Monthly Archives: July 2014

2014 July 26: What I want as a black lesbian youth

My name is Lebogang Mashifane, I’m 25 years old and I live with my mother in Kwa-Thema, east of Gauteng, South Africa. I have recently relocated from Cape Town, South Africa. I hold a Diploma in Multimedia Technology from CPUT … Continue reading

Posted in 1976 Youth, 1986 -, 20 Years of Democracy, Academics, Acceptance, Activists, Activists Act, African Queer Beauty, Another Approach Is Possible, Apartheid, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Is A Human Right, Articulation, Artist Talk, As we are, Before You, Being conscientized, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Artists, Black Lesbian Graduate, Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Professionals, Cape Town, Cape Town to Johannesburg, Claiming, Collaborations, Collective, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community based media, Community outreach, Community work, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, creative artist, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Education, English, Feelings, Freedom of being, Generations, Issues, Lack of Resources, Language, Lebo Mashifane, Legacies of Violence, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Lessons learnt, LGBT community, Poverty, question of history., Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Related links, Relationships, revolution, Seeing difference, Seeking help, Self acceptance, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Social responsibility, South Africa, Speaking for ourselves, Supportive mother, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Unemployment, Videographer, videographers, Visual activism is a language, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, What black lesbian youth wants, Women loving women, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Youth voices | 1 Comment

2014 July 28: Memories never fade away – ‘Foot for Love’

My reflection on our 2012 Paris trip that we, Thokozani Football Club (TFC) had. It all started at the Thokozani football club that I joined voluntarily in 2008, hence I’m proud of myself for making such a good decision. Firstly … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Africans Abroad, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Articles, Artist Talk, Arts & Sports, ARV's, Beautiful faces, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Being Scene, Black Lesbian soccer players, Durban, Eiffel Tower, Equipe Les Degommeuses, Evidence, Experience, Fitness, Gratitude, In memory of Thokozani Qwabe, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Insulted, Intellectualism, Interviews, Know Your SA Queer History, Language, Laurence Prat, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Lesbianism, Lesbiennes of Color (LOCs), Lessons learnt, Liberation, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Loved, Lovely words, Mainstream media, Media works, Memories, Memory, Moments in our history, Mourning, My body, Networking, Organizations, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Paris Pride, Parisians, Participants, Participation, Performance, Photo Expressions, Photographs, Political Art, Politics, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Education in SA, Queer visibility, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Reflection, Reflections, Relationship with own body, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Safety, Safety and Health, Self discovery, Self portraits, Self-worth, Sexual Liberation, Sexual orientation, Sexual Politics education in South Africa, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Silent voices, Soccer is a human right, Social documentary photography, Social responsibility, Socio-economic, South Africa, South African Black Lesbian Filmmakers, South African Visual Activism, Speaking for ourselves, Sport Activism, Supporting each other, Teaching young women photography, Team Spirit by Thembela Dick, textbooks, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thokozani Football Club, Together we can, Togetherness, Video archiving, Visibility, Visual activism is a language, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual Language, Visual Power, We Are You, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Woman, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Xhosa is a South African language, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 2 Comments

2014 July 28: Comfort’s coming of age ceremony

  Where:  Nquthu, KwaZulu Natal. When:  12th July 2014 Umemulo unjengomshado, usuke uwumakoti ushadiswa nabakini, umhlwehlwe usuke umele i-veil. Ube futhi uyafana ne – 21st yesizulu, ngoba uma umuntu wesifazane emuliswa usuke unikwa ukhiye ukuthi usengakhululeka agane. Igama lami ngingu-Comfort BZ … Continue reading

Posted in Ancestors, Articles, Challenging the un-African homosexuality, Communication strategies, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Community work, Complexities of Transitioning, Confrontation, Connected souls, Connections, Contests judges;, Contributors, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Cultural activists, Culture of reading and writing, Dance and song, Description, Details, Emotional support, Empowerment, Engagement, Event, Evidence, Experience, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Family, Family and Friends, Family support, Feelings, friend, Friendships, Function, Gender, Gender articulation, Gender expression, Human Beings, Human rights, Humiliation, Hurt, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Isimemo, Izinkomo, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, KwaZulu Natal, Language, Learning, Lesbian Youth, Lessons learnt, LGBTI community, Liberation, Life, Life Stories, Lindeka Qampi, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Matters of the He(Art), Media works, Memories, Memory, Mixed audiences, Moments in our history, Neighbours, Participants, Participation, Recognition, Respect, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Social documentary photography, Socio-economic, South African rural areas, Speaking for ourselves, Struggling, Support, Supporters, Supporting each other, Teaching, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Veil, virgin, Visual activism, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language, Zulu is a South African language, Zulu tradition | 3 Comments

2014 July 28: Queer Youth Exchange announcement

      If you are interested in applying for this opportunity kindly email for application forms: hoosain.khan@wits.ac.za or call +27 11 717 4239     

Posted in Abantu, Academic, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Africa, African, African Queer Beauty, Allies, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Application forms, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Edutainment, Articles, As we are, Attention, Audience, Awareness workshops, Baring, Before You, black LGBTIQA, Bringing photography to schools, Career, Celebrating Youth Month in SA, Characters, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comment, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Community work, Connected souls, Connections, Consultants, Contributors, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, Culture of reading and writing, Delegation, Description, Details, Different positions, Discussion, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, Evidence, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Facilitation, Facilitators, Family and Friends, Family support, Freedom of being, Friendships, Gauteng, Gay & Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA), Gender expression, Gender naming, Invitation to apply, Johannesburg, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, South African Youth, Support, Supporting each other, Teaching, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual narratives, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | 1 Comment

2014 July 26: “I was born this way and I cannot change the skin that I live in”

My name is Refilwe Pitso but am popularly known as ‘Fifi’. I was born and raised in Daveyton, Benoni in Johannesburg. I was born on the 27th of December 1991 and I was raised by my mother. She is a … Continue reading

Posted in 1991 -, 2nd Prince, Ackermans, Articles, Beauty, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian beauty, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Born Frees, Characters, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Competition, Contestants, Contests, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Daveyton, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting realities of the townships, Edited, Family, Family support, Feelings, Female masculinity, Gender naming, Hobbies, Hope, Human Beings, I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I use CANON, I was (T)here, Identity, Lack of Resources, Lack of sponsorship, Lesbian Youth, LGBTI community, Life, Living by example, Loved, Matric, Memories, Moments in herstory, Mr Valentine, Our lives in the picture, Owning our bodies, Pageant, Participants, Participation, Perception, Photo Expressions, Politics of existence, Portrait, Possessed, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Previous life stories, Privilege, Proud lesbian, Proud to be, Queer Beauty Pageants in the townships, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Refilwe in Faces and Phases series, Refilwe Pitso the winner, Safety, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Shop assistant, Single parent, South Africa, South African Artists, Team Dress Fresh, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Tomboy, Visual history, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Woman, Women loving women, Women's power, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi | 5 Comments

2014 July 26: The luxury was on another level at the 2014 Design Indaba

  Five months later… by Yaya Mavundla How often does a black transwoman from the rural areas get to meet Victoria Beckham in person; have breakfast in the same restaurant with Carlos Santana, fly around Cape Town in a helicopter? … Continue reading

Posted in "There are few good men", 2014 Design Indaba, Acceptance, Act, Acting, Activists Act, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Edutainment, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articles, Articles; South African Celebrities; Arts; 2013 Feather awards; Lerato Dumse; Song; Dance; Kelly Khumalo; Thembisile Ntaka; Brenda Mntambo; Recognition; Thami Kotlolo; Gays & Lesbians; 5th Feather, Artist Talk, Artists, Arts, As we are, Athi Patra Ruga, Attention, Audience, Awareness workshops, Before US, Before You, Being conscientized, Being Scene, Black Lesbian, Black Lesbian professionals, Black Queer & Gifted, Blackness, Body, Body Politics, Cape Town, Characters, Clear with own plan, Communication strategies, Community, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, Creative writer, Cultural activists, Description, Designers from around the world meet in Cape Town, Details, Different positions, Documentary, Documenting realities of the townships, Dress code, Dress sense, Elegance, Emotional support, Empowerment, Entertainment, Event, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Experience, Expression, Facilitation, Fashion, Friendships, Gender expression, Gender naming, Interpretation, Know Your SA Queer History, Laughter, Lindeka Qampi, Luxury, Nandi Mntambo, Our lives in the picture, Participants, Participation, Poster, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Reflection, Relationships, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, revolution, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Solidarity, South African Artists, South African Visual Activism, State of Art, Style, Support, Supporting each other, Transwoman, VIP area, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Yaya Mavundla | Leave a comment

2014 July 20: Wet Pride in Paris

by Lindeka Qampi 28/06/2014                                                                         … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 Paris Pride, Activists, Africans Abroad, Another Approach Is Possible, Artists, Arts, As we are, asylum seekers, Came out of the closet, Cameras, Committed, Communication strategies, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Connected souls, Connections, Contributors, Crea(c)tive senses, Crying, Cultural activists, Culture of reading and writing, Darkness, Dating, Demonstration, Description, Details, Different positions, Disappointment, Discomfort, discourse, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting realities of the townships, Drag queens, Dress code, Edited, editors, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, English and French, Event, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Experience, Expertise, Exposure, Expression, Facilitators, Facing You, Faith, Family, Family and Friends, Fantasy, Fear, Feelings, Food, French-South Connections, Gay, Gender expression, Gender naming, God is with us, Grateful, Gratitude, Gratitude to my lover, He(Art)less, Health bodies, Hearts, Heroes of our struggle, homonormativity, Homophobia, homophobic, Homosexual, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human Equity and Art (Heart), Human rights, Hurt, I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I was (T)here, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Independence, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Inner feelings, Intellectualism, Intervention, Invisibility, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Mixed audiences, Organizing, Paris, Privilege, Proud to be, Public spaces, Public toilets, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Edutainment, Queer Power, Queer visibility, question of history., Readings, Real, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, recognized, Records and histories, Reflection, Relationship with own body, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Self acceptance, Self love, Self recognition, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Speaking for ourselves, Subject of Art, Supporters, Supporting each other, Together we can, Togetherness, TUK Paris, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language | Leave a comment

2014 July 19: Paris post cards from Cite Des Arts

Birthday self portraits by Zanele Muholi …@Cite Des Arts in Paris. In commemoration of my late mother, Bester Muholi who gave birth to me and endured the constraints of birthing.           more photos to be included … Continue reading

Posted in Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Alternative career choices, Another Approach Is Possible, Beauty, Black, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Female Body, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Graduate, Black Queer Artists, Blessings, Body, Body Politics, Butch identifying lesbian, Claiming blackness, Clear with own plan, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Description, Gratitude to my lover, Happy birthday to me, I am not the only one, I love photography, I was here, In bed, Love, My body, No artificiality, On tripod, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Paris, Photo album, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Platform, Political Art, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Relationship with own body, Self love, Self portraits, Support, Visual Power, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Whiteness, Words, Zanele Muholi @ Cite Des Arts in Paris, Zulu is a South African language | 3 Comments

2014 July 18: Sade & Sebe’s lovely wedding photos

© Collen Mfazwe 23/06/2014                           Previous articles   2014 July 13:    A sincere thank you to all my ex lovers   and   2014 April 30:  Good spirit … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Act, Active Black Lesbian Artists in South Africa (ABASA), Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Alternative career choices, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art is Queer, Articles, Arts, Black Lesbian Love, Black lesbian mothers, Civil Unionized, Dept of Home Affairs, Description, Details, Engagement, Life partners, Love is Queer, Textualizing Our Own Lives, To Have & to Hold book, Together we can, Togetherness, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Wedding photos, When Love is a Human Right, Woman, Womanhood, Women loving women, Women who have sex with Women, Women's Arts In South Africa (WAISA), Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Young black female photographers, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, young women, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zulu is a South African language | 1 Comment