By: Lungisa Somtombo
The LGBTQI community Activist Athenkosi Fani has scored himself a nomination and is one of the top three in the Civil Society Category at the Eastern Cape Youth Awards.
The Broadcasting graduate and Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Public Relations Management student, has experienced the hate the society projects towards gay people, when he was sexually molested at a children’s home he stayed in.
The activist was also brutally victimised and left with a broken nose when he was a first-year student by political leaders of student organisations.
Fani did not let the hate define him as he pushed and was profiled by Media24 at the top 100 young people who represent the spirit of Nelson Mandela in 2019, profiled by Mail & Guardian at the top 200 young South African Leaders under Civil Society and was titled WSU ambassador in 2020.
“Being nominated on such a big platform means I am doing something right, making an impact in the lives of others. For too long as gays we have been fighting for platforms to advocate for ourselves, through this nomination I will create more awareness about the LGBTQI community,” he said.
Fani has a campaign called #LGBTQIRISE that seeks to encourage the LGBTQI community to stand up and start taking up space and occupy important positions in leadership, politics and entrepreneurship and the media.
Talking about his journey as an LGBTQI community activist, Fani said it has not been easy, as he has received a lot of criticism for being gay and having a voice.
He added that the society we live in is threatened by gays who want to take up leadership positions. However, the treatment he is getting now is far better because he has a voice, people think twice before they engage with him because if he sees a wrong, he doesn’t turn a blind eye.
Although society was not nice and accepting, his mother and grandmother accepted him when he was very young and that made him believe he was fortunate because he had a strong foundation that enabled him to know who he is and what he wants in life.
“Winning this award would mean my hard work and consistency has paid off, all that I have achieved after everything I went through means that I am already a winner. It would prove to my community that nothing is impossible and would give me a platform to create dialogues where we educate people about the LGBTQI community,” said Fani.
Further, Fani said his vision is to break the stigma and stereotypes around the LGBTQI community, fight against homophobia and discrimination propagated against the LGBTQI, he believes history will be made as he will become the first-ever openly gay to win an award at the Eastern Cape Youth Awards.
He said he wants young people to see him as an example of a person who did not let people write his story but wrote his story his way, he wants to be the beacon of hope and a torch to kindle light to other young people of the Eastern Cape.
To vote for him people can SMS ECYA07 to 34270, voting lines close on the 18th of June 2021.