remembering jerry january

Jabulani Dube (BTM Fellow)

SOUTH AFRICA – 2 February 2009: Jerry January, one of the most celebrated gay socialites and beauty pageant organiser passed away after a short illness on 21 January 2009 and was cremated at his home town in Northern Cape on 24 January.
    
Hundreds of mourners, some in drag, gathered for his cremation despite the family’s alleged objection to have a crowd of gay people gathering to bid farewell to January.

“We went full house in drag because we thought the family was ignorant of what Jerry would have wanted”, said Shaine Griqua, January’s ex-coworker who is also Programme Manager of Northern Cape National Alliance for State and Territorial AIDS Directors - South Africa.

On 25 January gay organisations LEGBO Northern Cape and D-GAYLE organised a successful memorial service at Galeshewe Social Centre attended by many people as well as January’s two sisters and nephew. Also present were all the Miss Gay Northern Cape winners of the past few years.

According to Griqua the gathering was a glamorous event with lights, drag, tears and a walk down memory lane with a candle light ceremony led by Shaine Griqua. “All those who were present shared a deep sense of loss.”
 
January was a founder of Old Entertainment Gay group D-Gayle and according to Griqua he was “a natural born performer who always had big plans for his music.”
 
He was also a founding member of the group ABIGALE, a gay organisation which mobilised gay and lesbian members of Kimberley and fought against several challenges including stigma, hate-crimes, rejection and discrimination of gay people.

After ABIGALE changed names and split into GAYLO-KIM and LEGBO Northern Cape, January went overseas to further his career performing on ships and developed an interest in Ballroom dancing.

January came back to the province of the Northern Cape and started his own tourism company Inzane tours, and D-GAYLE and the 5 Diamonds Performers.  January was an all time organiser of the Miss GAY Northern Cape Beauty Pageant and it seems that his departure will leave a void too huge to fill.

May his soul rest in peace!