Category Archives: Textualizing Our Own Lives

2014 Aug. 30: Insightful analysis from the guest speaker

 by Lebo Mashifane On August 29, 2014, Lindeka Qampi, Zanele Muholi, Martha Qumba and myself visited Aurora Girls High School in Zola One, Soweto. It’s a school where Lindeka and Zanele are busy tutoring photography to some learners after school … Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Activists Act, Allies, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Edutainment, Art Solidarity, Articles, Arts, As we are, Before You, Black Queer & Gifted, Collaborations, Collectivism, Community, Community Mobilizing, Connections, Contributors, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative Writing, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, Evidence, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Feelings, Friendships, Hope, Human rights, Inkanyiso media, Interpretation, Johannesburg, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Life, Life Stories, Love, Media works, Networking, Our lives in the picture, Photo album, Photography, Politics of existence, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Relationships, revolution, Sharing knowledge, South Africa, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Townships, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Women's power, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

2014 Aug. 30: Young aspiring photographers experimenting lithography

        Lulama Rikhotso showing off her artwork…     Young photographers learning alternative artistic skills with Jammy-Lee…     Martha looking on…       Megan engaging with Ntombi…       Mthabiseni Mbhele & Thobekile Zwane … Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Edutainment, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Articles, As we are, Before You, Collaborations, Collectivism, Community Mobilizing, Connections, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Education, Evidence, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Feelings, Hope, Interpretation, Knowledge, Life, Love, Media works, Networking, Organizations, Our lives in the picture, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Recognition, Reflection, Relationships, Sharing knowledge, Speaking for ourselves, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , | 7 Comments

2014 Aug. 22: Photos from Disebo Gift Makau’s Memorial Service

by Lindeka Qampi & Zanele Muholi Where: Stadium Hall, Ext. 2. VentersdorpCamera used:  Canon 6D with different lenses                                             … Continue reading

Posted in 'We live in fear', 'We live in fear' by Zanele Muholi & HRW, 20 Years of Democracy, Act, Action; Referee, Active Black Lesbian Artists in South Africa (ABASA), Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, 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, Articles, Articulation, Before US, Black bodies, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Love, Black lesbian visibility, Black Lesbians, Black Lesbians & Allies Against Hate Crimes, Black Queer & Gifted, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Comment, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Community organizing, Community outreach, Community work, Complicated Lesbian Relationships, Confrontation, Corruption, question of history., Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Rumours, Self recognition, Self-worth, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sexuality in South Africa, Silence, Social documentary photography, Social responsibility, Solidarity, South African Black Female Photographers, South African politics, South African struggle, South African townships, South African Visible Arts, South African Visual Activism, South African Youth, Speaking for ourselves, Struggling, Supporters, Supporting each other, Supportive mother, Survived by..., Textualizing Our Own Lives, Togetherness, Victim of hate crime in Ventersdorp, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual narratives, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When home is a crime scene, When Love is a Human Right, Where & Who is Justice?, Women loving women, Women suffering, Women who have sex with Women, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, young women | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

2014 Aug. 21: “We want ACTION. Why must we still fight for OUR RIGHTS!?”

At the forefront of our struggle, at this time of sadness… Activists from Gay Umbrella leading the way to the sport grounds before the Memorial service of Disebo Gift Makau… Angry community members demanding justice for Disebo…     On … Continue reading

Posted in 'We live in fear', Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Africa, African, Allies, Anger, Announcement, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Edutainment, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articles, Articulation, As we are, Beauty, Before US, Before You, Being conscientized, Being Scene, Black bodies, Black Bodies of Silence, Black Female Body, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Congregants, Black Lesbian Men, Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, Black Lesbians, Black Lesbians & Allies Against Hate Crimes, Hate Crimes, Hate crimes Victims names, Homosexuality, Lesbian beauty contests, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Lesbianism, LGBTI community, lgbti issues in South Africa, Life, Lindeka Qampi, Lord, Lord is the Christ, Love, Love is a human right, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, Moments in our history, Obituary, Odidi Mfenyana, Of Love and Loss, Organisations, Organizations, Organizing, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Participants, Participation, Photo album, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photography as a therapy, Police Intervention, Politics, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Poverty, Power of the Voice, Prayer, Praying, Press statement, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Readings, Recognition, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Response, Sexual Offences Bill, Sexual orientation, Social documentary photography, Social responsibility, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Undermined, Video clips, Videographer, Videography, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, We Are You, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We were (t)here, What black lesbian youth wants, When home is a crime scene, When Love is a Human Right, Woman, Womanhood, Women loving women, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | Tagged , | 5 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 Aug. 9: A video of the first Mpumalanga Pride

The 1st MPUMALANGA Gay Pride held on the 9th August 2014 consisted of the following groups: Lowveld LGBTI (Mbombela, Barberton and surrounding locations) Emalahleni LGBTI ( Witbank, Middleburg) GLOM (Ermelo and surrounding townships ) GLOSS (Standerton, Secunda) Kwandebele LGBTI (KwaMhlanga … Continue reading

Posted in 1st Mpumalanga Pride, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art is Queer, Art Solidarity, Articles, Articulation, Artists, Arts, As we are, Awareness workshops, Black lesbians in remote areas in South Africa, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Artists, Blackness, Butch identifying lesbian, Came out of the closet, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collaborations, Collective, Collectivism, Commemorating the queer youth we lost along the way, Comments from the audience, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community based media, Community Mobilizing, Community organizing, Community outreach, Community work, Department of Justice (DoJO, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Video archive, Visual activism, We Are You, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here | 4 Comments

2014 Aug. 9: “I am not a lesbian by choice”

‪ My name is Sphiwe Sesana Mbatha. I am a very funny person, I love people and I love happy endings. I am a very dedicated when it comes to work, and I’m a fast learner too. I am ambitious … Continue reading

Posted in (IT) Information Technology, 1992 November 14, Daveyton, English and Xhosa, Gender Based Violence (GBV)., Kuzimisela Primary School, Mr Lesbian Daveyton, Silence, South Africa, Speaking for ourselves, Sphiwe Sesana Mbatha, Struggling, Style, Stylish, Support, Supporting each other, Survivor, Teaching, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual history, 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 Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, What black lesbian youth wants, When Love is a Human Right, Woman, Women's power, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Writing is a Right, Xhosa is a South African language, Young black female photographers, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zulu is a language | 5 Comments

2014 Aug. 8: To be honest I love how I look

My name is Katiso Kgope, and I was born on September 18, in 1995. I was born in Glen Wood hospital, Benoni my parents are Mandla Kgope and the late Mpho Kgope – Monyake. I was given the name of … Continue reading

Posted in "Scratching the surface", 1995 -, 20 Years of Democracy, Acceptance, Act, Activism, Activists, Activists Act, Adoring, Alternative career choices, Another Approach Is Possible, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism, Articles, Articulation, Attention, Baring, Beautiful faces, Beauty, Beauty pageantry, Beauty queens, Before You, Being conscientized, Being Scene, Birthdate, Black, Black bodies, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Born Frees, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Blackness, Body, Body Politics, Cameras, Celebrating Youth Month in SA, Chains, Characters, Claiming, Claiming blackness, Claiming mainstream spaces, Collectivism, Comfort, Comments from the audience, Committed, Communication strategies, Community, Community Mobilizing, Community outreach, Daveyton, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting our own lives, Education, Emotional support, Empowerment, English, Evidence, Exchanging Queer thoughts, Experience, Exploration, Exposure, Expression, Eyes, Facing You, Family, Family and Friends, Fashion, Feelings, Female being, Finances, Friendships, Gender articulation, God is with us, God's will, He(ART), Honesty, Human rights, Humiliation, I was (T)here, Identity, Interpretation, Interviews, Katiso Kgope, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Language, Lessons learnt, Liberation, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Love, Love is a human right, Loved, Lovely words, Media works, Memories, Modeling, Moments in herstory, New York, No artificiality, Opinion, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Perception, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Platform, Politics of existence, Politics of representation, Portrait, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Proud to be, Queer visibility, Queer Youth, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Readers, Readings, Reason, Recognition, recognized, Respect, Respect & Recognition from our community, Response, Seeing difference, Self acceptance, Self discovery, Self love, Self-worth, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, She, South Africa, South African townships, South African Visual Activism, South African Youth, Speaking for ourselves, Special event, Studying, Style, Stylish, Support, Talented, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, trans bodies, Trans Youth, Transgender visibility, Transgender Voices, Transgenderism in Africa, Transwoman, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, Visual democracy, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, 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, Womanhood, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Words, Writing is a Right, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a South African language | 3 Comments

2014 Aug.1: InterGenerational conversation with current and future stars

by Lerato Dumse Seizing opportunities was the central message shared with more than 15 teenage girls at Aurora Girls High School, in Soweto on 1st August 2014. The girls are part of the Siyafundisana Photo XP, a photography training project founded … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Art Edutainment, Art for Humanity, Art Is A Human Right, Art Solidarity, Art Therapy, Articulation, Artist Talk, As we are, Aurora Girls High School, Before You, Documenting our own lives, Elisa Pica, Future, Group photo, Group photo with the stars, Honors degree, Lerato Dumse, Lindeka Qampi, Mbali Vilakazi, Mfundi Vundla of Generations, Nonkululeko Britton-Masekela, Our lives in the picture, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Phumla Masuku, Politics of existence, Portrait, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Professionals, Proud to be, Public spaces, Queer Beauty Pageants in the townships, Queer Power, Queer visibility, question of history., Questions & Answers, Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Respect & Recognition from our community, Respected person, Soapie, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Thobza Zwane, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Transcription, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual Activist in the classroom, Visual Arts, Visual democracy, Visual history, 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, When Love is a Human Right, Women's Arts In South Africa (WAISA), Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Years, Young black female photographers, Young Black Women and Photography, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 8 Comments

2014 July 26: What I want as a black lesbian youth

My name is Lebogang Mashifane, I’m 25 years old and I live with my mother in Kwa-Thema, east of Gauteng, South Africa. I have recently relocated from Cape Town, South Africa. I hold a Diploma in Multimedia Technology from CPUT … Continue reading

Posted in 1976 Youth, 1986 -, 20 Years of Democracy, Academics, Acceptance, Activists, Activists Act, African Queer Beauty, Another Approach Is Possible, Apartheid, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Arguments, Art Activism, Art Is A Human Right, Articulation, Artist Talk, As we are, Before You, Being conscientized, Black Lesbian, Black lesbian activism, Black Lesbian Artists, Black Lesbian Graduate, Black Lesbian professionals, Black lesbian visibility, Black Queer & Gifted, Black Queer Professionals, Cape Town, Cape Town to Johannesburg, Claiming, Collaborations, Collective, Commitment, Committed, Communication strategies, Community based media, Community outreach, Community work, Crea(c)tive senses, Creating awareness, Creative activist, creative artist, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Education, English, Feelings, Freedom of being, Generations, Issues, Lack of Resources, Language, Lebo Mashifane, Legacies of Violence, Lesbian Professionals, Lesbian Youth, Lessons learnt, LGBT community, Poverty, question of history., Readings, Reason, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, Records and histories, Related links, Relationships, revolution, Seeing difference, Seeking help, Self acceptance, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Sharing thoughts, Social responsibility, South Africa, Speaking for ourselves, Supportive mother, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Unemployment, Videographer, videographers, Visual activism is a language, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual sense, Visual Voices, Visualizing public spaces, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, What black lesbian youth wants, Women loving women, Writing is a Right, Young Black Women and Photography, Young talent, Youth voices | 1 Comment