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Queer Stories Take Centre Frame at the Joburg Film Festival 2026 The 2026 Joburg Film Festival is screening three standout queer films that offer distinct, powerful explorations of love, risk, and belonging.

The 2026 Joburg Film Festival is screening three standout queer films that offer distinct, powerful explorations of love, risk, and belonging. And you can WIN tickets! www.mambaonline.com/2026/03/01/q...

Ghana Set to Host Controversial Anti-LGBTQ+ 'Family Values' Summit Ghana will host a major African anti-LGBTQ "family values" conference in 2026 — and rights groups are raising the alarm.

Ghana will host a major African anti-LGBTQ "family values" parliamentary conference in May with the backing of Ugandan MPs — and rights groups are raising the alarm. Here’s what you need to know 👇🏿 www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/28/g...

US: Transgender People in Kansas Cruelly Stripped of Identity Documents Overnight Kansas revokes transgender residents' driver's licenses and identity documents, putting them at risk of being penalised for using them.

A new flashpoint in the war on trans rights in the US: The state of Kansas has revoked the driver's licenses and identity documents of its trans residents, leaving them at risk of being fined or jailed. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/27/u...

Queer Activists Rally Against City's R114M N2 Wall ahead of Cape Town Pride Queer activists plan a protest at Cape Town Pride against the City's R114M N2 wall, calling it segregation and pinkwashing.

A group of queer activists plan to protest the City of Cape Town’s controversial R114M N2 wall at Cape Town Pride, amid accusations of the wall perpetuating inequality. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/25/q...

Write the Next 25: MambaOnline Calls on You to Help Secure its Future For 25 years, MambaOnline has amplified LGBTQ+ voices. Now it asks the community to help secure independent queer journalism.

For 25 years, MambaOnline has told the stories others wouldn’t. Now we need YOU to help secure the future of independent queer media in South Africa. Find out more here. 👇🏿 www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/25/w...

Cape Town Pride Parade and Mardi Gras Set to Paint the Mother City Pink As Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis shows support for the Cape Town Pride Parade and Mardi Gras, organisers are preparing to paint the city pink.

Cape Town Pride Day 2026, on Sat 28 Feb, is almost here! 🌈 From the powerful Pride Parade in Green Point to the festive Mardi Gras line-up — here’s everything you need to know. Read more. 👇🏿 www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/24/c...

Uganda: Two Women Face Life in Prison After Kissing in Public Two women in Uganda face life imprisonment after arrest under the Anti-Homosexuality Act for allegedly kissing in public.

Life in prison for a kiss? Two women in Uganda have been arrested under the country’s draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act and could face life imprisonment. Read the full story 👇 www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/24/u...

South Africa LGBTIQ+ Rights Watch: January 2026 An overview of LGBTIQ+ rights violations, hate speech incidents and updates in South Africa in January 2026, compiled by MambaOnline.

🚨 January 2026’s LGBTIQ+ Rights Watch is out 🚨 Every month, we track LGBTIQ+ rights violations in South Africa. January saw hate speech incidents, delays in justice and the shocking humiliation of a queer child in church. Read the report here ⬇️ www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/24/s...

Remembering Muhsin Hendricks: A Legacy of Faith, Courage and Boundless Welcome A year after his murder, gay Cape Town imam Muhsin Hendricks is remembered as a courageous and trailblazing advocate for Islamic inclusion.

He believed faith should welcome — not exclude. A year after his shocking and still-unsolved murder, we remember Muhsin Hendricks and his legacy of queer-inclusive Islam. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/19/r...

Historic Moment as Rob Jetten Sworn In as Netherlands’ First Gay Prime Minister Rob Jetten becomes the Netherlands’ first openly gay Prime Minister, marking a landmark moment for LGBTQ representation in Europe.

History is made in the Netherlands as Rob Jetten becomes the country’s first openly gay Prime Minister. It marks another powerful moment for LGBTQ+ representation in Europe and world politics. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/23/h...

HIV Made Him Expect to Die at 40. At 73, Edwin Cameron Asks: Who’s Planning for Our Ageing Survivors? Queer icon Edwin Cameron reflects on surviving HIV, ageing with ARVs, and why South Africa must plan for older HIV survivors.

"You faced a certain death.” Now, at 73, former Constitutional Court Justice Edwin Cameron reflects on surviving HIV and confronting ageing, stigma and funding threats.  www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/21/h...

Trump Administration Sued After Pride Flag Pulled from Stonewall Monument LGBTQ advocates sue the Trump Administration over the removal of the Pride flag from Stonewall National Monument in New York.

Can the Trump Administration remove the Pride rainbow flag from the Stonewall Monument in New York City? A new lawsuit is now challenging that decision. Here’s what you need to know.
www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/21/t...

Senegal: Human Rights Groups Slam Anti-LGBTQ Crackdown as Harsher Penalties Planned Human rights groups condemn Senegal’s arrest of 12 people for same-sex intimacy as lawmakers plan harsher anti-LGBTQ penalties.

Senegal has arrested 12 people — including well-known public figures — for allegedly engaging in same-sex intimacy. Now, lawmakers are planning to implement even harsher penalties against LGBTQ+ people.

Anger as NPA Refuses to Prosecute Ngizwe Mchunu LGBTQIA+ Hate Case LGBTQ+ groups condemn the NPA’s decision to drop criminal charges against Ngizwe Mchunu over alleged anti-LGBTQ hate speech and incitement.

Has the NPA failed South Africa's LGBTQ+ community? Prosecutors have closed the hate speech and incitement criminal case against Ngizwe Mchunu — but activists aren’t backing down. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/20/a...

European Parliament Calls for Full Recognition of Transgender Women European Parliament backs inclusion of transgender women in global gender policies, urging full recognition, protection, and equal access.

The European Parliament has taken a stand — calling for the full recognition of transgender women as women at the UN. Here’s why it matters. 🌍🏳️‍⚧️ www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/19/e...

MambaOnline Celebrates 25 Years of Amplifying LGBTIQA+ Voices in South Africa South Africa’s leading LGBTIQA+ news platform MambaOnline is celebrating 25 years of queer storytelling, activism and community impact.

🏳️‍🌈 25 years. Countless stories. A diverse community. MambaOnline, South Africa’s leading LGBTIQA+ news platform, is celebrating a quarter century of queer storytelling, activism and community impact. 🎉 Read more below! www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/19/m...

Ghana Lawmakers Push Forward Extreme Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Once Again Extreme anti-LGBTQ+ bill returns to Parliament in Ghana, aiming to criminalise identity, allies and gender-affirming healthcare.

🚨 Lawmakers in Ghana reintroduce one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Parliament — targeting queer identity, advocacy and healthcare. Here’s what it means. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/18/g...

School Uniform Storm: Alleged Humiliation of LGBTQ+ Learners at Benoni High School A storm is gathering around a school in Benoni amid allegations that eight LGBTQ+ learners were humiliated over their school uniforms.

A storm is gathering around a high school in Benoni following allegations that eight LGBTQ+ learners were publicly humiliated and retraumatised by the principal over their school uniforms and gender expression. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/18/s...

From puberty blockers to constitutional rights, trans medical experts have pushed back against opposition to gender-affirming care for trans youth in South Africa. Here's what they had to say! www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/17/t...

Opinion: Queer in Ramadan – A Gay Muslim’s Reflection Queer Muslim Sikhander Coopoo reflects on faith, fasting and belonging during Ramadan, calling for deeper inclusion and understanding.

What does Ramadan feel like when you’re both queer and Muslim? Sikhander Coopoo's powerful reflection explores faith, loneliness and the fight to belong. 🌙 www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/17/o...

Activists and health leaders gathered in Johannesburg to mark one year since funding cuts shut down queer health services and reshaped South Africa’s HIV response. Here’s what they revealed. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/14/o...

No Arrests, No Answers – Just Silence: One Year Since Imam Muhsin Hendricks’ Murder One year after Imam Muhsin Hendricks’ murder, no arrests have been made, no progress announced. The silence is deafening.

We should be angry. One year after Imam Muhsin Hendricks was murdered, the silence is deafening and the case unsolved. We asked for answers from the SAPS, the government and the NTT. Their responses gave us little comfort or hope. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/12/n...

Colour, Pride and Community: Langa Launches Stunning LGBTQI+ Mural A newly launched LGBTQI+ Pride mural in Langa honours diversity, inclusion and queer community voices in the Cape Town township.

Langa is glowing in Pride colours! 🌈 A powerful new LGBTQI+ Pride mural honours diversity, inclusion and queer community voices in the Cape Town township. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/12/c...

Hope Rises as Kenya Court Set to Review Ban on Same-sex Intimacy Kenya’s Court of Appeal moves to review the colonial-era same-sex intimacy ban, raising hope for LGBTQ+ rights and constitutional equality.

Hope on the horizon in Kenya! The Appeal Court is set to review the country’s colonial-era same-sex intimacy ban in May. Could this mark a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights? www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/11/h...

Legacy Ball: The Beating Heart of Cape Town’s Queer Ballroom Scene Inside Legacy Ball, Cape Town’s leading ballroom event celebrating queer performance, voguing and community legacy.

Cape Town’s ballroom scene is thriving — and Legacy Ball is at its heart. We speak to the organisers behind the vibrant event that started as a tribute to slain dancer Kirvan Fortuin. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/11/l...

Johannesburg Grindr Gang Trial: Lead Investigator Rejects Police Assault Claims The Grindr Gang 7 trial continues as police deny assaulting suspects accused of kidnapping and attacking a Wits student lured on Grindr.

The “Grindr Gang 7” trial continued in Johannesburg on Tuesday — with allegations and denials over arrests and police brutality. Read the courtroom update! www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/10/j...

Football Referee Attacked After Viral On-Field Proposal to Boyfriend German referee Pascal Kaiser was attacked after proposing to his boyfriend in a viral video, highlighting ongoing homophobia in football.

A romantic on-field same-sex proposal went viral — but days later, football referee Pascal Kaiser was assaulted. A stark reminder of the bigotry and hate queer people still face in sport. www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/10/f...

Cape Town Pride 2026 Gets Slippery With Drag-Hosted Lube Wrestling Cape Town Pride 2026 has added a slippery dose of spectacle to its official with the launch of the Backdoor Botanics lube wrestling arena.

Cape Town Pride 2026 has added a slippery dose of spectacle to its official programme with the launch of a drag-hosted lube wrestling arena. Find out more here - and stand in line to WIN a bottle of exclusive Backdoor Botanics lube! 👇🏿 www.mambaonline.com/2026/01/30/c...

Study Exposes Deep Gaps in Gender-Affirming Healthcare in South Africa Study reveals that gender-affirming healthcare remains out of reach for many transgender and gender diverse people in South Africa..

A new study has exposed major gaps in gender-affirming healthcare for transgender and gender diverse South Africans — from 20-year surgery waits to limited hormone access. Read more 👇 www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/07/s...

Big Brother Mzansi Under Fire Over Transphobic Remarks Directed at Ilano Sky Transphobia controversy erupts on Big Brother Mzansi after remarks about Ilano Sky spark backlash and calls for accountability.

“Fix it!” — Calls mount for Big Brother Mzansi to act after transphobic comments about Ilano Sky spark backlash inside and outside the house. Find out more here 👇🏿 www.mambaonline.com/2026/02/06/b...