Who is Same Love?
Same Love Toti South Africa is a registered non-profit organization based in the Durban area of South Africa that advocates for the human rights of sexual and gender minorities. Our goal is to empower LGBTQI+ individuals and work towards a more equitable and inclusive society, both locally and nationally. We strive to reach out and engage with communities across the country to promote understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQI+ community.
Our organization provides crucial psychosocial support to LGBTQI+ individuals and collects information from a wide range of sources, including medical and psychological journals, research on social issues, and inclusive and affirming perspectives on religion. We believe that diversity is a natural human trait and should be fully embraced and celebrated. Additionally, we work with multi-sectoral national and global organizations to achieve our goals and to create more inclusive and equitable society for all.
Same Love Toti is committed to fostering a society where love, acceptance and equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, are at the forefront. We strive to empower and uplift members of the LGBTQ+ community through inclusive family support, education on LGBTQ+ issues, prevention of discrimination and violence, development of supportive policies and promotion of inclusive education in safe schools. Together we can create a more equitable and inclusive community for all.
South African Constitution
It is important for individuals to be informed about the laws in South Africa that support and protect LGBTQI+ people and to know where to seek help if necessary. The South African Constitution prohibits discrimination against any person on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and the Constitutional Court has the authority to hear cases related to such discrimination.
The Equality Court is also available to hear cases involving inequalities. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has an LGBTQI+ National Task Team based in Pretoria that includes judges, magistrates, lawyers, police, and social workers who advocate for LGBTQI+ rights.
Same Love Toti is an active non-profit organization that serves on the provincial KZN LGBTQI+ Task Team and has also been elected to the steering committee of the Hate Crimes Working Group, a multi-sectoral organization that advocates for the implementation of the Hate Crimes Bill and actively reports and monitors hate crimes throughout South Africa.
Despite these efforts, LGBTQI+ people in South Africa continue to be targeted by hate crimes. At Same Love Toti, we work to support and educate those affected by the stigma society often places on LGBTQI+ individuals and their families. All people have the right to be treated equally, to feel safe, to love whom they choose, and to be their authentic selves.
The World Health Organisation
In 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized that homosexuality is a natural variation within the human race and not a sickness or mental condition that requires "curing" or change. The WHO's research shows that variations in gender and sexual orientation can be found among people of all countries, religions, races, languages, and socio-economic backgrounds.
In 2018, the WHO also took a step further by eliminating the classification of gender incongruence as a mental disorder from the ICD-11 codes. This move was made to decrease the stigma and misconceptions surrounding transgender and gender identity issues.
We are a global family, standing with the ones we love.
Across the world, on every continent, in every country, in every race, in every language, in every community, in every religion, rich or poor, there are sexual and gender minorities. We exist. We are everywhere.