Category Archives: Words

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. 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

2014 Oct. 15: “Young, Gifted and Gay”

by Lerato Ntlatlane-Malibe It is funny how as people we are covered by different labels. When people discover that I am gay, comments I normally receive are “but you are so feminine and pretty”. Really! As a writer/columnist for a … Continue reading

Posted in Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Arguments, Article, Articulation, As we are, Attention, Awareness workshops, Background, Black Lesbian, commit, Creating awareness, Education, Empowerment, Evidence, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Facing You, Feelings, Female being, Feminine, Friends, Friendships, Gender expression, Gender naming, God, Grateful, Gratitude, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human body, Human rights, I Am, I am Somebody, I can't do it ALONE, I was (T)here, Identity, Ignorance, Intervention, Journey, Knowledge, Label, Language, Lerato Ntlatlane-Malibe, Love, Love is a human right, Loved, Lovely words, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Married, Memory, Our lives in the picture, Prejudice, Pride, Proud lesbian, Proud to be, South Africa, Warmth, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Words, Writing is a Right, Young | 2 Comments

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

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: 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 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 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. 28: An emotional farewell for the recent victim of hate crime

Text by Lerato Dumse Photos by Lindeka Qampi and Zanele Muholi   It is a Sunday morning and like in most townships, the streets of Daveyton township are a buzz of activity. Many carry bibles, making their way to different churches. In … Continue reading

Posted in "We'll Show You You're a Woman”, 'We live in fear', 1986-2014, 20 Years of Democracy, 20 Years of Democracy in SA, Activism, An emotional farewell for Lihle, Article, Brutal murders of black lesbians in SA, Daveyton, Documentation; Filming; Photography; Community, Documenting hate crimes, Documenting our own lives, Documenting realities of the townships, Farewell, Funeral, Gender Equality, Gender expression, Gender naming, Hate crime, Hate Crimes, Hate crimes Victims names, He(ART), Human rights, Humiliation, Hurt, Identity, If not documented, In memory of Lihle Sokhela, Independence, Influenced, Inkanyiso media, Institution, Intellectualism, Interpretation, Intervention, Interviews, Invisibility, Issues, Jealousy, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Lack of Resources, Language, Learning, Legacies of Violence, Lerato Dumse, Lesbian Love Is Possible in South Africa, Lesbian Youth, Lessons learnt, LGBT community, lgbti, LGBTI community, Liberation, Life, Life is a production..., Life Stories, Lihle Sokhela, Lindeka Qampi, Lindeka Qampi sharing her PhotoXP experience to Valerie Thomas, Living, Loss of parents, Loss to the black lesbian community, Lost Lives, Love, Love is Queer, Loved, Lovely words, lover, Loving, Mainstream media, Mainstreaming our queer issues, Mally Simelane, Memories, Memory, Moments in herstory, Moments in our history, Motivation, Mourning, Murder suspect, murdered, Networking, Open relationships, Organizations, Organizing, Our lives in the picture, Ownership of the self, Owning our bodies, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Perception, Photo album, Photo Expressions, photographers, Photographs, Photographs from the funeral, Photography, Photography as a therapy, Politics of existence, Politics of geography, Politics of representation, Power of the Voice, Previous life stories, Privilege, Professional black lesbians in South Africa, Proud lesbian, Queer & Straights, Queer Africa, Queer Africans speaking for themselves., Queer Power, Queer South Africa, Queer texts, Queer visibility, Queer Youth, queerity, Questioning, Questions and Answers, Readings, ReClaim Your Activism, Recognition, recognized, Records and histories, Reflections, Relationships, Religion, South Africa, South African Council of Churches, Supportive friends and families, Survived by aunts and brothers, Survived by..., Survivor, Teaching, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Togetherness, Townships, Unemployment, Uthingo - The Rainbow, Victim of hate crime, Victims, videographers, Videography, Violence, Visibility, Vision, Visual activism, Visual activism is a language, Visual Activist, We Care, We love photographs, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Women's power, Women's struggles, Women's Work, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Womenonwomen, Words, Writing from court, Young Women and Visual Activism, Youth, Youth voices, Zanele Muholi, Zulu is a language | 5 Comments