Dr Bev Ditsie is a global icon, brilliant filmmaker, speaker and activist, who should be celebrated and honoured.
https://rosiemoteneblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/01/dr-bev-palesa-ditsie/
On 19 November, they turned 50. We have started celebrating their life, agency and work.
The celebrations began with a gala dinner. The event honoured many who have been silenced, erased and not seen. The show was the backdrop for the soft launch of the Dr Bev Ditsie Foundation.
A message from Dr Bev on the Foundation-
I was 19years old when I had my first mental breakdown, around the same time I had my 2nd suicide attempt. Life was not making sense, and my life, in particular, was a mess. I had moved out of home, thinking I would find freedom. Instead, I got more lost. Away from my family’s protection, I discovered the cruelty of the world, the sexism, the homophobia, the threats to my physical being as a very out lesbian, and I could not handle it.
A friend, a white woman, grabbed me by the hand, bundled me into her yellow beetle and parked outside a house in Berea. We rang the bell before I realized that this was the 702 Crisis Centre.
Cathy Michaelson, a therapist, opened the door, and Kim said: “Help her.” Cathy said: “come in.”
This one small act saved my life.
I spent over ten years in therapy with different therapists. The therapy included the intervention of the free helpline LIFELINE, which I would sometimes call in the middle of the night when I thought I was losing my mind.
Currently, services like these do not exist anymore, and those that do, struggle. Services for Queer people are even more scarce. There are no free helplines for us, and a walk-in crisis centre doesn’t exist.
How do we begin to heal if we don’t have any services solely focused on our healing?
How do we heal when homophobia, hate speech and hate crimes are so rampant?
How do we heal when there continues to be misinformation and misrepresentation of us in the media?
WE NEED HEALING, and HEALING BEGINS HERE
This Foundation is my gift to all my queer siblings.
Bev
MISSION STATEMENT
The Foundation seeks to support all endeavours that promote the health, dignity, security, and autonomy of the femme, queer, and gender diverse South Africans by ensuring these communities’ mental and emotional wellness.
All discrimination against Queer people harms our mental health.
THE VISION
A. TO CHALLENGE
To confront and challenge all media reports that show Queer people in ways that perpetuate stereotypes and misinformation that lead to homophobia/transphobia.
B. TO ESTABLISH
Support and create affirming images of Queer/gender diverse Africans.
C. TO HEAL
- Support and strengthen existing free and accessible telephone helplines Train therapists and counsellors to do crisis and intervention for femmes, Queers and gender diverse people of Johannesburg and South Africa. To, in the future, establish a walk-in crisis centre for queer South Africans in a place that will be accessible to even the most marginalized. This centre, titled the Unicorn, will serve as an info hub and hopefully a referral centre to suit the needs of the LGBTQIA community. The centre will be a place of refuge, giving only one night of shelter before referrals and ten therapy sessions. The Unicorn is the place that intervenes and saves lives. D. TO PROTECTThe Foundation will Trade Mark the name Bev Ditsie, its permutations and images, and ensure that the values of Bev Ditsie themselves align with the name. The Foundation will monitor and administer all finances associated with the brand. A percentage of all funds raised should take care of Bev Ditsie’s immediate family – that is, Mom, sister, spouse and any offspring in the future.
The Gala dinner took place on Saturday 20th November, at the Emoyeni conference centre in Johannesburg.
The Other Foundation and Access Chapter 2 supported the event.
The Other Foundation: https://theotherfoundation.org/
Access Chapter 2: https://www.facebook.com/AccessChapter2/
The dress code ‘Just Be YOU, Be SEEN and Be HEARD. Those who understood showed up with pride and love.
The hosts for the evening were Natalia Molebatsi ad Muzi Zuma.
Natalia Molebatsi is an internationally known South African writer, poet, and singer, who experiments with jazz and hip hop. Her CDs, Come as you are: Poems for Four Strings and Natalia Molebatsi & The Soul-Making, are a fusion of poetry and various music styles.She has published Sardo Dance through Ge’ko and edited We Are: A Poetry Anthologythrough Penguin books. Her academic writing appears in Scrutiny2, Rhodes Journalism Review and Muziki.
Muzi Zuma was a finalist for the Miss Gay South Africa pageant 2019. The platform allowed her to partner with the Pietermaritzburg gay and lesbian network and Access Chapter 2 to tackle issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual (LGBTIQA+) community.
The entertainment:
Born in Johannesburg and raised in PE, Phila is a phenomenal singer, actor, filmmaker, and rapper. His grandmother raised him and his siblings. He studied film and television production at Varsity College, where he cemented his love for acting.
Sicka Star-Ban is a hip hop artist/composer/traditional healer/LGBTI activist/photographer/event organizer, and entertainer. Her activism is visible through her music. It speaks of the stigma of the victimization of homosexual beings. On stage, she is the connector of the little particles in the atmosphere, becoming one giant bubble, bringing smiles to many.
Gyre is a cutting-edge Queer rapper who’s challenging the status quo while adding new depth and diversity to the local hip hop scene. The superstar started rapping in 2015 in an attempt to improve his singing, particularly his breathing. Over time it became clear that that was where my true talents lay, and Gyre was born. His music sets him apart as he can make didactic music that, although focused on a queer narrative, speaks to all people from all walks of life.
Delta The Leo is a three-time World Dance Champion, fitness coach, digital content creator and MC. Delta The Leo Hails from rural Limpopo. Delta The Leo, s breaking boundaries with her talent and passion, understanding that her content spreads her message to millions.
The Sound Proprietors took care of technical support, stage set up and lighting. I strongly recommend you use them for your next event. http://www.soundproprietors.co.za/.
For more information on how to collaborate with Dr Bev Ditsie or to give support to The Bev Ditsie Foundations contact rosie@wakaagency.biz
rosiemoteneblog 