Category Archives: Life lived

2015 July 10: How it all started

by Sharon “Sicka” Mthunzi It all started with a ‘selfie’ captured using my cell phone. I remember I used to look in the mirror with a phone on my left hand, and take pictures of myself. Before the birth of … Continue reading

Posted in Being, being loved, Bringing photography to the community, Commitment, Faces and Phases participant, hip-hop artist, Hope, Human Beings, I use CANON, I was (T)here, I was here, Life, Life is a production..., Life lived, Mamela Nyamza, Moments, Mr Les Daveyton 2013, Patience, Portraits of the Self, Portraiture series, Positive images, Power of the Voice, Powerful, Public spaces, Queer visibility, question of history., Re-presentation, Readings, Realities, Reality, Recognition, Recording, Reflections, Relationships, Remembering, Reminiscing, Representation, Respect, Respected person, Responsibility, revolution, Sameness, Scripted, Self, Self discovery, Self love, Self portraits, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual Liberation, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sharing, Sharing information, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Silent voices, So much love, Solidarity, Solution, South Africa, South African townships, South African visual history through the eyes of young women, Speaking for ourselves, Statement, Strength, Supporting each other, Survived, Texts, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Touching, Treasure, Trust, Understanding, Unique, Vision, Visual activism, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2015 March 4: Four nights before International Women’s Day

What:  ZaVa series in progress. Where: Belleville, Paris     Previous link 2014 Nov. 11: The Artivist and the Doctor

Posted in Lesbian couple, Lesbian kiss, Lessons learnt, Life, Life lived, Life partner, Photography, Photography as a therapy, queerness, question of history., Questioning, Sexual Liberation, Support, Support is the system, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual power by ordinary people, Voice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2015 Feb.27: Announcement – Public Lecture by Zanele Muholi @ UCLAN, London

  Making Histories Visible is pleased to announce a public lecture by award-winning South African photographer Zanele Muholi on Tuesday 17th March at the University of Central Lancashire. An internationally acclaimed visual activist, Muholi co-founded the Forum for Empowerment of … Continue reading

Posted in Creative activist, creative artist, Give credits where it is due, International Relations, Interpretation, Intervention, Interviews, Intimate, Introduction, Invisibility, Issues, Issues of sexuality, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Language, Learn, Learning, lectures, Legacies of Existence, Legacies of Violence, Lesbian couple, Lesbian Professionals, LGBT community, LGBT rights activist, Life, Life lived, Life Stories, Living, Living by example, Longing, Loss, Love, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, Lovers, Loving, Mainstream media, Mainstream spaces, Media works, Memories, Memory, Political Art, Political space, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Recognition, recognized, Recognizing the problem, Recording, Records and histories, Reflection, relative, Remembering, Seeing difference | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

2015 Jan. 3: I dropped out of the closet many times

“It is a story about my coming out, its more significant than any part of my life history” Being who I am should not compromise who you are. The road to coming out was not easy. I was born in … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Beatings, Creating awareness, Expression, Eyes, Face, Faces & Phases portraits, Faces and Phases (2006 - 2014), Gratitude, Gratitude to my lover, Inner feelings, Insulted, Interaction, Interpretation, Intervention, Irritation, Issues of sexuality, Knowledge, Language, Lesbian, Lessons learnt, Life, Life is a production..., Life lived, Life Stories, Life story, Live, Living, Living by example, Longing, Look at me, Loss to the black lesbian community, Lost Lives, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, Mainstream media, Mainstream spaces, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Making a mark, Memories, Moments, Moments in herstory, My body, My life in short, Nasty, Nature, Participants, Participation, Patience, Personification, Photo Expressions, Pleased, Political space, Politics of existence, Portraiture series, Power of the Voice, Powerful, Presentations, Pressure, Previous life stories, Privilege, Proud lesbian, Proud to be, Queer & Straights, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Power, Queer visibility, Queer Zimbabwe, Questions, Questions and Answers, Readers, Readings, Real, Reality, Realization, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Recognizing the problem, Recording, Records and histories, Reflection, Reflections, Related links, Relationship, Relationship with own body, Relationships, relative, Relatives, Remembering, Reminiscing, Report, Representation, Representing, Resentments, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Reviews, Reviving the culture of reading and writing, revolution, Rumours, safe, Scared, Scripted, Scriptures, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Silence, Smile, Solidarity, Solution, South Africa, South African Black Female Photographers, South African townships, Speaking for ourselves, Statement, Straights, Struggles, Struggling, Suffered, Supporters, Supporting each other, Supportive friends and families, Survived, Teachings, Tears, Texts, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thankful, Time, Timing, together, Together we can, Togetherness, Touching, Transformation, Transparency, Trust, Tshona is a Zimbabwean language, violation of rights, Violence, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing our lives, Visualizing public spaces, Visuals, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Weeping, When home is a crime scene, When Love is a Human Right, Where & Who is Justice?, Writing is a Right, Zimbabwe | 22 Comments

2014 Dec. 24: If things were going my way

Lebo Leptie Phume & Zanele Muholi interviewed some special friends about their Christmas wishes. I grew up celebrating Christmas because that’s what everyone was doing and it’s not like I had a choice not to celebrate it. Even though I … Continue reading

Posted in A new visual history, Abantu, Acceptance, Act, Acting, Articles, Articulation, Arts, Arts & Culture, As we are, Attention, Baring, Beautiful, Beautiful people, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being, Being conscientized, Being heard, Black Queer & Gifted, Blackness, Bodies and histories, Captioned, Captured, Caring citizens, Celebration, Challenging the un-African homosexuality, Characters, Christmas wishes, Citizenship, Claiming, Collective, Collectivism, Comfort, Comment, Community, Connected souls, Connections, Consideration, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative Writing, Cultural activists, Daring, Dedication, Delegation, Different positions, Edited, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, Evidence, Excitement, Existence, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Facing You, Facts, Families, Families and Friends, Family support, Fantasy, Favourite, Featuring, Feelings, Festive season, Freedom, Freedom of being, Friends, Friendships, Give, Gratitude, Happiness, He(ART), History, Homosexuality, Honesty, Hope, Human Beings, I almost wished, I am not the only one, I am Somebody, I can't do it ALONE, I was (T)here, I was here, Imagined, Incredible, Independence, Individuals, Influenced, Inner feelings, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Language, Lebo Phume, Legacies of Existence, Lessons learnt, LGBT community, Liberation, Life, Life is a production..., Life lived, Life Stories, Live, Living, Living by example, Longing, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovers, Loving, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Memories, Mind, Mission, Moments, Moments in our history, Motivation, Naming, Patience, Perception, Power of the Voice, Powerful, Privilege, Queer Power, Queer South Africa, Queer texts, Queer visibility, Questions, Real, Reality, Reason, Recognition, recognized, Recording, Reflections, Relationship, Relationships, Remembering, Respected person, Respondents, Self-worth, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Success, Visibility, Vision, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We love each other, We Still Can with/out Resources, Wishing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

2014 Oct. 26: “I am Human” regardless of sexuality


by Mandisa Giqika On October 25. 2014, South Africa celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Johannesburg Pride March and 20 Years of Democracy. The LGBTIQ community looked forward to this enormous event that reunites fellow sisters and brothers. This year … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 Sandton Pride, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Drag queens, Edited, Education, Elegance, Evidence, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Freedom to be..., Gender articulation, Gender expression, History, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human rights, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I was (T)here, Interpretation, Intervention, Interviews, Introduction, Invisibility, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Youth, Lessons learnt, LGBT community, Life is a production..., Life lived, Life story, Living, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loving, Mandisa Giqika, Organisations, Organizations, Organizing, Real, Realization, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Reflection, Relationship, Relationship with own body, Relationships, Remembering, Respect & Recognition from our community, Reviving the culture of reading and writing, Rumours, SA mainstream media, Scared, Seeing difference, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing knowledge, Social documentary photography, Supporting each other, Supportive friends and families, Testimonies from Aurora photographers, Textualizing Our Own Lives | Leave a comment

2014 Oct. 21: SA Lesbian Feathers of the Year

  They are both South African lesbian icons. Most influential in different ways. Some of the commonalities between them is their sexuality and being born in South Africa during the ’70s. Bev from Soweto and Zanele in Umlazi township. About Bev … Continue reading

Posted in Acceptance, Awards, Bev Ditsie, Black Lesbian Icons in South Africa, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Language, Learning, Lesbian Professionals, Life, Life lived, Life Stories, Living, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, Media works, Memories, Moments in herstory, Moments in our history, My life in short, Our lives in the picture, Owning our bodies, Participation, Perception, photographers, Photographs, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Proud lesbian, Proud to be, Publications, question of history., Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Relationships, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, SA Lesbian Feathers of the Year, Self love, Self portraits, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual orientation, Sexual Politics education in South Africa, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Social responsibility, South African politics, South African struggle, South African townships, Statement, Supporting each other, Survived, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Trust, videographers, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right | Leave a comment

2014 Oct. 15: Dignified funeral for LGBTI and HIV activist

by Lerato Dumse Kind, compassionate, diligent and loving are some of the words used by speakers, to describe Musa Williams (47). How he performed his duties at work, and his activism fighting for the rights of LGBTI and HIV positive … Continue reading

Posted in 1967 - 2014, 20 Years of Democracy, Acceptance, Acceptance speeches, Act, Activism, Activists, Advocacy, Allies, Alternative family, Article by Lerato Dumse, Before US, Before You, Black, Body, Bonding, Bringing photography to the community, Career, Caring citizens, Celebration, Challenging the un-African homosexuality, Characters, Chief mourner, Claiming, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Coffin, Collaborations, Collectivism, Commemoration, Confession, Connected souls, Connections, Consideration, Contributors, Conversation, Counseling sessions, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Cultural activists, Death, Delegation, Democracy, Description, Dignity, Discomfort, Discussion, Education, Ekurhuleni East Counsellors, Elegance, Emotional support, Empowerment, English, EPOC lgbti, EPOC on Inkanyiso, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Facilitators, Families and Friends, Family, Family loss, Family support, Farewell, Fashion, Female Photographers, Friendships, Funeral costs, Future, Gay, Gender distinction, Gender expression, Generations, Gratitude, He(ART), Healing, Health, Health bodies, Health matters, Heartbreak, HIV activist, Human rights, Hurt, I am not the only one, I am Somebody, I can't do it ALONE, I love photography, I use CANON, I was (T)here, I was here, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Ignorance, Inkanyiso media, KwaThema, LGBTI losing another informed activist, Life lived, Members of NAPWA, Musa Williams funeral, Not a hate crime death, Pain, Pastor Tebogo Moema, Photos by Lindeka Qampi and Zanele Muholi, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Real, Reason, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Supporters, Supporting each other, Supportive friends and families, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We were (t)here, Well organized funeral, Women's power, Words, Writing is a Right, Years | Leave a comment