Be Proud of Who You Are!

Headline:??Pride Month?

Mulalo Ratombo, “Be Proud of Who You Are!”

Written by: Tiisetso Ngoedi

Photography by: Tshisikhawe Thangavhuelelo

Design by: Lindo Mnguni

Many of us have family member or friend within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community who continue to face challenges in society such as exclusion and prejudice. The Department of Infrastructure Development’s, Mulalo Ratombo, a Storeman located at South Rand Hospital, who identifies as a Lesbian spoke to?InTouch?about??matters impacting the LGBTQIA+ community within the workplace, the importance of parental support and advocacy.?

For Mulalo growing up in a religious family came with its unique challenges, “My family attends the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). Everyone knows how strict the Church is when it comes to the wearing of uniforms and the doek for women. My parents could see from a young age that I was??uncomfortable. My sexual orientation was initially difficult to discuss, however, with time it became easier to navigate topics around sexuality and identity. Eventually, my family supported me”. Parental acceptance and support play an important role in one’s psychological well-being. According to Mulalo, “As a parent, if you cannot accept and love your child -??who do you think will? It is important that parents give their children all the necessary support and love they need.??I would urge parents within Team DID who might see signs from their children to start a conversation and get to know their children!”.

The acceptance and support received from her family, made it possible for Mulalo to gain the confidence to express her identity, “You ask yourself all sorts of questions whether people will accept or welcome you well. I remember the time when I received a call that I was shortlisted for a job interview, when prospective employer heard my voice, it was difficult for them to believe that I was a??woman by birth because of the sound of my voice. I had to physically present myself for them to be convinced that I am indeed the person they were talking to over the phone. These situations are awkward, but part of human nature. People want to see for them to believe”.

The?LGBTQIA+?community has advocated for shifts in the workplace when it comes to diversity, inclusion and representation. Mulalo recognises the change but believes more transformation is necessary, “I think that Managers need to be sensitised on how engage with this community. Given the nature of my job, I interface with a range of employees, I experience how they behave differently towards the LGBTQIA+ community. I am not bothered by this prejudice because I enjoy my work and I do it well but for someone else it might be a struggle to come to work because of the treatment received. Mulalo advocates for training centering on LGBTQIA+ sensitivity and advocacy within the workplace.?

According to Mulalo, Pride Month is important as it banishes the secrecy and shame surrounding the??LGBTQIA+ community, “ We are not attention seeking, remember that we belong to a society that still believes that if an individual identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community,??then it means that they are either bewitched or have a mental illness. We need to make it known that there is nothing wrong with who we are. I encourage colleagues who identify as LGBTQIA+ to be proud of who we are. We just want to be loved, respected and accepted as people!”