Category Archives: I can’t do it ALONE

2014 Oct. 13: The most exquisite Miss & Mr Gay Daveyton 2014

by Lerato Dumse Sitting in a high chair and waiting for the pageant to start, Mapaseka Mthunzi braved the cold Friday night weather, to watch her daughter Sharon “Sicka Star-Ban”. Sicka is one of the fourteen participants in the third Mr & … Continue reading

Posted in Act, Acting, Activism, Affair, African, African Queer Beauty, Allies, Alternative family, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Edutainment, Articulation, Arts, Arts & Culture, As we are, Beautiful, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Beauty, Beauty pageantry, Beauty pageants, Beauty queens, Before US, Blackness, Body Politics, Captioned, Captured, Caring citizens, Celebrating Youth Month in SA, Celebration, Citizenship, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative Writing, Cultural activists, Culture, Culture of reading and writing, Daveyton Ekurhuleni Municipality., Daveyton township, Delegation, Democracy, Discussion, Gender activist, Gender articulation, Gender distinction, Gender naming, Heartbreak, Hearts, Homosexuality, Hope, Human Beings, Human body, Human rights, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I was (T)here, Miss & Mr Gay Daveyton 2014 | 6 Comments

2014 Oct. 13: See you @ Upcoming Mbokodo Awards 2014

      2013 winners in the different categories are as follows: 1. Women in Indigenous Art: Peki Emmelinah “Nothembi” Mkhwebane 2. Promotion of Language and Story Telling: Nthabiseng Sibanda 3. Creative Writing: Devarakshanam Betty Govinden 4. Poetry: Myesha Jenkins … Continue reading

Posted in 11 South African official languages, 20 Years of Democracy, 20 Years of Democracy in SA, 2013 Mbokodo awards winners, 2014 Mbokodo awards, Acceptance, Acceptance speeches, Act, Acting, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Affair, African Queer Beauty, Allies, Alternative career choices, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Articles, Articulation, Artist Talk, Arts & Culture, As we are, Audience, Background, Beautiful, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Body Politics, Captioned, Captured, Caring citizens, Categories, Celebrating Women, Celebration, Characters, Choice, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comfort, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community based media, Community education, Community Mobilizing, Community organizing, Community outreach, Connected souls, Connections, Consideration, Contests, Conversation, Creating awareness, creative artist, Description, Discussion, Dress code, Elegance, Emotional support, Empowerment, Evidence, Excitement, Exhibition, Exhibitions, Experience, Expertise, Exposure, Expression, Facing You, Families and Friends, Family support, Fashion, Feelings, Friends, Function, Future, Gender articulation, Gender expression, Generations, Gift, Gifts, Gratitude, Health bodies, Human Beings, Hurt, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, Independence, Influenced, Interpretation, Intervention, Interviews, Invitation, Kyalami Business Park, Lessons learnt, Liberation, Life, Living, Love, Loved, Lovely words, Loving, Media works, Memories, Memory, Messages of support, Midrand, My body, Networking, Opinion, Our lives in the picture, Out, Participant, Participation, Perception, photographers, Photographs, Photography, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Portrait, Poster, Power of the Voice, Presentation, Privilege, Proud to be, Publication, Readings, Real, Realization, Reason, Recognition, recognized, Reflection, Reflections, Relationship, Remembering, Reports, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, South African Women in the field of Arts & Culture, Visuals, Woman, Women in South African Arts, Women's power, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Zanele Muholi, Zanele Muholi is the winner, Zulu is a South African language | Leave a comment

2014 Oct. 8: Beautiful faces and kisses from Soweto Pride 2014

                                                                                … Continue reading

Posted in 10th Soweto Pride, 20 Years of Democracy, Acceptance, Acceptance speeches, Act, Acting, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, After party, Allies, Alternative career choices, Alternative family, an LGBTI organisation, Anger, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Article, Articles, Articulation, Artist Talk, Artists, Arts, As we are, Attention, Awareness workshops, Background, Baring, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Black Lesbian Love, Black lesbian mothers, Black lesbian visibility, Black lesbians in remote areas in South Africa, black LGBTIQA, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Artists, Black Queer Born Frees, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Body, Cameras, Captioned, Captured, Caring citizens, Celebrating Women, Celebration, Challenging the un-African homosexuality, Characters, Charismatic, Citizenship, Claiming, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comfort, Comment, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community based media, Community education, Community Mobilizing, Community organizing, Community outreach, Community work, Complicated Lesbian Relationships, Confrontation, Connected souls, Connections, Consideration, Contestants, Contests, Contributors, Conversation, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative Writing, Creativity, Cultural activists, cultural worker, Culture, Culture of reading and writing, Delegation, Democracy, Demonstration, Details, Different positions, Dignity, disappearance, discourse, Discussion, Documentary, Documentation; 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Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Womyn, Words, Writing is a Right, Years, Young black female photographers, Young Black Women and Photography, Young female photographers from Aurora, Young talent, young women, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth, Youth voices | 10 Comments

2014 Aug. 23: Relatives and friends shed tears at Gift’s funeral and some fainted

Text by Lerato Dumse Photos by Lindeka Qampi When the casket carrying the body of Disebo Gift Makau (23), was lowered six feet underground at a Ventersdorp cemetery, in the North West, on August 23.     Family and friends … Continue reading

Posted in 'We live in fear', Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Allies, Alternative career choices, Anger, Another Approach Is Possible, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Articles, Articulation, As we are, Attention, Audience, Awareness workshops, Before US, Before You, Being Scene, Black, Black bodies, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Love, Black lesbian mothers, Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, Black Lesbians, Black Lesbians & Allies Against Hate Crimes, Black lesbians in remote areas in South Africa, Black Queer Born Frees, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Black Queer Born Frees in South Africa, Body, Body Politics, Commemorating the queer youth we lost along the way, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Community work, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Crying, Feelings, Female being, Female masculinity, Female Photographers, friend, Friendships, Gender articulation, Gender Based Violence (GBV)., Gender distinction, Gender expression, Gender naming, Heroes of our struggle, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human body, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I was (T)here, I was here, Identity, Inkanyiso media, Insulted, Interpretation, Intervention, Interviews, Invisibility, Politics of existence, Queer community, Queer Power, Queer texts, Queer visibility, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Records and histories, Relationships, Religion, Respect, Sexual Liberation, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, South Africa, South African rural areas, the writers, Townships, Victims, Violence, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, 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, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, What black lesbian youth wants, When home is a crime scene, When Love is a Human Right | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

2014 Aug.9: My name is Woman

  My name is woman…My name is woman who loves womenI am created in the image of humanSeek I not in hell nor heaven for I exist only in the midstof the haves and the have notsof the world… To … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Act, Acting, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articles, Artists, Arts, As we are, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Black Lesbians, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Artists, Blackness, Characters, Claiming, Collaborations, Collective, Commitment, Communication strategies, Community, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Community organizing, Community outreach, Community work, Contributors, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, creative artist, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Democracy, Description, Details, Discussion, Documentary, Education, Empowerment, Evidence, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Feelings, Freedom of being, Gender articulation, Gender expression, Gender naming, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human Equity and Art (Heart), Human rights, Humiliation, Hurt, I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, Identity, Inconsiderate, Independence, Insulted, Insults, Intellectualism, Interpretation, Intervention, Invisibility, Lebo Mashifane, Lesbian Youth, Liberation, Life, Life Stories, Lost Lives, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, Memories, Memory, Moments in herstory, murdered, Muted, My body, Myths, Of Love and Loss, Open relationships, Opening remarks, Opinion, Organizations, Organizing, Our lives in the picture, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Participation, Perception, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Proud to be, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Queer Youth, question of history., Relationships, Respect & Recognition from our community, Response, revolution, Seeing difference, Self acceptance, Self love, She, Silence, South Africa, Townships, Uncategorized, Visual Activist in the classroom, Visual democracy, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

2014 Aug. 11: My experiences of Paris, Mpumalanga and Durban Gay Pride

by Luh Cele My perseverance and the love of the game once upon a time resulted in a progressive life of meeting interesting people and travel abroad. In this note I’d like to share share my lifetime experiences, of pride marches … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 Paris Pride, Acceptance, Act, Acting, Activism, Activists, African, Africanised, Africans Abroad, Allies, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Articulation, Arts & Sports, As we are, Audience, Beautiful faces, Blessings, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Clear with own plan, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comments from the audience, Committed, Community, Community based media, Contests, Corruption, Creating awareness, Democracy, Demonstration, Details, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting our own lives, Documenting realities of the townships, Durban Pride march, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, Event, Evidence, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Facing You, First Mpumalanga Pride, Gender, Gender activist, Gender articulation, He(ART), Health bodies, Health matters, History, homonormativity, Homophobia, I am not the only one, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, Identity, Intellectualism, Interpretation, Intervention, Queer visibility, question of history., Rainbow flag, Readers, Readings, Real, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Teaching, Teaching young women photography, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, videographers, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Women loving women, Women's power, Writing is a Right | Tagged , | 4 Comments

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 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 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 May 19: ‘Titleless’

“She won’t open up about anything that hurts so I’ve had to source alternative ways to understand the woman I love. She’s my calm, introverted soul who has mastered the persona of a swan – floats swiftly with grace and … Continue reading

Posted in Communication strategies, Complicated Lesbian Relationships, Connected souls, Contributors, Crea(c)tive senses, Creative Writing, Democracy, Details, Experience, Expression, Fear, Feelings, Hope, Human Beings, I can't do it ALONE, Intellectualism, it means never existed, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Youth, Love is a human right | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments