Category Archives: Relationship

LGBTI Destiny First Gathering

Text by Maureen Majola Photos by Ts’episo Mahooe A group of femme lesbians from Mpumalanga but currently residing in joburg decided to come together and form a group that will tackle issues that are faced by same sex couples and … Continue reading

Posted in 1st Mpumalanga Pride, Baitiri Lumka Seleka; Charmain Carrol; Kopano Sibeko; Lerato Dumse; Lesego Tlhwale; Maureen Velile Majola; Nation Mokoena; Nqobile ZL, Baitiri Lumka Seleka; Charmain Carrol; Kopano Sibeko; Maureen Velile Majola; Lesego Tlhwale; Lerato Dumse; Nation Mokoena; Nqobile Zungu; Rene Mathibe; Zanele Muholi, Bread and tea before 1st Mpumalanga Pride 2014, Complicated Lesbian Relationships, First Mpumalanga Pride, From Mpumalanga to Johannesburg, Gender Based Violence in same sex relationships, Intimate relationship, Maureen Velile Majola, Mpumalanga, Mpumalanga province, Open relationships, Relationship, Relationships, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

2015 Aug. 9: Tangled pubic hair

  Your piece of soft pubic hair is tangled with mine. I saw it as I showered. The blocking white shower surface makes it transparent that we exist here as one. I see my black curly stubborn-ness, so annoying We just … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Creating awareness, Expression, From South Africa to Mayotte Island, Love, Lovers, Mayotte Island, Power of the Voice, Relationship, Since 2012, Voice, We Are You, We Care, Writing is a Right, ZaVa, ZuFre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 Dec. 5: When black is so strong

… work in progress. Zanele Muholi working with Valerie Thomas. Where:  Belleville, Paris. When:  Dec. 2014 What:  Having conversations with inner self allowing to be seen without shame Why:  Because ‘races matters’ sometimes and gender is really ‘complex’ Period:  365 … Continue reading

Posted in Being seen, Between the neck, Body, Born by African parents, Coming of Age, Culture, Facial features, Gestures, Hair, Ihlombe, Naked, Portraits of the Self, Reflections, Relationship, Relationship with own body, relative, Remembering, revolution, Ritualistic, Robing, Self discovery, Self mutilation, Self recognition, Self-worth, Style, Subject of Art, Topless, Zulu, Zulu tradition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 Nov. 17: “I love how my two portraits contradict each other”

by Sicka Star-ban My Faces and Phases journey started in the year 2013 when I met author and visual activist, Zanele Muholi. I, Nonkululeko Sharon Mthunzi known as Sicka Star-ban, remember her reaction when she first saw my cousin Nontuthuzelo … Continue reading

Posted in Blessings, Body, Captioned, Captured, Caring citizens, Contests, Contributors, Conversation, Evidence, Excitement, Hearts, Participants, Participation, Protection, Proud lesbian, Queer poetics, Queer Power, Reflections, Related links, Relationship, South Africa, South African art, South African Artists, South African Black Female Photographers, Talented, Teaching, Winners, Wishing you well, Witnesses, Woman, Womanhood, Zulu is a language, Zulu tradition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2014 Nov. 17: Announcement – MoMA present two best South African artists

   The Friends of Education of The Museum of Modern Art present   Conversations: Among Friends, A Perspective on South Africa featuring artist ZANELE MUHOLI and actress NOMONDE MBUSI moderated by Judith B. Hecker, Assistant Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints Monday, … Continue reading

Posted in Archived memories, Art Activism, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, My body, My life in short, Our lives in the picture, periods, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Questions and Answers, Readings, Realization, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Reflection, Reflections, Related links, Relationship, Relationship with own body, Relationships, relative, Remembering, Report, Reports, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Response, Reviews, Reviving the culture of reading and writing, SA LGBTI experts, SA mainstream media, safe, Self acceptance, Self discovery, Self employed, Self love, Self portraits, Self recognition, Self-worth, Together we can, Togetherness, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Years | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

2014 Oct. 15: A letter to my Mom

by Sibahle Nkumbi Sometimes I feel that we get so caught up on our same gender love and forget about where we come from… That sacred and safe space is ever forgotten. We hardly give a bunch of roses to … Continue reading

Posted in A letter to my Mom, Another Approach Is Possible, Apology, Archived memories, Article, Articulation, Attention, Background, Beautiful, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Being conscientized, Birth, Birthplace, Black, Blessings, Brave, by Siba Nkumbi, Celebrating my mother, Dear Mom, Death, Difference, Disrespect, Endurance, Expression, Family, Feelings, Forget, Give, God, Happy, Irritation, Laughter, Life, Living, Living ancestors, Love, Mother and daughter relationship, Naming, Nature, Pain, Patience, Pee, Protection, Proud lesbian, Reflection, Relationship, Respect, safe, Smile, Support, Supporting each other, Survived, Talented, Teachings, Tears, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thankful, Through thick and thin, Time, together, Together we can, Togetherness, Transformation, Treasure, Weeping, What black lesbian youth wants, When Love is a Human Right, Woman, Women loving women, Women's power, Women's Pride, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Words, Worked for us, Writing is a Right | 4 Comments

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. 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