Limpopo Lgbti Proudly Out 3.4

Limpopo LGBTI Proudly Out (LLPO) is a community based organization (CBO) that is registered as a non-profit organization (NPO) with the Department of Social Development. The organization was founded by two black lesbians from Sekhukhune District, Limpopo in January 2011. The organization has a Board of Directors and key members that have been allocated roles and responsibilities. All LGBTI Proudly Out “staff” members do not receive any remuneration from the organization due to a lack of funding. Hence, all members serve on a voluntary basis. Since its inception in 2011 and in the absence of staff remuneration, LLPO has retained its core staff members, who provide services to the organization 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The establishment of LLPO emanates from the emergent need to give a voice to the LGBTI community in Limpopo who for the best part remain marginalized in the public sector service delivery arena, and for the worst part bear the brunt of violence and hate crimes including corrective rape which remains unabated in many parts of Limpopo.

Since its establishment in January 2011, LLPO has created a space for LGBTI to deliberate issues pertinent to the wellbeing of the sector, including clarifying myths and misperceptions about the sector, challenges in accessing services (e.g. health care, social, legal, etc.) and discriminatory and prejudicial attitudes and behaviors towards the LGBTI community by communities at large.
Services offered by LLPO currently include facilitation of workshops for LGBTI to increase knowledge about LGBTI (concepts, relevant legislation, myths and misperceptions, etc.); HIV and AIDS; Gender and gender equality; hate crimes; etc., community dialogues to identify human rights violations towards LGBTI in communities, and to educate communities about LGBTI and their human rights. LLPO also serves as a referral system by linking LGBTI to relevant service providers, such as HCT, VEP, Lifeline, etc. All activities implemented by LLPO include HCT and mass distribution of male condoms. There is a dire need to also secure and distribute dental dams for HIV prevention amongst lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and intersex. LLPO endeavours to include this component in its HIV prevention strategy and activities.
LLPO also organizes events to raise awareness about LGBTI in society, as part of advocacy. LLPO successfully hosted the first ever Limpopo LGBTI Pride Parade in May 2012 and the second Pride on the 11th May 2013 in Polokwane. The Pride Parade fostered relations between the organization and larger NGOs, bilateral donors and government. The Director of LLPO has been appointed as an executive member on the Polokwane Municipality Gender Forum, and is a member of the SANAC LGBTI Sector.