Uthingo Network

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.

20/05/2026

We recently conducted a SOGIESC sensitisation and LGBTI+ healthcare competency training session for final-year nursing students at Harry Gwala Nursing Campus. The workshop aimed to enhance students’ knowledge of inclusive healthcare approaches, ethical patient treatment, and the importance of fostering safe and discrimination-free clinical spaces for LGBTI+ patients.

We believe that capacitating healthcare professionals during their academic training is both a proactive and sustainable approach. Due to the high turnover of staff within healthcare facilities, training provided after employment often has limited long-term impact. Introducing these competencies early ensures that future healthcare practitioners enter the profession already prepared with the essential knowledge and skills needed to provide inclusive and affirming care, thereby minimising service delivery gaps and promoting continuity of care.

By equipping emerging nurses with practical skills, cultural awareness, and an understanding of diverse patient needs, this initiative supports the development of a healthcare system grounded in dignity, equality, and respect. Furthermore, it enhances trust between patients and healthcare providers, contributes to better health outcomes for marginalised communities, and promotes professional practices that uphold human rights, ethical standards, and patient-centred care.

19/05/2026

As Uthingo Network begins the important process of reviewing our current strategic plan and developing a new one, we believe that community voices must be at the centre of shaping our future direction.

We recognise that le***an, gay, bisexual, and q***r people in our communities understand their realities, challenges, and needs better than anyone else. That is why this community consultation meeting is so important.

We want to hear directly from you about the issues affecting your lives, the kinds of support and programmes that are needed, and the changes you would like to see over the coming years. Your lived experiences, ideas, and recommendations will help shape how Uthingo Network’s next strategic plan looks and how we continue building a stronger, more responsive, and community-led organisation.

Join us as we collectively imagine the future we want for our community. Your voice matters.
To RSVP, please send an email to [email protected] or DM us before 4 pm on Thursday, 21 May 2026.

NB: We will be hosting a session for trans and gender-diverse community members soon.

18/05/2026