Continuous challenge is learning to accept myself, to trust in the process called life. One of my greatest successes has been finishing a masters while recovering from a barrage of illnesses I picked up whilst traveling in India.

Coming out was gradual – took about 5 years, starting with accepting myself to telling my father. Some of my extended family members still don’t know about my sexuality, maybe that will change now. I’m lucky in that all the responses were positive – everyone was supportive and accepting (although most didn’t see it coming!).

The Cape Town gay community, much like the rest of South Africa is socially and geographically divided. I only know middle class gay men who live in suburbs; we share very similar stories. I wish it would be easier to meet more gay men from different backgrounds.

I had the most caring family that any gay person could ask for and in my time I obtained my qualification as a bookkeeper but that never stopped me from being gay. Today I spent my life working at the foundation as a community outreach worker. This enhanced my level of opportunity of engaging with people and sharing my own knowledge.

I came out of the closet when I was very young nevertheless did I know at that time I was coming out. There was guy who used to like taking me out and one day he proposed and I fell for him. So he kept on taking me out for almost a year up until the day when he asked me to sleep over. No one at home was aware and I just passed my grade 12. I decided to sleep over, and in the morning the drama started.

Being gay in Capetown is the most humble province ever, where the LGBT group is being tolerated.