RainbowUCT hosts UCT campus pride 'Pink Week'

CAPE TOWN — Student activists at the University of Cape Town will be hosting a new campus PRIDE campaign, the first of its kind at UCT.

RainbowUCT, a student society working in collaboration with UCT, hosts “Pink Week” from 4 – 8 October, a campaign intended to promote gay rights and highlight homoprejudice across the country.

Pink was chosen for both its longstanding association with gay rights organisations and its eye-catching nature. In the past, the colour was used to identify “sexual deviants” in Nazi concentration camps; today, pink is an international symbol of pride and empowerment.  While there is much to celebrate about the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights, RainbowUCT uses pink to intensely highlight the many injustices and human rights violations that occur within our borders everyday.

This year RainbowUCT launches a revitalised Closet campaign during Pink Week to both celebrate the country's achievements in advancing civil rights for homosexuals, and highlight the human rights violations that still plague our society.  The inside of the closet presents instances of discrimination and homoprejudice across South Africa and the world.  The outside is painted pink, and invites students and staff to graffiti the outside of “The Closet” with their own responses.

Pink Week also features a keynote speech by renowned Professor Pierre de Vos, Claude Leon Foundation Chair in Constitutional Governance and teacher of Constitutional law; a film screening; sexual health campaign stalls provided by numerous local organisations; a “Gay Day” where students are encouraged to wear pink in support of LGBTI rights; and an end-of-week karaoke celebration.

Throughout the week, the Pink Police, which will be 15 students in pink overalls, will be on and around UCT's Upper Campus encouraging people to engage with the closet and handing out information.

By the end of the week, RainbowUCT and UCT hope to have dispelled misconceptions about the LGBTI community, to have encouraged increased protection of human rights for all people, and to have effectively challenged homophobia and ignorance about sexual health.

Pink Week Programme:

See you there!