What does ‘Pride’ mean, and why is it still important, in 2022? The answer could, perhaps, be found in a brightly decorated mural right here on campus. On 1 October, Tuks’ UP&Out held a wall-painting event, kickstarting the celebrations for South African Pride Month. PDBY held an interview with the Chairperson of UP&Out, Kherina Narotam, to find-out more about this important society.According to Narotam, the society is a student-led LGBTQIA+ group founded in 2006 which aims to educate, as well as advocate for, and bring awareness to, LGBTQIA+ issues. The event had a good turn-out as students were invited to paint a new mural. Everyone got to work, painting with brushes and some, even, with their fingers, filling the wall with colour and images that expressed their identity. The wall was adorned with rainbows, flag colours, slogans like “it is not a phase”, “girl in red?” and much more. PDBY also spoke to UP&Out member, Clara van Niekerk, about why they believe that murals, like these, are so important. van Niekerk, who uses they/them pronouns, spoke about how, in the past, UP students have painted new murals like these and that it is important for people to show-up each and every year to paint a new one in-order to show that, “we are here, and we won’t go away.” This is why Pride Month is still important in 2022, where –in a still largely homophobic society – the expression of queer identity, and pride in that identity, is a political act. As a slogan on the mural says, “queer joy is resistance” – and Pride is a celebration of queer joy. You can check-out their mural on the wall close to Merensky, and make sure to keep an eye out for upcoming events planned by UP&Out in celebration of Pride Month.
