How Cape Town's "Gayle" has endured -- and been adopted by straight people

Contents:

• A GAY-FRIENDLY GUI TO CAPE TOWN
• GAY MEN, LEISURE SPACE AND SOUTH AIN CI: THE SE OF CAPE TOWN
• CAPE TOWN GAY TRAVEL
• GAY LANGUAGE CAPE TOWN: A STUDY OF GAYLE - ATTUS, HISTORY AND AGE
• GAY SOUTH AI
•  10-NIGHT CAPE TOWN GAY PRIDE
• CAPE TOWN GAY BARS

A GAY-FRIENDLY GUI TO CAPE TOWN

(Samantha Rers)The Unfulfilled Promise of LGBTQ Rights South AiThe untry has some of the most progrsive laws the world, but refuge fleeg homophobia elsewhere often fd a untry that is morally nservative, hostile, and profoundly ’s Note: This article is part of a seri about the gay-rights movement and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall TOWN, South Ai—On a recent foggy morng, Ndodana board a mib and traveled more than 20 to the Ivan Toms Centre for Men’s Health to llect his ee HIV meditn. The gay-iendly clic li a predomantly whe neighborhood of Cape Town, wedged between a strip of rtrants, upsle hotels, and the V&A Wateront, a major tourist bimonthly trip is a long one and, on the surface, unnecsary: Mfuleni, the impoverished township where he rents a room, has s own HIV-treatment center. This legal environment is unmatched on a ntent where lonial-era laws agast gay sex are still monplace, and where offenrs some natns face the ath penalty.

Cape Town advertis self as Ai’s gay pal, wh dited nightclubs, film ftivals, and pri a rult, many LGBTQ people om across the ntent make their way here. The rights promised on paper South Ai rema out of reach for many who need them most, particularly those fleeg homophobia elsewhere. In 2011, the jtice mistry tablished a task force to tackle the phenomenon of “rrective rape, ” routely meted out to lbian women and trans men to “cure” them of homosexualy.

GAY MEN, LEISURE SPACE AND SOUTH AIN CI: THE SE OF CAPE TOWN

Rearchers and activists say that this unrcuts South Ai’s reputatn as a haven for gay rights, a narrative enthiastilly promoted by the ernment and so-lled pk-tourism operators. “They’ll ask you to prove that you’re gay, ” said Ethan Chigwada, a PASSOP staffer who ped om Zimbabwe 2015 after sufferg years of physil and sexual abe at the hands of fay members.

Even then, the discrimatn ntued—nurs at the neart clic refed to treat him unls he brought his, Ndodana shar a small hoe wh four other refuge, three of whom intify as gay. “You keep prayg that one day that door will open, ” he told me, speakg of the rejectn by his relig past May, he attend Kumbulani Pri, an annual event to memorate victims of homophobia that this year was takg place around the rner om his hoe.

It was anised by the Gay and Lbian Organisatn of the Wwatersrand (GLOW) and attracted a small but signifint number of participants, markg a historic moment the untry’s LGBTQ+ rights movement.

CAPE TOWN GAY TRAVEL

While Cape Town tak the crown as the ‘gay-pal’ of South Ai, Johannburg do still offer a vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ scene. Other notable LGBTQ+ events clu the Pk Loerie Mardi Gras Knysna, held May; Durban Pri, held June; the Mr Gay South Ai event, held November; and the Out Ai Film Ftival, which occurs both Johannburg and Cape Town, ually September or October. South Ai’s 1996 Constutn specifilly protects full and equal rights for the LGBTQ+ muny – all forms of anti-gay discrimatn are banned.

Bra's The Guardian newspaper lled 'one of the 10 most popular gay travel statns the world', while the US publitn Out and About named a 'world-wi favoure'. De Waterkant is the heart of gay Cape Town’s rabow district and home to many of the cy’s official 100 gay and lbian venu. The ial lotns make easy to choose gay-iendly acmodatn near Cape Town’s bt beach and ma attractns, and some of the top LGBTQ+ venu South Ai.

Built alongsi the archectural masterpiece of the Zez Mm of Contemporary Art Ai, this gay-iendly hotel Cape Town offers over 200 distctively dividual su, sunrise yoga ssns, a roof-top food tck, and superb views of Table Mounta.

GAY LANGUAGE CAPE TOWN: A STUDY OF GAYLE - ATTUS, HISTORY AND AGE

Sophistited, stylish, and boastg magnificent Table Mounta and mara views, this gay-iendly acmodatn offers LGBTQ+ travellers a taste of luxury livg at the ‘hottt addrs Cape Town’. Overlookg the Atlantic Ocean, this gay-iendly hotel is a short drive om the cy centre and geo beach like Camps Bay and Clifton.

GAY SOUTH AI

Wh effortls elegance, unrstated luxury, personal touch and clockwork efficiency, the gay-iendly hotels Frnaye and Bantry Bay offer low-profile hiaways that are perfect for discreet vatns.

Filled wh old-world charm and quirky touch like retro telephon which n be ed to orr drks or have a chat wh people at other tabl, Alexanr is one of the most popular gay bars Cape Town. Consired the cy’s premiere mixed-culture entertament venue, Zer021 Social is one of the most acceptg gay bars Cape Town. If you’d like to -ordate your romantic break Cape Town wh one of the cy’s annual gay and lbian events, nsir a late summer vis Febary to March to take advantage of the Cape Town Pri Week, or vis sprg (October to November) for the Out Ai film ftival.

 10-NIGHT CAPE TOWN GAY PRIDE

It pris gay-iendly events like the annual Pri Para through the heart of Cape Town’s CBD, the crowng of Mr and Miss Cape Town Pri, a roller dis, and hikg the Mother Cy’s var nature rerv. This annual event started 1994 as a themed stume party to celebrate the birth of South Ai’s new nstutn and s acknowledgment of gay rights.

CAPE TOWN GAY BARS

It now attracts thoands of partygoers om around the world and is a mt-do for many gay and straight Capetonians alike. IntroductnDrawg on the South Ain experience, this exploratory vtigatn mak a ntributn towards addrsg the pcy of rearch on “gay geographi” the velopg world urban ntext. The paper vtigat the evolvg gay geographi of De Waterkant, Cape Town’s “gay village”, s subsequent impact on the urban form and possible role future gay inty formatn.