Taghmeda Achmat, commonly known as Midi Achmat, is one of South Africa's most well known lesbian activists. Achmat co-founded the

Treatment Action Campaign The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) is a South African HIV/AIDS activist organisation which was co-founded by the HIV-positive activist Zackie Achmat in 1998. TAC is rooted in the experiences, direct action tactics and anti-apartheid backgrou ...

(TAC) with her partner and fellow activist Theresa Raizenberg on 10 December 1998.

Biography

Taghmeda "Midi" Achmat came from a family of

Cape Malay Cape Malays (, in Arabies script) also known as Cape Muslims or Malays, are a Muslim community or ethnic group in South Africa. They are the descendants of enslaved and free Muslims from different parts of the world who lived at the Cape duri ...

anti-apartheid activists, and is a member of the Cape Coloured community. Her brother

Zackie Achmat Abdurrazack "Zackie" Achmat (born 21 March 1962) is a South African activist and film director. He is a co-founder the Treatment Action Campaign and known worldwide for his activism on behalf of people living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa. ...

is an activist and filmmaker. Achmat met her partner Theresa Raizenberg in 1986, when the two were teenagers. Raizenberg was introduced to Achmat through the latter's aunt, and had already met Achmat's brother Zackie. Achmat and Raizenberg bonded over lesbian novels and both became active in the LGBT community of

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

. Achmat, her brother Zackie, and Raizenberg were part of a group which co-founded the black-led Association of Bisexuals, Gays, and Lesbians (ABIGALE) which organized the Johannesburg Pride March in 1992. Both Midi and Zackie Achmat were ostracized by their family after coming out as gay. In addition to ABIGALE, Achmat co-founded the National Coalition of Lesbian and Gay Equality, and the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival of Cape Town. Achmat has advocated for the implementation of

HIV prevention HIV prevention refers to practices that aim to prevent the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV prevention practices may be undertaken by individuals to protect their own health and the health of those in their community, or may ...

programs in South Africa, and for improved access to healthcare for HIV positive individuals. She led TAC's civil disobedience program to pressure the South African government into implementing an

program. She was arrested in 2003 while protesting at the Caledon Square Police Station. That same year, Achmat, Raizenberg and

intersex activist Intersex people are born with sex characteristics, such as genitals, gonads and chromosome patterns that, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies". In ...

Sally Gross were jointly awarded the Galactic/Allison Masters Community Award for their contributions to the LGBT community. Achmat has remained active in the South African LGBT community, and has contributed to various academic journals in addition to collaborating with international researchers and activists. She completed her honors thesis at the

University of the Western Cape The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is a public research university in Bellville, near Cape Town, South Africa. The university was established in 1959 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only. Other un ...

on the difficulties facing Muslim women in the LGBT community, and later founded Unveiling the Hijab, a

Facebook group Facebook is a social-network service website launched on February 4, 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. The following is a list of software and technology features that can be found on the Facebook website and mobile app and are available to users of t ...

for queer Muslim women, although she personally no longer practices Islam. In 2007, Achmat's film ''A Normal Daughter'', which followed the life story of a

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...

named Kewpie, was premiered at the Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on Triangle and Stratos Television.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Achmat, Midi Lesbian feminists HIV/AIDS activists LGBT people from South Africa South African activists South African people of Malay descent South African former Muslims LGBT rights activists from South Africa Living people People from Cape Town University of the Western Cape alumni South African writers Year of birth missing (living people)