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On the eve of World AIDS Day, 30 November 1998, the African lesbian and gay movement lost a freedom fighter, leader and activist to HIV/AIDS. Simon Nkoli, a founder and leader of the lesbian and gay movement in South Africa was buried in the township of Sebokeng-- the site of mass struggles during apartheid where he was an activist. His coffin contained a cross-he was Christian. The Rainbow flag-a symbol of freedom and diversity as well as lesbian and gay equality-was draped around the coffin. Red ribbons signifying AIDS activism adorned several wreaths. And, the traditional symbol of burial in many African communities-the skin of a freshly slaughtered head of cattle fed to mourners-- accompanied Nkoli's body to his ancestral shades.
Who was Simon Nkoli? Why is he mourned and remembered by the international lesbian and gay movement? Most now know that South Africa is the first country in the world to grant constitutional equality to lesbian and gay people and some know that Nkoli played a prominent role in securing our equal status. But his struggle for gay and lesbian liberation emerged from and remained tied to the fight against apartheid and for economic and social justice.
The Apartheid Years
Tseko Simon Nkoli was born on 26 November 1957 to Mrs. Elizabeth and the late Mr. Elias Nkoli in Phiri, Soweto. Later, the Nkoli family moved to Bophelong. Simon has two sisters, Mamoipone and Maputso and a brother Oupa.
In his early years, Si (as he was known to his friends) confronted apartheid through poverty and the infamous pass laws (regulating the movement of Black South Africans). As a young child, Simon hid his parents from the South African Police because they were regarded as "illegal" squatters. These memories guided his struggle for national liberation and sexual freedom.
The activism, heroism and energy of the youth movement were central to Simon Nkoli's political awareness and leadership. Simon became a student activist and leader in the midst of the 1976 Soweto uprising when police gunned down hundreds of youth protesting that their studies were in Africaans. After that, Simon was subjected to repeated questioning and harassment by the Security Police.
In 1979, Simon joined the Congress of South African Students (COSAS) and became the...