Uthingo Network

16/06/2026

As we continue to review our current strategic plan and build the next one, we want to make sure Transgender and Gender Diverse voices are at the center of the conversation.

We know that Transgender and Gender Diverse people in our communities are the experts on their own lives, challenges, and needs. That’s why this community consultation is so important.

We’re inviting you to share directly with us: what issues are impacting you, what support and programmes would actually help, and what changes you want to see in the years ahead. Your experiences, ideas, and recommendations will directly shape Uthingo Network’s next strategic plan and how we keep growing as a stronger, more responsive, community-led organisation.

Let’s imagine the future we want for our community…together! Your voice matters.

RSVP: Email [email protected] or DM us by 4pm, Friday 19 June 2026.

11/06/2026

🎬 WATCH NOW ON MAMBAONLINE 🌈

Before They Named Me is a powerful new South African short film by Renaldo Schwarp exploring q***r identity, memory and self-definition through the stories of four remarkable changemakers.

Watch it here ⬇️
https://www.mambaonline.com/2026/06/10/watch-before-they-named-me-a-powerful-new-south-african-q***r-short-film/

***rfilm

10/06/2026

Our team participated in the Ethekwini Pride March 2026 last weekend in order to promote equality, visibility, and human rights while simultaneously honouring LGBTQI+ identities.

The march emphasised that Pride is a call to go beyond symbolic support to actual action, in addition to being a celebration. The march was a part of a week-long program aimed at promoting accountability, strengthening partnerships, and encouraging conversation about challenges impacting LGBTQI+ communities. It also brought attention to the connection between democracy and LGBTQI+ rights.

Principles like equality, dignity, freedom, participation, and justice are the cornerstones of a democratic society. Therefore, pride serves as a reminder that if any minority continues to experience discrimination, marginalisation, or obstacles to exercising their rights, democracy cannot be completely fulfilled.

01/06/2026

Happy Pride Month

Ethekwini Pride 2026 launched Pride Month with a flag-raising ceremony in Pietermaritzburg with calls for action, equality and LGBTQI+ safety.

01/06/2026

International Pride Month is celebrated every year in June to honour the history, resilience, and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ community. The month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising, which began on 28 June 1969 in New York City, United States.

The uprising was a response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gathering place for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Members of the community, led by activists and ordinary citizens, resisted ongoing discrimination and harassment, sparking several days of protests that became a turning point in the global LGBTQIA+ rights movement.

Pride Month is therefore observed in June to remember the courage displayed during the Stonewall Uprising and to celebrate the progress made toward equality, while continuing to advocate for the rights, dignity, visibility, and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people around the world.

What does Pride mean to you?
Comment below to share your views!

29/05/2026

We recently conducted a SOGIESC sensitisation and LGBTI+ healthcare competency workshop for first year nursing students at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital. The session aimed to enhance students’ knowledge of inclusive healthcare approaches, ethical healthcare delivery, and the importance of maintaining safe and non-discriminatory healthcare spaces for LGBTI+ patients.

We believe that empowering healthcare professionals during their academic training is both impactful and sustainable. Due to the high turnover of healthcare staff within institutions, training provided after employment often has limited long-term effectiveness. Introducing these competencies early helps ensure that future healthcare practitioners enter the profession already prepared to deliver inclusive and affirming care, ultimately reducing service delivery gaps and strengthening continuity of care.

Through equipping emerging nurses with essential knowledge, practical competencies, and cultural awareness needed to support diverse populations, this initiative contributes towards developing a healthcare system grounded in dignity, equality, and respect. Furthermore, it enhances relationships between healthcare providers and patients, supports improved health outcomes for marginalized communities, and reinforces healthcare practices that uphold human rights, ethical standards, and patient-centred care.

25/05/2026

24/05/2026

Today we celebrate Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day by honouring people whose love and attraction transcend gender boundaries. Every identity deserves to be seen, respected, and celebrated.

22/05/2026

In commemoration of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, we facilitated a short film screening followed by an engaging panel discussion under the theme, “LGBTQI+ Rights at the Centre of Democracy.” The event brought together students, community members, and activists to reflect on the significance of protecting LGBTQI+ rights as fundamental human rights that contribute towards an inclusive, equal, and democratic society.

The discussion featured a diverse panel consisting of bisexual, transgender, and le***an representatives who shared personal experiences, insights, and perspectives on the realities faced by LGBTQI+ individuals within democratic spaces. The panelists highlighted the importance of visibility, representation, dignity, and equal protection under the law, emphasising that democracy cannot fully exist where discrimination and exclusion persist.The panelists further discussed various challenges affecting LGBTQI+ communities, including stigma, hate speech, discrimination, gender-based violence, family rejection, unequal access to healthcare and social services, and the continued marginalisation of q***r individuals despite constitutional protections.

Concerns were also raised about societal misconceptions, harmful stereotypes, and the silence that often surrounds issues affecting transgender, bisexual, and le***an persons. Despite these challenges, the discussion also highlighted several opportunities for strengthening democracy through inclusion and advocacy. Panelists encouraged continued awareness campaigns, inclusive policymaking, youth engagement, allyship, and the creation of safer institutional and community spaces. They emphasised that education, dialogue, and visibility play a crucial role in dismantling prejudice and promoting social cohesion.

The engagement concluded with a collective reflection on the need to place LGBTQI+ rights at the centre of democratic development, recognising that a truly democratic society is one where every individual, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, is able to live freely, safely, and with dignity.