Simon Nkoli Acquitted — South Africa's Gay Anti-Apartheid Hero
Simon Nkoli, a Black gay anti-apartheid activist, was acquitted after spending four years in prison as one of the Delmas Treason Trial defendants. Nkoli had been arrested in 1984 for his role in organising rent boycotts against the apartheid government. While on trial, he came out as gay to his co-accused, including members of the United Democratic Front. His courage in being openly gay within the anti-apartheid movement helped ensure that sexual orientation protections were included in South Africa's post-apartheid constitution. Nkoli founded the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand (GLOW) and organised South Africa's first Pride march in Johannesburg in 1990.
Impact & Significance
Nkoli's insistence that the anti-apartheid struggle must include gay liberation directly influenced the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Africa's 1996 Constitution — making it the first in the world to explicitly protect LGBTQ+ rights.
Reference Record
- Date
- 19 November 1988
- Era
- 1970-1989
- Sources
- 2
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