Beverley Ditsie on the fight for queer freedom

A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard

In this episode, Julia Gillard is joined by Dr. Beverley Ditsie – pioneering filmmaker, artist, and gender non-conforming activist – whose fearless activism has shaped the fight for queer rights in South Africa and beyond.

From co-founding South Africa’s first multiracial LGBTQ+ rights group at just 16 to leading the country’s first Pride March in 1990, Beverley has been at the forefront of the battle for equality for decades. In 1995, Bev made history as the first openly lesbian person to address the United Nations, demanding global recognition of LGBTQ+ rights as human rights.

In this powerful conversation, Beverley reflects on growing up in apartheid-era South Africa, defying rigid gender norms as a child actor, and using storytelling as a tool for resistance. Bev discusses the intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality in activism, the urgent need to protect queer communities in the face of rising violence, and why the patriarchy is in its final fight for survival.

In their conversation, Beverley and Julia discuss Simon and I, Bev's award-winning documentary telling the story of her friend and mentor, Simon Nkoli, set against the backdrop of intense political activism and the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa. The documentary is available to watch for free on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj56iZNVZ-c

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