Liesl Theron, then a member of the Good Hope Metropolitan Community Church (GHMCC) coordinated a full-day workshop under the theme: “Gender Diversity Awareness” for its members. 

Theron and her partner, Lex Kirsten, met through a mutual friend from GHMCC, who introduced them when it became known that Theron was previously in a relationship with a trans man (1997 – 2000) and that Kirsten wanted to find more information about transitioning and related topics. Eventually, they were in a relationship, both still attending GHMCC. 

Theron was a member of the church council and offered to put together a workshop where others could learn and understand more about the then “nearly unheard of” topic of transgender, intersex, and gender diversity. Theron invited, among others, as guest speakers: Estian Smit, Sally Gross, and Dr Marlene Wasserman aka Dr. Eve.

Before the founding of,  and during the first two years of Gender DynamiX, GHMCC supported Theron and Kirsten tremendously with their efforts to raise awareness about gender diversity. This workshop was a landmark event, as not only was it attended by more than double the expected number of people Theron estimated, but was repeated three more years on its anniversary – and retrospectively, the first Gender Diversity Awareness workshop and the demonstrated interest by this turnout were some of the factors encouraging Theron to continue her trans[gender] awareness-raising work, leading to the founding of Gender DynamiX, later in the same year.