Category Archives: Tears

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. 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

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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. 21: A tribute to the late lover

Phumy (Phumzile Nkosi) and Pretty Nanto met in 2010 December 31. We fell in love and promised each other that “till death do us part,” and it did 4 years later. She was amazingly smart, caring, loving, supportive, brave and … Continue reading

Posted in "Till death do us apart", 1986-2014, A tribute, Article, Boys orphaned by violence, Brutality, Family, Friendships, Life, Love, Loved, murdered, Phumzile Nkosi, Pretty Nanto, Relationships, Stabbed to death, Tears, Tsakane | 4 Comments

2014 Oct. 13: Mother of the recently murdered lesbian demands justice

Text by Lerato Dumse Photos by Zanele Muholi  A suspect is due to appear in the Tsakane Magistrate Court today (October 14), in connection with the fatal stabbing of Phumzile Nkosi (27) on October 2, 2014.   Pastor Dlamini led … Continue reading

Posted in 'We live in fear', 20 Years of Democracy in SA, a black lesbian, Abantu, Acceptance, Activists, Addiction, African, African Queer Beauty, Alternative family, an LGBTI organisation, Anger, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism, Articles, Articulation, Attention, Audience, Background, Beautiful, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Begging, Being conscientized, Bereavement, Betrayal, Black bodies, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian mother, Black lesbian murder, Black Lesbians, Black Queer Born Frees in South Africa, Bleeding, Body Politics, Brutal murders of black lesbians in SA, Brutality, Church is not the closet, Claiming, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Coffin, Corruption, Court appearance, Creating awareness, Crime, Crime rate, Crimes, Daveyton Uthingo, EPOC lgbti, Evidence, Facilitation, Facilitators, Facing abuse and violation, Families and Friends, Family loss, Family support, Feelings, Friendships, Funeral, Gauteng, Gender articulation, Gender Based Violence (GBV)., Gender expression, Generations, Hate Crimes, Heroes of our struggle, Homosexuality, Honesty, Human Beings, Human rights, Humiliation, I can't do it ALONE, I was (T)here, I was here, I-N-K-A-N-Y-I-S-O, Inconsiderate, Independence, Johannesburg, Killer is another woman, Language, Legacies of Violence, Lerato Dumse, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Mourning love, Songs of Freedom, South Africa, Stabbed to death, Tears, Tsakane, Violent crime, We Are You, We Care, 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, young women, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth, Youth voices | 4 Comments

2014 Oct. 10: “I tried to commit suicide…”

  I didn’t write this because I had nothing better to do. I didn’t write this because I want recognition. I wrote this because I’m embarking on a self-discovery journey. I want to share my experience with the hope that … Continue reading

Posted in "I tried to commit suicide...", Addiction, Addictive gene, Affair, Anger, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Anti-depressants, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Therapy, Articles, Articulation, As we are, Attempted rape, Background, Beautiful, Beautiful faces, Beautiful people, Bleeding, Blink of an eye, Body, Challenges of black lesbian youth, Cheating, Comfort, Comforter, Confession, Counseling sessions, Daddy issues, Daily, Depressed, Devil’s advocate, Dizzy, Drunk, ekasi, Experience, Face, Family, Flirting, Friends, Friends as perpetrators, Friendships, Growing, Guilt, Healing, Health, Heart, History, Hooked, Hurt, Innocent, Legacies of Violence, Lesbian couple, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Youth, Life is a production..., Life story, Living, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, Loving, Mainstream media, Male friends, Memories, Memory, Mental fitness, Moments in herstory, Moments in our history, Money, Mother, My life in short, My partner, Networking, Neurological, Pain, Partner, Peace, periods, Pressure, Production company, Psychologists, Rape, Realization, Recognizing the problem, recovering alcohol addict, Relapse, Relationships, Respected person, Response, revolution, Safety and security, Same sex gender based violence, Scar, Scary, Sibahle Nkumbi, Space, Speaking for ourselves, Speed recovery, Stealing, Stupor, Substance, Supporters, Supporting each other, Supportive friends and families, Supportive mother, Survived, Tears, Time, Together we can, University, Visual Language, Visual narratives, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Woman, Womanhood, Women loving women, Women's power, Words, Writing is a Right | 12 Comments

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 Oct. 7: Robbed while shooting

by Lerato Dumse A day meant to be filled with photography adventure which is historical educational turned bad, when three photographers were robbed of their camera, on  the 10th July 2014 in Soweto. Lindeka Qampi (45) facilitator, Thando Methane (17) … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 Cape Town Month of Photography, Aurora Girls High School, Broad day light, Captioned, Captured, Career, Caring citizens, Caring for our female youth, Case opened, Celebration, Characters, Citizenship, Claiming, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Community, Community based media, Community education, Community outreach, Community work, Conference, Confrontation, Connected souls, Connections, Consideration, Contributors, Conversation, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, Creative Writing, Crime, Crime rate, Crimes, Cry the Beloved Queer Mother of the Nation, Crying, Cultural activists, Culture, Culture of reading and writing, Delegation, Democracy, Details, Different positions, disappearance, Discussion, Family, Fear, Frightened, Intellectualism, lunged, Mine, More than 67 mins, Panic, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Poverty, Robbed, Robbery, Scared, Seeking help, Self defense, Self recognition, Sharing, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Silent voices, Social responsibility, Society, Socio-economic, Solidarity, South African Visible Arts, South African Visual Activism, South African visual history through the eyes of young women, South African Youth, Soweto, Space, Spana is a slang which means to work, Speaking for ourselves, Statement, Style, Support, Supporting each other, Survivor, Teaching, Tears, Teenagers, Testimonies from Aurora photographers, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thando Methane, Thugs, together, Together we can, Togetherness, Transcription, Translation, Undermined, Valerie Thomas, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual historical initiative, Visual history, 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, Woman, Womanhood, Women suffering, Women's power, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Youth, Youth voices | 3 Comments

2014 June 16: Ze ungandibizi

by Mandisa ‘Thozie’ Mathe Uze ungandenzakalisi ngamazwi akho arhabaxa! Uze ungandibizi ngendoda wakuvukelwa bubu khwenkwe nenzondo Uze ungandibizi ngendoda wakuvukelwa bubu ndlobongela bakho Uze ungandibizi ngendoda kub ufuna ukuva ukuba impendulo yam izawuthini na ukuze wena ufumane ukundiphatha-phatha de uyofikelela … Continue reading

Posted in God is with us, LGBTIs in Africa, Life Stories, Readings, Tears, Textualizing Our Own Lives | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2013 Aug. 24: After the funeral at Mina Nawe

Missing in the photo were:  Kopano Sibeko, Lerato Dumse, Thekwane Mpisholo and Zandile Makhubu. Where/ What: After the funeral of Collen Mfazwe’s grandmother, we had our group photo taken by a member of AmaQhawe Choir. Camera used: Canon 60d with … Continue reading

Posted in Alternative family, Another Approach Is Possible, Collective, Collectivism, Commitment, Community, Creating awareness, Daveyton, Death, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Family support, Fashion, Friendships, Homosexuality, Inkanyiso crew, Johannesburg, Life, Public spaces, Relationships, South Africa, Tears, Townships, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, Women's power | Tagged | 2 Comments