Words: Liberty Banks( Glenton Matthyse)

One of the groups led by the National Task Team Co-chair and Executive Director of Access Chapter 2, Steve Letsike.

Self-identification Law Reform Consultation in Gauteng

This year has truly been filled with many successes for the organisation and I would like to thank Gender DynamiX for having created an opportunity for me to do the work that I am passionate about. For those who are unaware, Gender DynamiX is a trans-led and trans-focused human rights organisation that uses advocacy as its primary tool to advance the human rights of trans and gender diverse persons within diverse African contexts. In addition, it seeks to build the capacity of younger organisations whilst exchanging knowledge to shape an African discourse on trans and gender diversity that recognises ways in which people identify within different contexts. We provide sensitisation training and education to our partners, allies, state departments, higher education institutions and business. Through these initiatives Gender DynamiX seeks to transform laws and policies with other queer civil society stakeholders whilst working towards shifting the hearts and minds of persons in decision-making positions on the matter of being trans and gender diverse identifying.

Executive Director of Gender DynamiX, Ricki Kgositau, formally opening the Symposium.

2017 has been quite a year of firsts and in the month of September we managed to reap rewards from all our efforts with the hosting of a Gender Identity and Gender Expression in South African Schools Symposium as well as securing a landmark judgement reassuring transgender persons of their( our) right to remain married under the South African Marriage Act despite the existence of the Civil Union Act. We are very thankful to our partner the Legal Resources Centre for providing legal assistance to all the parties involved and the exceptional reasoning provided in court in positioning this very contentious legal and human rights matter. The judgment of this case, KOS and Others v Minister of Home Affairs and Others, highlights that couples do not have to get divorced under the Marriage Act before a transgender spouse can get their gender marker / sex descriptor legally changed with the Department of Home Affairs.

Self-identification Law Reform Consultation in Bloemfontein

Colleagues from Legal Resources Centre co-facilitating the self-identification Law Reform Consultation in Bloemfontein.

Another progressive initiative pertaining health has been the continued training of healthcare providers which includes medical doctors, nurses, counsellors, psychologists etc. on rendering gender affirming general and specialised healthcare to trans and gender diverse persons. The organisation partnered with Dr. Kevin Adams, a renowned surgeon who has provided transgender persons with access to gender affirming surgeries, in training surgeons across the country and from Lesotho on surgical techniques to perform surgery effectively and efficiently based on the highest healthcare standards.