Pride Day – 13 October 2022 

History of the South African Pride Month

Pride Day  is celebrated annually on 13 October. 

On the 13th of October 1990, more than 800 people joined a march organised by the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand (GLOW) in Johannesburg. It was the first Pride march that was held on the continent. The main purpose was not only to commemorate sexuality rights but also to honour members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes and HIV/AIDS, and to create a platform to raise politcal concerns. Beverly Ditsie, Sheila Barsel, Simon Nkoli and Justice Edwin Cameron were part of the speakers at the first pride event.

Since then, Pride Marches have taken place across the country in places like Soweto, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and Gqeberha. Pride seeks to advocate  for LGBTQIA+ rights and calls for visibility since Queer people continue to face widespread stigma, extreme violence, rape and discrimination, especially in  townships.