Category Archives: Writing is a Right

2014 May 26: I found myself at 22

  My name is Abongile Matyila. Abongile is a Xhosa name which means to be grateful. My uncle gave me that name. I’m a 22 year old Bachelor of Arts (BA) student studying at the University of Fort Hare, East London … Continue reading

Posted in Academic, Acceptance, Activists Act, Adoring, African Queer Beauty, Androgyny, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Archiving Queer Her/Histories in SA, Art Activism in South Africa, Art Is A Human Right, As we are, Before You, Being Scene, Black Queer Born Frees in SA townships, Black Queer Professionals, Blackness, Body, Creating awareness, Creative writer, Creative Writing, Dress code, Eastern Cape, Empowerment, Exposure, Expression, Friendships, Gender naming, Homosexual, Homosexuality, Human Beings, Human rights, Independence, Know Your SA Queer History, LGBTI community, Life, Life Stories, Living by example, Our lives in the picture, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photography, Portrait, Power of the Voice, Queer Youth, Recognition, Sexual orientation, Sexuality, Sharing knowledge, Translation, Visual history, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

2014 May 24: The special boy

by Collen Mfazwe   Growing up was never easy but it was kind of fun because I did not understand some of the things I was supposed to understand, e.g. why did I have to menstruate every month? Why did … Continue reading

Posted in Butch identifying lesbian, Contests, Faces & Phases portraits, Fashion, Life Stories, Photography, Politics of existence, Power of the Voice, Queer Youth, Townships, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

2014 May 10: Unrequited love

by Bonolo Mokua   I could never hold her hand Though I would always get lost in her eyes, I could never hold her hand In fear that everyone would see that I am madly in love with her And … Continue reading

Posted in Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Translation, We Are You, When Love is a Human Right, Women who have sex with Women, Women's power, Women's struggles, Writing is a Right | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2014 May 18: Glitter, drama & perfection at Miss Gay Jozi 2014

Texts by Yaya Mavundla Photos by Smanga Shange   I usually sit front row at Fashion Week, mingle with the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry at A-list events and I found myself at Miss Gay Jozi held at … Continue reading

Posted in As we are, Dancing, Description, Friendships, Human Beings, Human rights, Inkanyiso crew, Inkanyiso media, Interpretation, Intervention, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Living by example, Love, magazine, MissTee Menu, Our lives in the picture, Participants, Penetrating mainstream spaces, Photo Expressions, Photography, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Presentations, Privilege, Queer Edutainment, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Questioning, Questions & Answers, Real, Recognition, Records and histories, Self-worth, Sharing knowledge, Smanga Shange, Women; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

2014 May 18: Behind the beautiful face you see is a lesbian who is torn into a million pieces

by Lebo Leptie Phume   Sitting in this taxi my eyes fill with tears from thinking about where I come from. Things were easy for me while my grandmother and my mother were alive, I never had to hustle because I got … Continue reading

Posted in Black & White, Black Lesbian soccer players in South Africa, Captioned, Creative Writing, Details, Expression, Faces & Phases portraits, Gender expression, History, Know Your SA Queer History, Knowledge, Our lives in the picture, Power of the Voice, Sharing knowledge, Sotho is a South African language, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Writing is a Right | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

2014 May 2: ‘Within our chaos and contradictions…”

Text by Smanga Shange © Photos by Zanele Muholi (02 May 2014)   What: Full Moon Where:  Joburg Theatre till 11th May 2014 ‘The best part was the last act, specifically when there was a war between a man and … Continue reading

Posted in Textualizing Our Own Lives, Translation, Visual democracy, 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 love Theatre performances, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, Writing is a Right | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2014 April 1: This is not April fool but our reality

  … A photo of the day by Zanele Muholi, featuring Maureen Velile Majola rehearsing ‘Sifela i Ayikho’ to be performed at Constanza Macras STUDIO 44, BERLIN on Sat. , 5th April 2014. More photos to be added later…

Posted in Crime rate, Moments in herstory, Privilege, Queer poetics, Queer Power, Textualizing Our Own Lives, 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; Voices; Writings; Education; Traditions; Struggles; Cultures, Writing is a Right, Young talent, Zulu is a South African language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2014 March 21: The critical work of a critic

The task of a writer engaging with the work of artists and activists is an important one. The critic does not only draw attention to the work of particular people but provides a way for readers and viewers to translate … Continue reading

Posted in Activists Act, African, African Queer Beauty, Allies, Another Approach Is Possible, Archived memories, Art Is A Human Right, Art Solidarity, As we are, Beauty, Being Scene, Experience, Exposure, Expression, Feelings, Female Photographers, Freedom of being, Friendships, Homophobia, Human rights, I was (T)here, Identity, Inconsiderate, Independence, LGBTI community, Life, Relationships, Sexual Liberation, Sexual minorities, Sexual orientation, Sharing knowledge, Short bio, Society, South Africa, Speaking for ourselves, Survivor, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Visual Activist, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visual Power, Visual Voices, We Are You, 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, Writing is a Right, Youth voices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 Feb.21: Gay fear, pay… TEAR

  Our love contested by critical judgment of the world. I’ve faced crucifixion. Like the two thief’s, I’m damned. Buried and burnt in eternal fire, coz it seems our fire is wrong. To hell with what we feel- literally. Layers … Continue reading

Posted in Gay, Knowledge, Memory, Queer poetics, Queer Power, Queer visibility, Queer Youth, Textualizing Our Own Lives, We Are You, We Care, We Still Can with/out Resources, We were (t)here, When Love is a Human Right, Writing is a Right | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 March 25: Mzansi reacts on Mzamo “Mzamie” Gcabashe eviction from Big Brother

  by Yaya Mavundla Bubbly, honest, fashion forward, dramatic and of course smart are some of the things that comes up when one thinks of the KwaZulu Natal, Durban born Mzamo Gcabashe. Amongst so many things that he does, he’s … Continue reading

Posted in Allies, Fashionista, Out Loud & Proud, Power of the Arts, Power of the Voice, Privilege, Queer Africa, Queer visibility, Recognition, Records and histories, Respect & Recognition from our community, revolution, Self acceptance, social activist, South Africa, Stylish, Talented, Textualizing Our Own Lives, Together we can, Townships, Visual democracy, Visual history is a Right not a luxury, Visual Language, Visualizing public spaces, Vote, We Are You, We Care, We Love Photography, We Still Can with/out Resources, Writing is a Right, Youth voices, Zulu is a South African language | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments