In 1984, Simon Nkoli was arrested for his anti-apartheid activist. While in prison awaiting trial, he was outed as gay. Despite fears of backlash, Simon received an outpouring of support from the international queer community, which in turn led to greater international support for group he was arrested with, known as the Delmas 22, and for anti-apartheid work more broadly.
Following his acquittal, Simon co-founded GLOW, a group fighting for the rights of queer people in Johannesburg’s Black townships. Simon was involved in organising Johannesburg’s first Pride march in 1990, and ensured that gay and lesbian rights were enshrined in the new post-apartheid constitution of South Africa.
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