Category Archives: Sexuality

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. 14: The kiss that moved the church

© Photo by Charmain Carrol @ VMCI – Johannesburg Camera used:  Canon 60D with 75-300 mm lens   What: Bathini Dambuza & Portia Dludlu’s engagement ceremony Union blessed by Pastor Mazibuko       “I always prayed to get married … Continue reading

Posted in Allies, Alternative career choices, Alternative family, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Apology, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Articles, Articulation, Attention, Audience, Background, Beautiful, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Being seen, Black Bodies of Silence, Black lesbian beauty, Black Lesbian Icons in South Africa, Blackness, Blessings, Bodies, Bodies and histories, Body, Bonding, Brave, Bringing photography to the community, Captioned, Captured, Caring citizens, Categories, Celebrating Women, Celebration, Challenges of black lesbian youth, Characters, Choice, Citizenship, Civil Union, Claiming, Collaborations, Collective, Comfort, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting our own lives, Documenting realities of the townships, Dress code, Dress sense, Embodies, Emotional support, Empowerment, Encounter, Endurance, English, Entertainment, Evidence, Excitement, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Eyes, Face, Facilitation, Facing You, Facts, Families and Friends, Family, Family and Friends, Fashion, Featuring, Feelings, Female being, Frank, Freedom, Friends, Friendships, Function, I use CANON, I was (T)here, Identity, Perception, SA Constitution, SA LGBTI experts, Self love, Self recognition, Sexual Liberation, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Silence, Silent voices, Social responsibility, Society, South Africa, South African Black Female Photographers, South African lesbians, South African politics, South African struggle, South African traditions, South African Visible Arts, South African visual history through the eyes of young women, Space, Speaking for ourselves, Special event, Statement, Subject of Art, Support is the system, Supporting each other, Survived, Teaching young women photography, Tears, Terrified, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thankful, Thoughts, Time, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual diaries, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We love each other, We love photographs, We Love Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

2014 Dec. 1: “The portraits are no longer just pictures”

Book Review by Rene Mathibe I have been fascinated with books ever since I learnt how to read. To be able to read and understand someone’s story is beautiful. Zanele Muholi launched her fourth book titled “Faces and Phases 2006-14” … Continue reading

Posted in Articulation, Artist Talk, Artists, Arts, Arts & Culture, As we are, Attention, Background, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comfort, Commitment, Committed, Daring, Eight years of photographing Faces and Phases, Frank, Gauteng, Gender articulation, Healing, Incredible, Inkanyiso media, Interviews, Introduction, Legacies of Existence, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Mission, Natalspruit, Platform, Representation, Self love, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, South African townships, South African Visual Activism, South African visual history through the eyes of young women, Stories, Touching, Visual activism, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual historical initiative, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, Visuals, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We love each other, We love photographs, We Love Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

2014 Nov. 20: New York Faces and Phases (2006 – 2014) book launch

taken by Lola with iPhone 5 Where:  Walther Collection, New York.     Muholi being introduced by Artur Walther…   “You’ll have to read the book from back to front” said Zanele Muholi.       My incredible New York … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Art collectors, Article, Audience, Brooklyn Museum, Caring citizens, Claiming mainstream spaces, Cold night, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Curators, Dedication, Dress sense, Education, Emotional support, Evidence, Excitement, Experience, Expertise, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Faces & Phases portraits, Faces and Phases book launch in New York, Facing You, Fashion, Friendships, From Johannesburg to Paris to New York, Gallery owners, New York, Nomonde Mbusi, Portraiture series, Privilege, Professionals, Queer community, Queer Edutainment, Relationships, Representing, Self employed, Self love, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexuality, South Africa, South African art, South African Artists, South African artists hit New York, South African lesbians, South African struggle, South African townships, South African traditions, South African Visible Arts, South African Visual Activism, Style, Teachings, Walther Collection, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Winter in New York, Wishing you well, Witnesses, Zanele Muholi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

2014 Oct. 30: “Do you remember me?”

It has been two months since you passed on. There has never been a day that went by since that dreadful day that I have not thought of you. Each day that passes with tears in my eyes I think of you … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Sexual Liberation, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, South African Visual Activism, Space, Speaking for ourselves, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Womenonwomen, Words, Worked for us, Writing is a Right, Years, Youth, Youth voices | 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. 7: Rain without You

  You’re not here tonight You chose to send me the rain though When it rains without you, I still feel you When it rains you are usually the first to smile and find peace no matter how crazy life … Continue reading

Posted in "Sizo Phumelela", Christie van Zyl, Expression, Friendship, Girlfriend, Hearts, Love, Reflection, Relationship, Seeing difference, Self portraits, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, social activist, Solidarity, South Africa, South African art, South African Artists, South African Visible Arts, Statement, Support, Warmth, Woman, Women loving women, Words | 2 Comments

2014 Sept. 30: Nature pains

(Isilumo the phasing) by Christie van Zyl   This month I let my period pain again But my periods are annoying me Just a note to you Godperson that created us My periods come with nausea, headaches & hectic emotional … Continue reading

Posted in Article, Body, Diet, Eggs, Food, painful periods, Period pains, Poverty, Power of the Voice, Readings, Reason, Recognition, Records and histories, Sexuality, Sharing, She, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Togetherness, Touch, Trust, unused eggs, Visibility, Visual history, Visual narratives, 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, Woman, Womanhood, Women loving women, Women suffering, Women's power, Women's Work, Womenonwomen, Womyn, Words, Writing is a Right, Young talent, young women, Youth, Youth voices | 2 Comments

2014 Sept. 24: “At times I’d get jealous thinking she was taking my place”

  My name is Ayanda Masina, popularly known as ‘Ayanda Kiss’ or Kgokgo to some friends. I have a lot of nicknames. I guess it goes with the level we at with our friendship. On a beautiful day on April 25 in … Continue reading

Posted in 1991 -, 1st Prince for Lesbian beauty pageant, 2012, Activism, Activists, Advocacy, Allies, Ayanda Kiss’, Ayanda Masina, Background, Black Lesbian, Black Queer Born Frees, Captioned, Challenging the un-African homosexuality, Characters, Citizenship, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collaborations, Collective, Commitment, Committed, Community, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Community organizing, Community outreach, Education, EPOC, Equality Project, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Eyes, Faces and Phases (2006 - 2014), Facing You, Family, Fashionista, Feelings, Forum for the Empowerment of Women (FEW), Friendships, Gender, Girlfriend, Good singer, Grades at schools, Homophobia, Hurt, I Am, I am not the only one, I love photography, Johannesburg, Lack of funds to pursue chosen career, Learning, lgbti, Life Stories, Living, Love, Loving, Marches, Mother, Out, Participant, Photographs, Photography, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Portrait, Poverty, Power of the Voice, Prejudice, Pride March, Profile, Proud lesbian, Proud to be, Queer Beauty Pageants in the townships, Queer Education in SA, Queer South Africa, Queer visibility, Queer Workshops, Queer Youth, Reflection, Related links, Relationship with own body, Relationships, Respect, Respected person, Response, Reviving the culture of reading and writing, secondary victimisation, Self discovery, Self love, Self portraits, Self recognition, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Shift on SABC 1, Single mom, Single parent, South Africa, South African lesbians, South African politics, South African Youth, Tomboys, Tsakane Secondary School, Tsakane townships, Unemployment, We Love Photography, Women's power, Women's Pride, Women's struggles, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi | 1 Comment