Download PDFParents, Families and Friends of South African Queers (PFSAQ), hosted a workshop
in Kwa-Thema, Springs where parents and allies of the queer community engaged
on issues affecting the queer community. The participants learned more about the
community at large. Pfsaq is an organisation that aims to develop parents, families,
and allies of the LGBTIQ+ people to become public advocates for the dignity,
equality and social inclusion of queer people. It also aimed to also provide
information to parents who are willing to be public advocates.
The purpose of the event was to bring parents of queers’ together and share
information with parents so they understand the diversity. Lydia Maggie Mashinini a
73-year-old ally who attended the workshop shared her experience of the event. “We
have learned a lot, I didn’t know about the differences in sexual orientation, I so wish
this can happen also in schools and we can get to invite more parents so we can
engage in such conversations and help our children come out.”
The topics tackled by the facilitator Virginia Magwaza who is also the founder and
managing director of Pfsaq, included sexism, patriarchy, feminism, heteronormativity
and the Legal framework. Parents were taught about the constitution and how to go
about when attending to cases, be it family court, magistrate court or high court.
“I am grateful to the facilitators today, as old as I am, I got to learn about how the law
deals with issues, [and] now I can be able to assist my community,” said Thokozile
Sibeko (62).
“Today we know how to be comfortable with our children, I am thankful to the
facilitator for teaching us, as we go back into our homes we will be able to give our
children hope,” concludes Sibeko
“The work of working with parents is complex because of the stereotypes, namely,
religion, tradition and our culture, now we are seeing the shift in how parents think
and perceive us, we now have leaders who are willing to sit with us and listen,” said
the facilitator.
When asked about challenges, Magwaza spoke on the government’s non-inclusion
where queer issues are concerned, “The state is not supportive, we are facing
structural issues as we had to hire a church building to use for this workshop. We
need[ed] a venue to give out refreshments and to provide transport, we all had to do
that ourselves. But today’s event went well because we already had a core group
existing in Kwa-Thema and we partnered with Ekurhuleni LGBTIQ+ Organisation
previously known as EPOC (Ekurhuleni Pride Organising Committee) for this
particular event.”
Many of the parents who were part of the discussion have queer children, whether
by birth or otherwise some of them are allies. “We really need to have these
conversations more so that we can support our children, the killings are not nice,
these are our children, we birthed them” said MaMashinini
“Today’s workshop was positive, very touching, and heart-warming to hear us
mothers saying that they will support, protect and continue to advocate. That’s what
we want, for parents to speak on phobias and that is the true realisation of the
freedom and human rights of the LGBTIQ+ in South Africa” concluded Virginia.
This article was submitted on 19 April 2024. You may republish this article, so long
as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not
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