The opinions expressed in the following episode do not necessarily reflect those of the minds of madness podcast.

The listener discretion is advised.

It was undeniable.

Yudy Similani was born to play soccer.

From an early age, she gravitated to the sport.

And by the time she was an adult was being recognized as one of South Africa's star players.

But while Yudy proudly represented her country with her gifted athletic abilities,

she eventually decided to dedicate herself to representing a different community,

a community in need of a champion, a strong voice against hate crimes in South Africa,

a force that would continue even after her heartbreaking and barbaric murder.

Join me now as we take a look into the inspiring life and gruesome murder of Yudy Similani.

A young woman who overcame the circumstances of apartheid South Africa to become a national icon,

representing both her country and her true identity.

You'll hear how Yudy's life was tragically cut short,

in a case many activists believe was an instance of a growing and horrifying type of crime.

In the early hours of June 7, 2017, friends Cizacolais Agasa and Salome Masoa were out at a local bar in Soweto,

a township just outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.

As the night wore down and the two women decided to leave,

a crowd of people at the bar began heckling them with insults and slurs,

calling them tomboy and much worse.

Living openly as lesbians, it wasn't uncommon for them to be on the receiving end of this kind of verbal abuse.

Under the barrage of homophobic slurs, the women left the bar, hopped in their car and drove away,

...