South African Human Rights Day is celebrated on 21 March every year, but our rights need to be remembered, celebrated and defended every single day. The Bill of Rights, enshrined in our constitution as the birthright of all South Africans, is not always upheld. As a result, marginalised groups in this country face daily discrimination on the basis of race, class, sex, gender, sexuality, ability, and many other factors.

Humans are complex beings, each with a multitude of intersecting identities, privileges and oppressions. Often, we focus on the systems and barriers in place that deny us access to or violate our own rights and those of our communities. The injustice of it is infuriatingly clear to us, because we often have first-hand experience of discrimination. This Human Rights Day, we encourage you to reflect on how in your own practices, organizations and movements, you may be inadvertently excluding others, and to commit to learn, grow and do better.

After a community workshop, Iranti was honoured to have had the chance to work with members of the D/deaf transgender community on a media project, entitled (Trans)lation?, ahead of this Human Rights Day. It is a small step toward working with, and making our work more accessible to D/deaf LGBT people. Today we will be releasing a series of short videos, co-created with some members of the deaf trans community, standing up and being visible as they proclaim their rights. They speak of barriers both outside of and within the LGBTI community, and demand us to open up our spaces in ways we often do not consider. We hope that this collaboration will not be the last, and encourage other LGBT groups to think about the ways in which they can increase their own partnership, collaboration and engagement with their local d/Deaf communities.

We encourage everyone to use this Human Rights Day to think about ways in which different communities can come together across sexuality, gender, race, ability and other factors to join hands in the pursuit of human rights for all.

 

Trans(action)! – Danny Manamela
Have you ever felt excluded? Invisible? This Human Rights day, join Danny Manamela and declare your rights to the world. We all have the right to human dignity and respect!

Trans(action)! – Eva Mofokeng
Have you ever felt excluded? Invisible? This Human Rights day, join Eva Mofokeng and declare your rights to the world. We all have the right to freedom of expression!

Trans(action)! – Kute Mabirisa
Have you ever felt excluded? Invisible? This Human Rights day, join Kute Mabirisa and declare your rights to the world. We all have the right to equal access to healthcare!

Transaction Tebello Khatiti
Have you ever felt excluded? Invisible? This Human Rights day, join Tebello Khatiti and declare your rights to the world. We all have the right to religious freedom!