Members of the LGBTQIA+ community flocked to the Equality Court in Cape Town this week in support of Jackye Majawie.
Jackye is a transgender woman who had allegedly been kicked out of the women’s bathroom by a cleaner at Golden Acre Mall.
Also read: Flooding poses challenges to citrus production in Citrusdal
Jackye Majawie is a 36-year-old anti-gender-based violence activist from Worcester. She began her transition from male to female at Groote Schuur Hospital in 2015.
The incident in question, Jackye says, occurred on 23 March 2023, when she tried to enter the female public toilet and was told by one of the cleaners to use the men’s toilet instead.
‘I was misgendered and my human rights were being violated when I was denied access to use a female toilet by another woman who works for a cleaning company. I took the matter to the Equality Court because my dignity was disregarded,’ says Jackye, according to IOL.
Jackye further claims that the cleaner proceeded to pull her out of the toilet upon refusing her access. Using female bathrooms have become the norm for Jackye, as all of her identity documents state that she is a woman.
The Equality Court case has been postponed until 2 August. Majawie intends to sue the cleaner in her private capacity.
Majawie founded a non-profit organisation in 2016 called ‘Majawie Safe Space’ which aims to serve the LGBTQIA+ community.
The communications officer for Gender Dynamix, an NPO which focuses on the rights of the transgender community, said that ‘until we are not together and celebrating all prides, we have no freedom and no dignity.’
Also read:
Picture: Fellipe Ditadi / Unsplash