It’s been a busy year for Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom, but then again it’s been a busy year for the Cameroonian government, and its various allies, persecuting and prosecuting anyone it suspects of being gay, lesbian, transgender, of a sexuality, feminine, or different. About these ads
Charlayne Hunter-Gault, an African-American reporter based in South Africa, has penned a piece in this week’s New Yorker titled “Violated Hopes” (subscription required) that covers the contentious topic of sexual violence directed against black South African lesbians. Hunter-Gault frames the piece on the experiences of lesbian women in townships in Johannesburg and Cape Town, interviewing several women who have experienced sexual violence at the hands of men.
Last month the writer Chinua Achebe declined the Nigerian government’s attempt to name him a Commander of the Federal Republic. He had rejected the same award in 2004. Achebe’s main objection then was widespread state corruption. He noted that “the reasons for rejecting the offer [of the award] when it was first made [in 2004] […]
We promised ourselves we won’t get drawn into this. This is the week in which Cape Town viral rappers Die Antwoord released the music video for their new single “Fok julle Naaiers.” The music video contains some Die Antwoord staples (spiders and scorpions come out of rapper Ninja’s mouth while he throws around the word Nigger, […]
Fresh from insulting British women, Prime Minister David Cameron is now endangering the lives of gay people in Africa. Appearing on the BBC (with presenter Andrew Marr; they make quite a team) Cameron threatened to cut aid to governments of “countries that persecute homosexuals” unless they stop punishing people in same-sex relationships. Apart from the […]
By Travis Ferland* The “Gay Marriage Map” that accompanied an opinion piece by columnist Frank Bruni in The New York Times a few days ago, provides a global snapshot of laws affecting same-sex relationships. It especially draws our attention to Africa, where shackled hands and nooses adorn the continent–with the exception of a happy gay couple […]
South Africa has an openly gay Judge serving on its highest court, The Constitutional Court. The Judge, Edwin Cameron, who has written a book about his sexual orientation also happens to be HIV positive and previously served for 8 years on the country’s High Court of Appeal. That’s an anomaly for court systems on a […]
Finally a teaser for the film “Skoonheid,” by Cape Town director, Oliver Hermanus, is now online. Billed as the first Afrikaans film to compete at the Cannes Film Festival, the film also finally screened earlier today at Cannes. That means the first mainstream reviews are in. They’re mixed. Here are some excerpts from the reviews […]
