About Lee-Anne Walker
Gender Diversity Activist, Community Leader, and Advocate for Social Justice
Over three decades of grassroots mobilisation and policy reform, advancing gender equity and inclusion across South Africa.
Lee-Anne Walker is a South African gender diversity activist, businesswoman, and community leader whose work spans more than three decades of advocacy, professional leadership, and grassroots mobilisation.
As the founder and director of Be True 2 Me, a non-profit organisation supporting transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals, she has been at the forefront of advancing gender equity, inclusion, and social justice in South Africa. Her activism is grounded in lived experience and the belief that all people are equal and entitled to the protections guaranteed under the South African Constitution.
Policy Advocacy and Government Engagement
Over the past decade, Lee-Anne has become a leading voice in gender-diversity advocacy, engaging directly with government departments, civil society organisations, and international forums to drive systemic change. She has contributed to high-level policy consultations with the Department of Home Affairs on the Identity Management Policy and the Marriage Amendment Act, and participated in ongoing processes relating to Legal Gender Recognition.
She has worked with the Department of Health on developing gender-affirming healthcare policy, serving as a peer reviewer and advisor for the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society's Gender-Affirming Healthcare Guidelines. Her expertise has been further recognised through her appointment to the Department of Basic Education's Social Inclusion Working Committee, integrating gender diversity into education policy and practice.
Coalition Building and Legal Advocacy
As a founding member of the Gender Diversity Coalition, she helped develop coordinated advocacy frameworks and Terms of Reference to strengthen collective action across the sector. She has collaborated with legal organisations such as Lawyers for Human Rights, the Legal Resources Centre, the Women's Legal Centre, and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies to expand access to justice for marginalised groups.
Her contributions to the drafting of the Prevention of Hate Crime and Hate Speech Bill (now enacted into law) highlight her influence in shaping rights-based policy frameworks. Internationally, she represents South Africa in global platforms such as the C20 LGBTIQ+ sector, amplifying the voices of gender-diverse communities.
Professional Background
In addition to advocacy, Lee-Anne has over 30 years of experience in information technology, working as a senior consultant across corporate, government, and non-profit sectors in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. This dual expertise enables her to combine strategic planning, organisational development, and policy advocacy to deliver tangible outcomes for marginalised communities.
Public Engagement and Professional Development
She frequently appears in television, radio, and print media to advocate for transgender and gender-diverse rights, raise awareness, and counter misinformation. She also trains medical professionals in gender-affirming care and mentors emerging activists.
Currently advancing her professional development through WPATH, Lee-Anne has participated in the International Symposium and Global Education Initiative programmes.
A Ground-Up Approach
Her work is characterised by a “ground-up” approach to advocacy, ensuring policy reform reflects lived experiences. As a parent of two, she combines her personal passion with professional expertise to help build a more just, inclusive, and equitable society for present and future generations.