South African LGBTQ+ Icon Appeals for Medical Fundraising Support
Beverley Ditsie, who has an honorary doctorate from the Claremont Graduate University in California, is one of South Africa’s best-known LGBTQ+ activists
Beloved South African queer activist and filmmaker Beverley Ditsie is in urgent need of surgery and has turned to the LGBTQ+ community for support.
A Long-Standing Health Condition
Ditsie recently shared on social media that they’ve launched a formal fundraising campaign on the BackaBuddy platform to cover urgent medical expenses for a long-standing health condition.
“So I’m sharing some personal and sensitive news,” they wrote on Facebook. “After many years of chronic pain… I finally got a diagnosis, and it turns out that I need to get surgery as soon as possible.”
“It’s insane that it’s come to this, but at least now we have some kind of diagnosis and solution,” they continued.
Beverley Ditsie – A Legacy of Activism
Ditsie is widely recognised for co-organising Africa’s first Pride march in Johannesburg in 1990, becoming the first Black lesbian to address LGBTQ+ rights at the UN, and their award-winning documentary work. In 2021, they were honoured by singer Boy George in the song, Rainbow in the Dark.
On the fundraising page, they revealed that they had been struggling with severe illness for decades without a clear diagnosis.
“Like thousands of women who go undiagnosed and/or untreated, I adapted to living with and managing chronic pain, which had become an integral part of my daily life, influencing my decisions and impacting the quality of my experiences—from work and travel to leisure activities,” Ditsie explained.
Finally, a Diagnosis
It was only in the past month that doctors finally diagnosed Ditsie with multiple fibroids of varying sizes, a cyst “slightly bigger than a golf ball” on one of their ovaries, and suspected endometriosis—conditions that may explain the decades of pain they have endured.
“The doctors recommend surgery as soon as possible,” Ditsie stated. “Public hospitals are not an option, as appointments have over a year’s waiting list—unless I am in critical condition, of course, and I would rather not wait for that to happen.”
How to Help
Ditsie is aiming to raise approximately R100,000 to cover hospital fees, the surgery in April, related medical expenses, and a contingency for potential complications.
They also confirmed that fundraising events will be held in Johannesburg in the coming weeks, adding that “Your help is truly appreciated.”
Support one of our own! You can help Beverley Ditsie by contributing through their fundraising page here. Any contribution will be welcomed.
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