Category Archives: Friendships

2014 Aug. 8: To be honest I love how I look

My name is Katiso Kgope, and I was born on September 18, in 1995. I was born in Glen Wood hospital, Benoni my parents are Mandla Kgope and the late Mpho Kgope – Monyake. I was given the name of … Continue reading

Posted in "Scratching the surface", 1995 -, 20 Years of Democracy, Acceptance, Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Alternative career choices, Another Approach Is Possible, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism, Articles, Articulation, Attention, Baring, Beautiful faces, Beauty, Beauty pageantry, Beauty queens, Before You, Being conscientized, Being Scene, Birthdate, Black, Black bodies, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Born Frees, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Blackness, Body, Body Politics, Cameras, Celebrating Youth Month in SA, Chains, Characters, Claiming, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collectivism, Comfort, Comments from the audience, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Daveyton, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting our own lives, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, English, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Experience, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Eyes, Facing You, Family, Family and Friends, Fashion, Feelings, Female being, Finances, Friendships, Gender articulation, God is with us, God's will, He(ART), Honesty, Human rights, Humiliation, I was (T)here, Identity, Interpretation, Interviews, Katiso Kgope, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Language, Lessons learnt, Liberation, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Loved, Lovely words, Media works, Memories, Modeling, Moments in herstory, New York, No artificiality, Opinion, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Perception, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Platform, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Proud to be, Queer visibility, Queer Youth, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, Reason, Recognition, recognized, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Response, Seeing difference, Self acceptance, Self discovery, Self love, Self-worth, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, She, South Africa, South African townships, South African Visual Activism, South African Youth, Speaking for ourselves, Special event, Studying, Style, Stylish, Support, Talented, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, trans bodies, Trans Youth, Transgender visibility, Transgender Voices, Transgenderism in Africa, Transwoman, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual history, 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 photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Womanhood, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a South African language | 3 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: 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 18: Women’s Day lecture at UFS

    Featuring the  portrait of Siphiwe Mbatha, August House, Johannesburg, 2012 © Zanele Muholi     Previous lectures   2014 June 17:  Muholi’s Ryerson University (RIC) talk   and   2014 April 29:  Muholi to speak at UC San … Continue reading

Posted in Activists Act, Announcement, Articles, Arts, Black lesbian visibility, Confrontation, Connections, Crea(c)tive senses, Creative activist, Details, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting realities of the townships, Education, Evidence, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Faces & Phases portraits, Facing You, Family, Feelings, Friendships, From Johannesburg to Free State, Gender, Gender naming, Johannesburg, Lesbian beauty contests, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Moments in herstory, Our lives in the picture, Participants, Participation, Photographs, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Proud lesbian, Queer visibility, Queer Youth, Readings, recognized, Relationships, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Sexual orientation, Sharing knowledge, Siphiwe Mbatha, South African Black Female Photographers, Supporting each other, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Townships, Visual activism, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Women's power, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, young women, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi | 12 Comments

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 July 15: “Intombi” – Photo of the Day

Title:  Intombi I … in collaboration with Valerie Thomas, Paris (2014)       (Re)inventing Aesthetic and (Re)imagining Meaning: (Re)creating Black Beauty By Bridget Ngcobo   Zanele Muholi, a black South African visual activist standing in Paris, France stands in … Continue reading

Posted in Artists, Arts, ‘freakshow’, Baring, Being Scene, Black bodies, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Queer Artists, Black Queer Professionals, Body, Body Politics, Brave, Breasts, Bridget Ngcobo, Choice, Claiming, Collaborations, Comfort, Cultural activists, Culture, Demonstration, Description, Details, Different positions, Disappointment, Discomfort, discourse, DNA, Education, Emotional support, Eyes, Feelings, Friendships, Grateful, Gratitude, Health bodies, Health matters, Heartbreak, Hearts, History, Hope, I use CANON, Interpretation, M(asked), My name is Zanele Muholi, Not Science, Owning our bodies, question of history., Reflections, Relationships, Robing, Self recognition, Shining abroad, Skin, South African Visible Arts, Stripped, Studio format, Touch, Valerie Thomas | 3 Comments

2014 May 27: Miss Gay Jozi 2014 photos

The winner of the 2014 Miss Gay Jozi is the 19 year old Miss Tee Menu from Daveyton. Photos by Smanga Shange       Related article 2014 May 18 :  Glitter, drama & perfection at Miss Gay Jozi 2014   … Continue reading

Posted in Beauty pageantry, Friendships, Human Beings, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Winner: Miss Tee Menu from Daveyton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 May 26: I found myself at 22

  My name is Abongile Matyila. Abongile is a Xhosa name which means to be grateful. My uncle gave me that name. I’m a 22 year old Bachelor of Arts (BA) student studying at the University of Fort Hare, East London … Continue reading

Posted in Academic, Acceptance, Activists Act, Adoring, African Queer Beauty, Androgyny, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Is A Human Right, As we are, Before You, Being Scene, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Black Queer Professionals, Blackness, Body, Creating awareness, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Dress code, Eastern Cape, Empowerment, Exposure, Expression, Friendships, Gender naming, Homosexual, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human rights, Independence, Know Your SA Queer History, LGBTI community, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Our lives in the picture, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photography, Portrait, Power of the Voice, Queer Youth, Recognition, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Translation, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

2014 May 18: Glitter, drama & perfection at Miss Gay Jozi 2014

Texts by Yaya Mavundla Photos by Smanga Shange   I usually sit front row at Fashion Week, mingle with the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry at A-list events and I found myself at Miss Gay Jozi held at … Continue reading

Posted in As we are, Dancing, Description, Friendships, Human Beings, Human rights, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Interpretation, Intervention, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Living by example, Love, magazine, MissTee Menu, Our lives in the picture, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Queer Edutainment, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Real, Recognition, Records and histories, Self-worth, Sharing knowledge, Smanga Shange, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments