South Africa's Gay Leader Simon Nkoli Dies Defied Notion that Being Gay is Un-African Succumbs to AIDS Complications at Johannesburg General Hospital

By Rex Wockner In a joint statement, the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of Witwatersrand and the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality -- both of which Simon Nkoli helped found -- said: "We mourn the loss of an important anti-apartheid activist, gay and lesbian rights activist and HIV/AIDS activist. " Simon was a courageous person who dared to declare his sexual orientation and his HIVstatus at a time when few were prepared to do so. Through these acts he defied the notion that being gay is unAfrican. Simon Nkoli "As a founding member, of both GLOW and the NCGLE, Simon played an important role in ensuring that equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons has been entrenched in the South African Constitution as an unalienable right. Simon played an important role in putting lesbian and gay issues on the agenda of the African National Congress." At the time of his death, Nkoli was president of GLOW, a board member of the International Lesbian and Gay Association, a member of the 1999 ILGA World Conference Organising Committee and a member of the African National Congress. Nkoli was jailed for treason for three years in the mid-1980s. In a 1989 interview with this news column, he explained: "It was because of my previous political involvement. I was involved in anti-apartheid organizations and demonstrated against unjust laws such as detention without trial, inferior education and the increasement of rent. I was held under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act and didn't get bail until I gave evidence for my defense in June 1987." A memorial service was held in Johannesburg December 4. Other memorials and a funeral were planned. Nkoli is survived by his lover, Roderick Sharp. Related Stories in GayToday's Archives: TuTu Compares Anti-Gay Discrimination to Apartheid South Africa Legalizes Gay Male Sex

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