African football: Eudy Simelane, gay icon with a tragic destiny
The family of Eudy Simelane during the trial of his killers, in August 2009. AFP - PABALLO THEKISO
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
3 mins
In 2008, Eudy Simelane was found murdered after suffering terrible abuse.
This South African international footballer was one of the first players in the country to assert her homosexuality.
A look back at the tragic fate of a pioneer, on this World Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
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She would have turned 45 this year and could have become a fixture in South Africa's women's national football team.
Banyana banyana for which Eudy Simelane played during the 2000s. Or the one who was born in 1977 in the township of KwaThema, near Johannesburg, could have become a referee.
She had indeed started training for.
But we will never know what this pioneer of the gay cause in South African football would have done.
On April 27, 2008, the body of the footballer had indeed been found in a stream, not far from her home.
She had been brutally murdered, after being beaten, the victim of a gang rape, stabbed many times.
A few months later, two of the suspects were sentenced to 32 years in prison and life imprisonment respectively.
The qualification of “corrective” rape had however not been retained by the local justice.
Eudy Simelane had then become a symbol of violence against lesbians in South Africa, she, the activist of the
"07/07/07 Campaign", to end hate crimes against South African LGBT people. s
”.
LGBTQI+ ICONS
Eudy Simelane was a successful soccer player, active LGBTQI+ activist & one of the first women to live as openly lesbian in her hometown of KwaThema, Springs, Gauteng.
She played as a midfielder for her local Springs Home Sweepers team, as well as for the SA... pic.twitter.com/FqlXEeRiJh
— Constitution Hill SA (@VisitConHill) October 8, 2020
Precursor
Relatives of the deceased, however, preferred to remember her joy thanks to the round ball.
"
Around the age of 85, when she started playing football, she was nicknamed 'Styles' because she was left-handed
," her mother, Mally Simelane, proudly recounts in a documentary by the association. Open Society Foundation.
“
She loved football very much from her earliest childhood,
abounds Eudy's grandmother, Gogo Skhosana.
At the time, I was embarrassed and worried about what the neighbors might think.
But she replied: "
Gogo, my soul is at peace when I play
"
.
The midfielder thus wore the colors of the Springs Home Sweepers, the club in her neighborhood.
A training that has seen many major players in the country, like the current and charismatic South African captain, Janine van Wyk.
This opened the doors of the selection to him.
“
She was always ready to help others and a really very humble person,
reacted her teammate Anna Monate, in a tribute on the site of the South African Federation (SAFA), in May 2008.
It is a real loss for domestic football because their talent in women's football is not abundant across the country and I know their players have been hit hard by that at the club
."
🌈 LESBIAN VISIBILITY DAY ⚢
On this #JourneeDeVisibiliteLesbienne, the town hall of #Paris20 affirms its support for the #lesbian community.
During the #MoisDesFiertés, she will name #EudySimelane the TEP Olivier Métra in memory of the footballer 🇿🇦 & murdered LGBT activist.
pic.twitter.com/uQm8EazYp9
– Town Hall of the 20th (@Mairiedu20) April 26, 2022
Symbol
Instead of becoming a star, the South African has become a symbol.
In Paris, sports equipment will soon be called Eudy Simelane.
Near his KwaThema, a bridge in his name had been built, with his effigy on it.
For brother care, Bafana, the legacy of Eudy Simelane remains very present.
“
My sister's death was planned.
They managed to assassinate him, but they weren't totally successful because his memory and his vision are still alive.
Even if people try to forget him, his spirit will live on
”.
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