The arrival of the flag comes just days after the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Botswana, which is home to one of AFDA's five campuses. This turn of legislation is a great triumph for LGBTQ rights in a continent where sexual prejudice is so prevalent- with at least 62% of African countries still criminalising homosexuality to some legislative degree.
It is against this backdrop that we at AFDA Port Elizabeth wish to demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity and support for individuals of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The world of industry has long been a space wherein LGBTQ individuals have found either safe haven or undue discrimination, and AFDA Port Elizabeth is determined to fall on the right side of this dichotomy. It is important that we instil in students a rhetoric of inclusivity, and an understanding and acknowledgement of the diversity that they will inevitably encounter in the working world. It is our philosophy that diversity be embraced and not only tolerated or accepted, which is what this flag ultimately symbolizes for our campus.
"The CLVA committee on the Port Elizabeth campus is filled with joy by the hoisting of the pride flag. This gesture has introduced a new era of acceptance, upliftment, and PRIDE on our campus."
- CLVA Committee Port Elizabeth
"One of my big heroes is Holocaust survivor, Viktor E. Frankl and I refer to his words from the text, Man's Search for Meaning:
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
"When I was presented with a request from the AFDA PE CLVA committee to raise the LGBTQ flag on our campus as part of Pride Month, I realised that my response would have a profound impact on our student body and the values we hope to instil in them during their time at AFDA and beyond. It was important to me that the response from management reflect those values of love and acceptance."
- Campus Dean and Registrar, Michael Ivy
We wish all of our students a happy Pride Month. Fly your flag.
