Category Archives: Characters

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

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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 12: Being treated like a Queen in Durban

by Sfiso ‘Candice’ Nkosi It is Thurs. 26th June 2014, my friend, Precious Maqojana and I left for Durban Pride from Johannesburg Park Station at 22:00. We stopped in Montrose for some refreshments and a bathroom break. I was starting … Continue reading

Posted in 1987 -, 2013 Miss Simply Blue, 2014 Durban Pride, Acceptance, Act, Acting, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, African, African Queer Beauty, Alternative family, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Artists, Arts, Attention, Beautiful faces, Beauty, Beauty queens, Before You, Being Scene, Black bodies, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Artists, Black lesbian visibility, Blackness, Body, Brave, Characters, Communication strategies, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community work, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative Writing, Culture of reading and writing, Details, Disappointment, Empowerment, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Feelings, Female Photographers, Friendships, From Tsakane to Durban, Gender, Gender naming, Grateful, Gratitude, Hobbies, Human Beings, I can't do it ALONE, I was (T)here, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Identity, Inkanyiso media, Inner feelings, Insulted, Interpretation, Issue of toilets for transwomen, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, KwaZulu Natal, Memories, Modeling, Our lives in the picture, Participants, Participation, Photographs, Power of the Voice, Queens, Sbonelo Muholi, Society, Sponsored trip, Toilets, Transwomen, UkhoziFM, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Women's power, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, Zanele Muholi | Leave a comment

2014 June 26: When photography is our religion

  All Photos by Lerato Maduna © 27/11/2012 What:  Faces and Phases exhibition opening When:  2 Years ago (27th November 2012) Where:  Goethe-Institut Südafrika, 119 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood. Johannesburg.    Where are they now?   Ayanda Moremi got married to … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Adoring, African Queer Beauty, AlJazeera, Allies, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism in South Africa, As we are, Beauty queens, Before You, Black & White, Black Butches and Femmes, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Artists, Black Lesbian Congregants, Black Lesbian Dancers in South Africa, Black Lesbian Men, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Body, Butch identifying lesbian, Celebrating Youth Month in SA, Characters, Church is not the closet, Commemorating the queer youth we lost along the way, Communication strategies, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creativity, Details, Different positions, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Dyke, Education, Empowerment, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Exhibition opening, Experience, Exposure, Faces & Phases portraits, Freedom of being, Gender activist, Gender distinction, Gender expression, Gender naming, Gratitude, Joy, katharina.von-ruckteschell-katte, Laughter, Lien Heidenreich-Seleme, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Matters of the He(Art), Moments in herstory, Networking, Open relationships, Opening remarks, Photo album, Photo Expressions, Photography, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Proud lesbian, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer community, Queer Education in SA, Queer Edutainment, Queer texts, Queer visibility, Questions & Answers, Sharing knowledge, Speaking for ourselves, Special event, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi is the winner, Zulu is a South African language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 April 27: Unanswered questions

  Why are we getting killed? When you kill me according to faith you kill only the body a loving heart remains my soul remains Why are we getting killed? When you kill me you are killing a natural being … Continue reading

Posted in Art is Queer, Characters, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Corrective rape, Creating awareness, Curative rapes, Experience, Expression, Peace, Questions & Answers, Race, Rape, Speaking for ourselves | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2014 April 9: Born for this

  by Lebohang ‘Leptie’ Phume   I have attended fashion shows before but never of this magnitude. Attending the SA Fashion Week on 4th & 5th April 2014 at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Rosebank, Johannesburg. The other event was South African … Continue reading

Posted in Activists, Adoring, African, African Queer Beauty, Allies, Alternative family, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, As we are, Before You, Characters, Communication strategies, Community, Community outreach, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Red carpet, Special event, Visual Arts, Visual Power, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2014 March 13: SA Black Lesbian invades San Francisco

… that is Selaelo ‘Sly’ Mannya sharing knowledge with Lyric SF LGBT Youth. Last night I met a group of students ranging between ages 14 to 18. They are part of a collective called The Lyric SF Youth , which … Continue reading

Posted in Alternative family, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Beauty, Black Lesbian Graduate, Characters, Collaborations, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Contributors, Creating awareness, Description, Details, Emotional support, Exchanging Queer thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

2014 March 14: A video of Ayanda and Nhlanhla Moremi’s wedding

  4 months later … marital bliss. Ayanda Magoloza got married to Nhlanhla Moremi on the 9th Nov. 2013 in Katlehong. They exchanged the vows at Kwanele Park in Katlehong. Their wedding union was blessed by Pastor Tebogo Moema of Dominion … Continue reading

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2014 March 12: Talkabout – Gabrielle Le Roux and Thekwane ‘Bongi’ Mpisholo

Posted in Activists Act, African Queer Beauty, Another Approach Is Possible, As we are, Beauty, Black Queer & Gifted, Characters, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Commitment, Connections, Creating awareness, Johannesburg, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Networking, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, South Africa, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Love Photography, Writing is a Right | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 Feb.15: “ Of Love & Loss” review

by Nomfundo Mgabadeli   The Wits Arts Museum and the Stevenson Gallery in Johannesburg played host to one of the most talented, hard-working, passionate visual artist activist of today, Zanele Muholi. Muholi unveiled her latest offering, titled “Of Love and … Continue reading

Posted in 2013 Prince Claus award, Academic, African, African Queer Beauty, Anger, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articles, Ayanda & Nhlanhla Moremi, Bachelor’s Degree graduate in Journalism, Beauty, Before You, Being Scene, Black Female Body, Black Gay Wedding, Black lesbian weddings, Black Lesbians, Black Lesbians & Allies Against Hate Crimes, Body, Body Politics, Brave, Characters, Collectivism, Community, Community Mobilizing, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Evidence, Exhibitions, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Of Love and Loss, Promise & Gift Meyer, South Africa, South African art, South African Artists, South African Black Female Photographers, Speaking for ourselves, Violence, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Zanele Muholi, Ziningi & Delisile Ndlela | Leave a comment