Becoming a better political ally for LGBTQI+ people

The OR Tambo School of Leadership, Triangle Project and LGBTQ Victory Institute are inviting members of the ANC (African National Congress), PYA (Progressive Youth Alliance), other Alliance partners, and the broader mass democratic movement, especially those in leadership positions, to a half-day virtual training on “Becoming a Better Ally for LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex) people” on the 21st of November 2020.  

The training will help broaden participants’ understanding of issues that affect LGBTQI+ populations in South Africa, provide information about key concepts of gender, sexual and bodily diversity, and help trainees to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQI+ populations within their political party.

Although South Africa has made significant legislative advances regarding equality, LGBTQI+ people in South Africa, due to several intersecting vulnerabilities, still experience significant discrimination and inequality on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and/or sex characteristics (SOGIESC). LGBTQI+ people continue to face extreme forms of violence, which research and experience suggest is critically under-reported. Brought about by Apartheid and Settler Colonialism, intersecting identities such as race, class, geography, and gender also play a significant role in the lives of LGBTQI+ South Africans. 

Apply by the 8th of November by downloading the application form here:

Please submit your application to kutloanoe@ortamboschool.org.za


Training Goals

The training aims to achieve the following goals:

  • To build a basic understanding of issues that affect LGBTQI+ populations in South Africa
  • To help trainees understand key concepts of sexual, gender and bodily diversity, specifically, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and bodily diversity (SOGIESC) 
  • To introduce trainees to the correct terms to be able connect and interact in a respectful way with LGBTQI+ people
  • To support trainees to identify and understand their own unconscious bias and privilege, so we can avoid unintended interpersonal oppression
  • To help trainees to create an inclusive environment for LGBTQI+ populations within their political party
  • To introduce trainees to law and policy frameworks that protect LGBTQI+ people

Training Date & Logistics

Saturday, 21st November 2020, from 8:30 to 13:00 

The training will be delivered virtually. The organisers will provide data to those participants who require data to be able to attend the virtual training.

About the Organisers

Triangle Project

Triangle Project is a non-profit organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa. Its mission is to contribute to eradicating discrimination against and within LGBTQI+ communities, and to provide defined services to LGBTQI+ persons until they are no longer required. 

Its work is concentrated around LGBTQI+ community development and leadership building; the sexual and reproductive health and rights of LGBTQI+ persons; addressing gender-based violence and hate crimes against LGBTQI+ persons; and LGBTQI+ citizenship, which includes the right to access services and participate fully in the political, economic and social arenas within broader South African society. The organisation achieves this work through three intersecting programmes, namely, the Community Engagement and Empowerment Programme (CEEP), Health and Support Services Programme (HSSP), and Research, Advocacy and Policy Programme (RAP). 

LGBTQ Victory Institute 

LGBTQ Victory Institute (Victory Institute) is a U.S. non-profit organisation that was founded in 1993 with the mission of increasing the number of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people in public office and to provide programming, service, and other support to help ensure their success. Victory works to achieve full equality for LGBTQ people by building, supporting, and advancing a diverse network of LGBTQI public leaders.

Globally, Victory partners with local organisations to train international LGBTQ leaders, collaborates with political parties for greater inclusion of LGBTQ people, raises public awareness around democratic governance, and conducts research on LGBTQ political participation in countries outside of the United States.

OR Tambo Leadership School 

The OR Tambo school of leadership is an educational institution established with the purpose of building the ideological, intellectual and technical capacity for the ANC and the broader mass democratic movement or anyone who is interested in effecting change.

Its mandate is to facilitate Political Education to transform members into cadres of social change. This mandate will be fulfilled by educating both ANC members and mass democratic movement participants with knowledge, values, principles through theory and practice with the aim of transforming those who go through political education to be agents of social change in its totality (race, class, gender etc.).

First Global Feminist LBQ Women*’s Conference 6–9 July

The first Global Feminist LBQ Women*s Conference will take place from 6-9 July 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference is being organized by a collective working group of 22 LBQ women* activists from across all regions of the world.  The key themes for this conference are: ‘Leading – Healing – Transforming’. This conference is a space to recognize, celebrate and affirm the experiences, needs, organizing and activism of lesbian, bisexual and queer women*, based on self-determination. The priority is to center women, including Intersex, Trans, Cisgender and all people who identify as women with marginalized sexualities. Women* prioritizes people who identify as women, but includes Gender Non-conforming and Non-binary people. Research which looked at over 70 countries over a 40 year period showed that the presence of autonomous, feminist movements are the most important factor in realizing progressive social change on issues of violence against women and bodily autonomy, and crucial to realizing the domestication of international norms and policies. 

Visit the conference website for more information.

Strengthening Democracy through LGBTI Political Participation in South Africa

We are pleased to announce the commencement of the project Strengthening Democracy through LGBTI Political Participation in South Africa, in partnership with Washington, D.C. based LGBTQ Victory Institute. Funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), this two-year project aims to strengthen South Africa’s democracy through increasing equal participation of LGBTI people and promoting understanding among political parties and the Independent Electoral Commission around the importance of diverse representation. This will be achieved through the training of LGBTI leaders in civic engagement strategy and working with parties and the Commission to adopt policies and procedures to improve LGBTI representation, participation, voter registration and turnout.