Harris Technologies Reports Strong Second Quarter 2024 Results, Increases 2024 Guidance
Orders1 of $5.2 billion; book-to-bill of 1.0x Revenue of $5.3 billion, up 13% ...
26/07/2024
Scripps Incident Management Planning Minimizes CrowdStrike Disruptions
(Editor's note: TVTech reached out to several station groups to determine the impact of the CrowdStrike outage on operations. Many, including NextStar Media...
26/07/2024
Bitcentral Integrates Pixalate Analytics Into ViewNexa
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. Bitcentral has integrated Pixalate's ad fraud protection, privacy and compliance analytics solution Post-Bid Analytics and Reporting i...
26/07/2024
For Content Creators, AI Makes It a Whole New World
Aldous Huxley's classic novel Brave New World is a science fiction thriller set in a murky future with a highly ordered society. While Huxley and other sc...
26/07/2024
Hollyland Adds Pyro 7 All-in-one Video Monitor, TX and RX to Pyro Series
Hollyland Adds Pyro 7 All-in-one Video Monitor, TX and RX to Pyro Series Brie Clayton July 26, 2024 0 Comments Seven-inch 2.4/5GHz wireless monitor wi...
26/07/2024
Geddy Lee Asks Are Bass Players Human Too? Graded Using DaVinci Resolve Studio
Geddy Lee Asks Are Bass Players Human Too? Graded Using DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton July 26, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic today announced that t...
26/07/2024
61% of CTV Advertisers Plan To Increase Spending: Survey
Another reminder of the popularity of ad-supported connected TV comes in a survey by Premion and Advertiser Perceptions which found that 61% of the marketers th...
26/07/2024
Nielsen's Gracenote Gets Into Contextual Ad Game
Nielsen's Gracenote unit said it is selling its metadata about the content of television shows and movies for use in targeting connected-TV advertising camp...
26/07/2024
Cedric the Entertainer Featured in CBS Special 13 Days in Ferguson'
CBS premieres 13 Days in Ferguson, a special about the aftermath of a police shooting of a young Black man in 2014, on Friday, August 9. The special features Ce...
26/07/2024
Disney+, Hulu, Max Bundle Launches
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced the launch of their long-awaited premium streaming bundle for the United States. For $16.99 per month, subscribers w...
26/07/2024
Anton/Bauer powers up cinematic production with VCLX LI 1600
It provides multi-voltage output (14.4V, 28V, and 48V) through two XLR4 outputs and one XLR3, offering power to cameras, monitors, and lighting equipment By Je...
26/07/2024
Paramount, Skydance deal faces court challenge
The lawsuit submitted by investor Scott Baker claims the deal would cost Paramount shareholders $1.65 billion By Jenny Priestley Published: July 26, 2024 ...
26/07/2024
Video Village Miami Taps AJA Io4K Plus for On-set Assist
Florida-based Video Village Miami provides on-set video assist for local commercials and music videos. Frank Collins established the outfit in 2019 after a 20-y...
26/07/2024
QuickLink StudioPro 4K Video Production Platform to Make...
QuickLink, the leading global provider of multi-camera video productions and remote contribution solutions, will present QuickLink StudioPro at IBC 2024 (Stand ...
26/07/2024
Relo Metrics Announces Innovative Approach to In-Venue An...
Relo Metrics (formerly GumGum Sports), the leading AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform for real-time data decisions, today launched an industry-leading in...
26/07/2024
AntonBauer Launches VCLX LI 1600Wh Multi-Voltage Battery...
Anton/Bauer, a leading provider of mobile power systems for the film and television industry, has announced the launch of the VCLX LI 1600. The latest evolution...
26/07/2024
ViewNexa by Bitcentral integrates Pixalate Analytics to s...
Bitcentral, the leading provider of professional media solutions for broadcast and digital video, today announces that it has integrated Pixalate, the ad fraud ...
26/07/2024
Cobalt Iron Expands Access to Secure Automated Backup Wit...
Cobalt Iron Inc., a leading provider of SaaS-based enterprise data protection, today announced that Secure Automated Backup with Compass , a cloud backup-as-a-s...
26/07/2024
VisualOn Sets New Standards in Video Streaming Efficiency...
VisualOn IBC2024 Exhibitor Preview Sept. 13-16 Amsterdam Stand 5.A52 As video streaming consumption surges, service providers face significant challenges wi...
26/07/2024
Quanteec to Showcase More Sustainable and Cost-Effective...
Quanteec IBC2024 Exhibitor Preview Sept. 13-16 RAI Amsterdam Stand 1.A05 Quanteec, a global provider of video delivery technology for broadcasters, will s...
26/07/2024
Witbe to Unveil New Mobile Automation for Video App Testi...
Witbe IBC2024 Exhibitor Preview Sept. 13-16 Amsterdam Stand 5.F84 At IBC2024, Witbe will showcase the power of its automated testing and proactive monitori...
26/07/2024
FCC Launches New Mobile Speed Test App
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission has announced the launch of its new Mobile Speed Test app. The new app features an enhanced user interfac...
26/07/2024
Alibaba Cloud, OBS Launch AI-Fueled OBS Cloud 3.0 for Paris Olympics
LONDON In a notable landmark for the use of cloud-based services at the Olympics, Alibaba Cloud and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), has today announced the...
26/07/2024
WNBA Returns to NBCU with 11 Year Deal
NEW YORK As part of a $2.5 billion media rights deal with the NBA announced on July 24, NBCUniversal and the NBA have also announced an 11-year agreement for ri...
26/07/2024
What Role Does VVC Have in the Future of Over-the-Air TV?
BEAVERTON, Ore. Versatile Video Coding (VVC) promises to play a pivotal role in driving advancements in video compression technology, with organizations across ...
26/07/2024
PurpleTV Expands into Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio The political news channel PurpleTV has expanded it reach with news that it has launched on Channel 25.1 in Columbus, Ohio on TV Station WXOH, wh...
26/07/2024
Nielsen's Gracenote Enters Contextual CTV Ad Business
NEW YORK As part of a push into the contextual advertising business, Nielsen's Gracenote has announced that it is developing new contextual categories to gi...
26/07/2024
Puget Systems Returns to SIGGRAPH 2024 to Demonstrate its On-Premises Generative AI and Machine Learning Custom Server
Puget Systems Returns to SIGGRAPH 2024 to Demonstrate its On-Premises Generative...
26/07/2024
Dreamtek Delivers Innovative A/V, Live Production and Post Workflows with Blackmagic Design
Dreamtek Delivers Innovative A/V, Live Production and Post Workflows with Blackm...
26/07/2024
Dejero to bring even smarter' mobile internet connectivity solutions to IBC that simplify remote broadcast and media production workflows
Dejero to bring even smarter' mobile internet connectivity solutions to IBC...
26/07/2024
From Opening Ceremony to Daily Coverage: CBC and WRAL-TV are In the Zone for the Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are about to begin, and Capitol Broadcasting is rea...
26/07/2024
Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2024 Emmy Awards
Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2024 Emmy Awards Twenty-one Berklee alumni received Emmy nominations this year for music composition, sound mixing, and sound editi...
26/07/2024
Jennifer Lyons Takes on Regional GM Role With Oversight of CBS-Owned WBBM Chicago and WWJ Detroit
Jennifer Lyons, president and general manager of WBBM Chicago, is moving into a ...
26/07/2024
Kennan Oliphant Named VP of News and Station Manager at WWJ Detroit
Kennan Oliphant has been named VP of news and station manager at WWJ Detroit. He will report to Jennifer Lyons, who has added a regional GM role that gives her ...
26/07/2024
Review: Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose' (HBO)
Charlie Hustle & The Matter of Pete Rose, a four-part docuseries, debuts on HBO and Max July 24. The series details the life of the baseball superstar, includin...
26/07/2024
Unlocking Local TV Advertising Opportunities for Local Businesses During the 2024 Paris Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games present a unique and exciting opportunity for local...
26/07/2024
Paris 2024: Vvaro Providing Live Media Transport Services for Leading International Broadcasters
Paris 2024: V varo Providing Live Media Transport Services for Leading Internati...
26/07/2024
Paris 2024: BBC Sport on Its Remote Production Workflow for the Summer Games
Paris 2024: BBC Sport on Its Remote Production Workflow for the Summer Games By Heather McLean, SVG Europe Friday, July 26, 2024 - 7:31 am Print This Story...
26/07/2024
Paris 2024: BBC Sport Unveils the Olympic Storytelling and Breathtaking Scenery of the City of Dreams
Paris 2024: BBC Sport Unveils the Olympic Storytelling and Breathtaking Scenery ...
26/07/2024
Paris 2024: Taking a Step Forwards with BBC Sport's Olympic Studio Combining Real and Virtual Worlds
Paris 2024: Taking a Step Forwards with BBC Sport's Olympic Studio Combining...
26/07/2024
Paris 2024: Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe Provides a First Look at Its Olympic Studios
Paris 2024: Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe Provides a First Look at Its Ol...
26/07/2024
Live From Paris 2024: NBC Olympics Set for Historic Opening Ceremony
Live From Paris 2024: NBC Olympics Set for Historic Opening Ceremony Unilateral coverage builds on impressive OBS production as NBC dives deep into Team USA cov...
26/07/2024
Live From Paris 2024: SVG's Onsite Editorial Team Breaks Down Opening Ceremony Logistics, Tech Workflows
Live From Paris 2024: SVG's Onsite Editorial Team Breaks Down Opening Ceremo...
26/07/2024
True-crime documentary, The Body Next Door to launch on Sky Documentaries and NOW on Sunday, 11 August
True-crime documentary, The Body Next Door to launch on Sky Documentaries and NO...