It has taken more than a century of struggle to get South Africa to the point where it has the most progressive legislation on LGBTIQ+ rights in Africa, if not the world. But challenges still continue, including ongoing discrimination, harassment, and violence against LGBTIQ+ individuals.

This international pride month I explore the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) organising in South Africa.

I begin this exploration in 1907, with the Taberer Report. British officials Henry Taberer and Glenn Leary were tasked with the responsibility to lead an investigation into rumours of "immorality" between black male mineworkers, in particular what they called "mine marriages".

This controversial report was to be the tipping point in the regulation of same-sex desiring in South Africa. Although its recommendations were not accepted by the then government, it still paved the way to demonise and pathologise same-sex desiring and love.

The apartheid government has historically been obsessed with regulating sexuality and race. In 1927 the government passed the Immorality Act to criminalise sexual relations between people of different races. The act was amended a few times over the period of 60 years, until its repeal in 1991.

By 1949, a year after coming into power, the National Party had signed the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act. The act was amended by 1957 to include "unlawful carnal sexual intercourse" and other acts, another earlier show of sexual control by the government.

The act would only include same-sex desiring...