Liesl Theron

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Liesl Theron is a South African trans activist and the co-founder [1] [2] [3] of Gender DynamiX organisation.

Contents

Personal life

Theron was born in South Africa to an Afrikaans speaking family and has a 2+1⁄2-years-younger sister. [4]

In 1992, she came out as a lesbian at the age of 20. [4] Her mother struggled with her sexually at first, but later wrote a book about her coming to terms with it. [5] [4]

As of 2008 through 2013, she was in relationship with photographer Zanele Muholi. [6] [7] [8]

Career

Theron is the co-founder of Gender DynamiX trans rights advocacy organisation. [9] Theron was the inaugural Executive Director for Gender DynamiX from its inception, 2005 until she stepped down, June 2014 [10]

Theron supported Sasha, one of South Africa's first openly trans refugees to navigate entry into South Africa. [11] Theron continued to support a number of trans refugees and asylum seekers from various African countries. [12] Throughout her tenure at Gender DynamiX, Theron advocated for a number of important issues, such as Access to Health Care [13] and other rights for trans people in general. [14] After Theron left Gender DynamiX as Director, she became a consultant [15] In 2016, she received the Global Transgender Heroes award from the True Colors Fund. [16] Theron moved January 2018, to Mexico to live in Mexico City. [17] Since moving to Mexico, Theron explored with her consultancy to start working with LGBTIQ and specifically Trans organizations in the Caribbean. As a result, Theron was one of the two co-consultants leading on an important and first research of its kind in the Caribbean, with 1080 Lesbian, Bi, Queer and Trans masculine respondents. The "From the Fringes to Focus [18] - A deep dive into the lived-realities of Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer women and Trans Masculine persons in 8 Caribbean countries" research highlighted issues about sexual orientation, gender identity, education, health, domestic violence, access to rights, mental health and reproductive health. Theron worked with a few more activists (Julius Kaggwa, Victor Mukasa and Gabrielle le Roux) to bring alive, end of 2022 the Trans and Intersex History in Africa website [19]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

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The LGBTQ community is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. The term pride or sometimes gay pride expresses the LGBTQ community's identity and collective strength; pride parades provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term. The LGBTQ community is diverse in political affiliation. Not all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.

Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary and that sexual and marital relations are most fitting between people of opposite sex.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ culture</span> Common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people

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Zanele Muholi is a South African artist and visual activist working in photography, video, and installation. Muholi's work focuses on race, gender and sexuality with a body of work that dates back to the early 2000s, documenting and celebrating the lives of South Africa's Black lesbian, gay, transgender, and intersex communities. Muholi is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, explaining that "I'm just human".

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References

  1. ↑ Devor, Aaron; Haefele-Thomas, Ardel (2019-02-15). Transgender: A Reference Handbook. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN   978-1-4408-5691-4.
  2. ↑ "Liesl Theron: Making South Africa A Better Place for LGBTI Persons". Human Rights First. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  3. ↑ "Liesl Theron -". 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  4. 1 2 3 Reclaiming the L-Word: Sappho's Daughters Out in Africa. (2011). United Kingdom: Modjaji Books. p68-88
  5. ↑ Theron, Lidia (2005). Jy Bly My Kind: 'n Ware Verhaal (in Afrikaans). Hemel en See Boeke. ISBN   978-0620351133.
  6. ↑ Blignaut, Charl (17 July 2011). "Love in a time of murder". Times Live.
  7. ↑ "Five Years of Zanele Muholi's Photos of LGBT Lives in Africa Stolen From Her Apartment". Autostraddle. 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  8. ↑ Chernis, Linda. "Guide to the Archival Collections of GAY AND LESBIAN MEMORY IN ACTION (GALA), p 68" (PDF). gala.co.za.
  9. ↑ Lavers, Michael K. (2013-12-10). "African LGBT activists seek international support". Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  10. ↑ Liesl Theron, GDX , retrieved 2023-08-27
  11. ↑ Camminga, B. (2018). Transgender Refugees and the Imagined South Africa: Bodies Over Borders and Borders Over Bodies. Germany: Springer International Publishing. p174-176
  12. ↑ Getting Out - Trailer , retrieved 2023-08-27
  13. ↑ "Transforming Health: International Rights Based Advocacy for Trans Health". www.opensocietyfoundations.org. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  14. ↑ "Transgender killings in spotlight on 'Day of Remembrance'". NBC News. 2011-11-16. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  15. ↑ "SNID Talk "Trans Nation: What has changed for Trans people in South Africa?"". www.queensu.ca. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  16. ↑ INQUIRER.net (2016-03-17). "LGBT rights advocate Bemz Benedito receives Global Transgender Heroes award from New York". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  17. ↑ Living on the Other Side of the Wall , retrieved 2023-08-27
  18. ↑ Carrillo, K. and Theron, L. (2020) From Fringes to Focus - “A deep dive into the lived-realities of Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer women and Trans Masculine Persons in 8 Caribbean Countries”. Amsterdam: COC Netherlands. (October 2020). "From Fringes to Focus - A deep dive into the lived-realities of Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer women and Trans Masculine persons in 8 Caribbean countries".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "Trans Intersex History Africa -". 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  20. ↑ "Admitting the flaws of LGBTI activism; seeking solutions". Erasing 76 Crimes. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2022-06-23.
  21. ↑ Camminga, B., Marnell, J. (2022). Queer and Trans African Mobilities: Migration, Asylum and Diaspora. United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing. p56
  22. ↑ Trans Lives in a Globalizing World: Rights, Identities and Politics. (2020). United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.
  23. ↑ Scott, Jessica; Theron, Liesl (March 2019). "The promise of heteronormativity: Marriage as a strategy for respectability in South Africa" . Sexualities. 22 (3): 436–451. doi:10.1177/1363460717713384. ISSN   1363-4607.
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