We are at the dawn of an amazing week in South Africa’s LGBTI history. There are many historic “firsts” involving Mr Gay World 2012. It is the first time such a major LGBTI competition – in any genre, be it sport, culture or competition, is taking place on African soil. Yes, we have had international LGBTI conferences and even film festivals, but never a competition where South Africa – and African countries – are competing for a prize on our continent. I also purposefully do not refer to “pageants”, because Mr Gay World is not that – it is the search for a global LGBTI ambassador for gay and human rights. At a quick glance, its rules distance it from a pageant – two of those are that there is no age limit and part of the marks is a written test on LGBTI history and general knowledge. The delegates for 2012 differ in age from 21 to 42 and they come from all walks of life and from all the continents. From small nations like Namibia and Switzerland to the behemoths of USA, Brazil and China, represented by Hong Kong, are attending.
Other firsts include the first “gay” billboard in Africa, as the press called it, as well as the single biggest sponsorship for an LGBTI event in South Africa (and Africa’s) history – the accommodation with breakfast for a week for the MGW group by Guvon Hotels, at the main hotel The Fairway Hotel and Spa and also at Askari Lodge, where the delegates, judges and directors will spend a night – in total worth just over half a million rand: unheard of up to now.
It is also the first time black Africans will participate in Mr Gay World, with Namibia and Ethiopia representing both northern and southern Africa. If Zimbabwe did not have to withdraw due to relentless pressure, the African allotted places of four for the continent would have been filled. Only funding prevented delegates from Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya to participate not just an African problem – other nations, even some rich ones, also could not send their representatives.
Which bring us to the dreaded subject of funding. Mr Gay World is a voluntary organisation – the same as most or all of the national competitions including South Africa. The directors do not get paid for their work, nor do ticket sales cover even a fraction of the costs. It is funded by financial support from some sponsors to an extent – like McCarthy Lexus Midrand & Lynnwood and Lexus SA, College SA, Babylon the Bar, MichaelGamePlan, author Trevor Kleinhans, worldOutgames 2013 in Antwerpen, Belgium, straight couple Ruth and Andre de Beer, who donated an ample cash sum and Mr Gay South Africa through a contribution by Globeflight couriers. Others have contributed prizes, products and time, like Old Faithful – the brand of André Lammers, the 2010 runner-up of Mr GSA, our designer of 2010 Luiz Delaja who has waived his fee for designing the national costume of South Africa, Redken, Bone Wear, Namibia JJ Tours, Melon restaurant, Jawy Hair Design, Wonderguy, GF Men’s Wear, Tempest Car Hire, Spartacus International Guide, Joburg Tourism, Lesedi Cultural Village, Apartheid Museum, Maropeng, Marshall Arts Talent, The Taj Cape Town, Protea Balalaika Hotel Sandton, Chris Winspear Jewellers, Quicksure and Gaysure, Tsala Lodge, Club Travel Cape Quarter, Plum Nightclub, NYC-JC Guest Suites in New York, Travel by Arrangement, Jean-Marcel Stage Builders, Pierre van Eeden from Le Chic Florist, Davis Embroidery, Visual Candy, Silver Lining Functions, Labels and Badges, Direct on Garment Print, Pixel Displays, and more. Artists or production professionals have waived or lowered their fees like Cathy Specific, Soli Philander, Terence Bridgett, AleXander Steyn, Kamaliya from the Ukraine and Baby M from Japan as well as Wim Vorster, the scriptwriter, Kosie Smit, the director of the Grand Finale, choreographer Gerrit Prinsloo, photographer Kyle Correia de Araujo, designer Jaco Opperman, JR Roughley for lighting design and composer Dawid Boverhoff. Volunteers are giving some of their time like Charl van den Berg (Mr Gay World 2010), liaison officer Tumi Makgoara, journalist Elles van Gelder and Cobus Benade who sold tickets for us.
For the team at The Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City – Calum, Jolene, Michelle, Vinolia and all the others – thank you and thank you for the billboard!
Media and industry professionals supported us like Luiz de Barros from Mambaonline.com, Talisien Cormach from Queerlife.co.za, Gavin Hayward from Exit, Ruben van Niekerk and team from Gay Pages, Gary de Klerk from Pink Tongue and Luisa Mazinter and Winnifred Knight from TheMarketingSite.com. There are also the businesses who placed advertisements in the printed programme – and Printafford who printed it at a reduced price and John-Louis’s partner Johann van Niekerk for IT, Coenie’s PC problems, driving and most of all his patience!
And of course the President of Mr Gay World Eric Butter and the directors from the other continents who have supported us from our bid to host this event – Dean Nelson, Noemi Alberto, Tore Aasheim and Alfredo Ferreyra.
Then there is those of the community who support this enormous undertaking by simply being there – by buying tickets to the sport day, the gala dinner and the Grand Finale or by simply retweeting a Mr GSA or MGW tweet or ‘liking’ a page and sharing on Facebook! For all of you – and those who just support this worthy cause – we say thank you. For those who do not, that is your good right and we also respect that.
We do this because we want to bring hope to other less fortunate LGBTI people – in Africa and elsewhere. We do it because we want to tell them to persevere. We do it because we want to show them through this event, that they are not alone – that you reading here – are not alone.
We do it because there were no one to tell us that when we were teenagers.
Thank you.
Coenie Kukkuk & John-Louis O’Neil
