South African campaign set to bring LGBT issues front and centre.

The #ImYourAlly Campaign, a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) advocacy project is set to bring LGBT issues in South Africa on the national agenda and dialogue this year with an impressive and expansive year-long program.

The campaign, which is an advocacy project by Kei Media, an LGBT-focused company, seeks to create ALLIES around the promotion, celebration and observation of LGBT rights in an effort to ascertain better socio-political equality for South Africa’s LGBT population which is estimated at around five (5) million people.

The campaign hopes, through its year-long program, to convince non-LGBT South Africans to be ALLIES and join forces with the LGBT community by shunning homophobic, biphobic and transphobic based violence and discrimination in homes, schools and workplaces.

The #ImYourAlly campaign, whose ALLIES are South Africans from all walks of life, has been in development for the last three years.  It was created and developed by Kei Media’s Founder and MD, Di Neo, after realizing that LGBT-based violence seemed condoned because of the low prosecution rates and the pervasive attitude indicated by research on South Africans’ beliefs that being LGBT is immoral and unAfrican.

“The campaign is a great opportunity for South Africans to take action against LGBT-based violence and discrimination and influence change in their homes, schools and workplaces, and turn the tide against the prevalent attitude which seems to justify the discrimination and violence,” Di Neo says.  “We are happy to work with the campaign to help curb the injustices experienced by LGBT South Africans; particularly lesbians,” said Johan Glad, a representative of the Rainbow Foundation who is the largest contributor to the campaign.

The campaign program will follow a series of events; from town hall meetings in largely affected areas such as the East Rand, to a simple act of posting a video on social media encouraging others to be ALLIES and sharing stories, the #ImYourAlly campaign is a friendly program designed to illicit involvement on myriad levels from its ALLIES.  The most unique and compelling part of the campaign is its ability to get its ALLIES to TAKE ACTION.

The South African LGBT community need international allies too, to help turn back the tide on the prevalent homophobia and violence, particularly aimed at black lesbians.