Global LGBT travel association to honour the South African human rights advocate during historic first LGBT travel conference in Africa.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu will receive the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association’s prestigious Chair Award for 2016.
The award recipient is chosen by the head of the IGLTA board of directors and presented to an individual or business that has made the world a more welcoming place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travellers.
IGLTA Board Chair Dan Melesurgo, said: “As we’re holding our convention on the African continent for the first time, I cannot think of a better award recipient than Archbishop Desmond Tutu.”
“He has been a global inspiration since the demise of apartheid, using his high profile to campaign for the oppressed and defend human rights. He is a true leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS, poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia.”
Tutu’s rise to international prominence began when he became the first black person to be appointed the Anglican Dean of Johannesburg in 1975 and emerged as one of the most eloquent voices of the South African anti-apartheid movement.
In 1984, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Although he retired as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996, he remains a moral compass for the continent, speaking out against the anti-gay policies of other African countries.
Tutu has been widely quoted as saying: “I would not worship a God who is homophobic and that is how deeply I feel about this.”
The 2016 IGLTA Chair Award will be presented as part of the opening keynote session of IGLTA’s 33nd Annual Global Convention at the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town on April 14, 2016, in cooperation with the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.
For more information about the Convention, click here:
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