By Brent Dorian Carpenter
Simon NkoliÑSouth African Gay Rights Champion
Simon Tseko Nkoli was born in Vaal Township, Sebokeng, South Africa, on November 26, 1957. He experienced the brutality of the Apartheid regime and its pass laws at an early age. Nkoli's parents lacked the necessary passes to stay in an urban area. One of his earliest memories is of his parents hiding in a wardrobe closet during a police raid in the township where they lived.
In 1976, police slaughtered more than 600 school students during a nationwide uprising. Nkoli, a 19-year old seminary student, became a key leader. He was soon arrested and his mother experienced days of agony, not knowing where he was held, or whether he was dead or alive. Upon his release three months later, he adopted a quasi-underground existence, rarely sleeping at home, or at the same address, for more than a few nights at a time.
By 1981, Nkoli was the Transvaal Regional Secretary of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), the militant youth organization that played a central role in the growing anti-Apartheid struggle. His decision to come out as gay to his comrades in COSAS led to a fierce debate on his suitability as Secretary. At a special General Meeting called to discuss the issue, he won the 80 percent vote needed to retain his position. Nkoli had argued that his oppression as a black man and as a gay man were linked.
The Apartheid regime tried in 1984 to stem the rising anti-Apartheid struggle with intensified repression. Twenty-two leaders of the anti-Apartheid national umbrella organization the United Democratic Front (UDF), including Nkoli, were arrested and tried for treason. Gay anti-Apartheid activists internationally found a hero. His imprisonment became a cause cŽlbre.
Influenced by international supporters and Nkoli's fellow defendants, whose shift in opinion was encouraged by the hundreds of letters and cards Nkoli received from well-wishers throughout the world, the African National Congress (ANC) Executive Branch-in-exile in Lusaka, Zambia decided to include support for gay rights in its policies.
After his release, Nkoli made a major speaking tour of the United States and Canada. Back in South Africa, he founded the Gay and Lesbian Organization of the Witwatersrand (GLOW), which in1992 organized the first Johannesburg annual Gay Pride parade.
During this period Nkoli tested positive for HIV. He became aware that South Africa had a high and growing rate of HIV infection and that little AIDS education was occurring amongst the black population. With Apartheid still in place, government funding for black AIDS education was difficult to obtain. But by May 1996, South Africa became the first country in the world to enshrine equality regardless of sexual orientation into its constitution. Niloli's role in achieving this is immeasurable.
Although South Africa has the highest infection in the world, it is rare to publicly acknowledge that individuals have AIDS. Nkoli broke this pattern by coming out publicly as a person with AIDS. Nkoli died from an AIDS related illness on November 30, 1998. He is survived by his partner Rodrick.
