“It is better to die for a purpose than to live for nothing,” said Belinda Qaqamba Ka-Fassie just before she was recently crowned Miss Drag South Africa 2019.
OUT and it’s Love Not Hate project were backers of the national pageant “with a purpose” that took place on Friday 4 October in Pretoria.
Our Hate Crime Manager, Roché Kester, was one of the event’s judges and we were also lucky enough to have the contestants visit our offices for sensitisation training. We further ran a social media campaign, using images taken by the Market Theatre Photo Workshop, highlighting the nine diverse finalists who identify as gay, transgender, genderqueer and/or non-binary.
Ka-Fassie, who is is a post-graduate student in Education at Stellenbosch University, was a deserving winner. Congratulations to the organisers and all the inspirational finalists!
“Representation is at the core of #BlackDragMagic as it seeks to destabilise and correct current imbalances in and outside the LGBTIQA+ community,” says recently crowned Miss Drag SA 2019 Belinda Qaqamba Ka-Fassie. “To the victims of Hate Crimes: It is not your fault! You need to be cognizant that hurt people hurt others.”
“We are just as human as the rest of society and we can live purposefully by igniting change,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 1st Runner Up Laylah Zokufaya Khan. “What makes me proud to be part of the LGBTIQA+ culture is that we have so much to offer; being different does not limit us from our dreams!”
“We need to stand together as we face the many adversities in our communities,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 2nd Runner Up, Chante Herries. “To young LGBTIQA+ individuals: You are unique in your own special way and you can achieve anything that you put your mind to if you believe and work hard.“
“I am not society’s view of a normal body and what I love about myself is that I am different and unique,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 Top 5 Finalist, Emogen Moore. “I am a vivacious, voluptuous and confident human being and I love all my flaws. I am here to promote that being different is perfect!”
“I’m a proud queer person,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 Top 5 Finalist, Kem Blank. “But we are all humans before we are LGBTIQ+. How we handle ourselves and how we respect who we are, will help stop discrimination against us.”
“I want to bring more awareness to mental health issues,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 Finalist, Zoë Cox. “From personal experience, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts are real. But you are not alone in whatever you’re going through.”
“Being a victim of queerphobia saddens me,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 Finalist, Anastasia K Boney. “But being part of this community is my life. It’s where I find the courage to accept and face my day to day challenges.”
“I’m so much more than just a gender. I am a soul; a being with dreams, fears and hopes,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 Finalist, Demi Rene van der Merwe. “My life matters because, at the end of the day, it’s a life, regardless of my gender.”
“The LGBTIQA+ is a loving community; we stand and fight for ourselves and our rights,” says Miss Drag SA 2019 Finalist, Cuttiee Seoka. “I aim to make a difference in the lives of the community and enhance their knowledge about the lives of the LGBTIQA+. Without community, I’m no one.”
“Know your rights and own your space!” Congratulations to all the inspirational finalists in the Miss Drag SA 2019 pageant. You are all winners!