Lace it up Campaign (LIC)

This year, the theme for Wits Pride is: “Wits Pride, it’s for all of us”

The idea of the Lace it up Campaign is to introduce the Wits community to the Wits Pride campaign a month ahead of the scheduled Wits Pride activities.   Wits Pride is a continuation of Wits Pride 2010 which aimed to raise awareness on campus of LGBTI issues and to ensure that Wits took a stand on the growing homophobic violence in our country and globally.

The purpose of the LIC concept in Wits Pride is to create a physical and symbolic demonstration of support for the LGBTI community on campus.  Its aim is to increase the awareness of students and staff on the presence and concerns of LGBTI students and employees on campus.

The laces that will be used in LIC are multi-coloured (in the rainbow theme of the LGBTI colours) shoe laces.  The idea is to get as many staff and students as possible to wear these laces in order to demonstrate that Wits is a campus that respects human rights and the right of individuals to make their own sexual choices in a safe and supportive environment..    

LIC will focus on the integration and visibility of the LGBTI community in mainstream campus life. The laces will represent  Wits staff and students support for diversity and alternative sexualities.  There will also be information packs and posters available, which will be used to raise awareness on the Wits Pride initiative.

Laces will be distributed by members of the Activate group at Wits, along with volunteers from the DFL group. The laces will be distributed through the flyer drive which we plan to have on the 14^th of September. The Flyer drive will  go to the Matrix, FNB building, and even Education campus. The Activate volunteers will be asked to travel with the Wits busses to do the drive. Advertising will be done through VOW FM and the Vuvuzela student newspaper. This will happen with the help of the marketing department.