JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Hundreds of people marched Saturday in the South African capital to commemorate 35 years of Pride Johannesburg, an annual event that has been crucial in advocating for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
The march in the Sandton district of Johannesburg was a colorful spectacle but also an opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to highlight critical issues such as the discrimination most members of the community still face despite South Africa’s progressive stance on equality issues.
Johannesburg resident Alice Mpholo was one of the people who supported the march.
“Pride is really reminiscent of the rights and opportunities that this community has fought so hard for,” she said. “And it’s not just in South Africa. It’s across the continent.”
Mpholo said there were still many countries on the African continent where LGBTQ+ people’s rights are not recognized.
“They are being prosecuted. They are being killed just for existing. So a day like this is a day for celebration, but it is a day to appreciate the privilege of being able to be myself and be with people who are just like me,” said Mpholo.
Bruce Conway, another participant, said the event provides a safe space for the community to express themselves.
“I’m here today to celebrate myself and other people who embrace their identity in radical ways and ways that we don’t normally appreciate on a day-to-day basis. And I’m here to experience love in multiple capacities,” he said.
Traffic around the central district of Sandton was diverted to accommodate the march.