Spot the Signs; Intimate Partner Violence Among the Queers
“I just want to feel safe.” This sentence was ringing in my head while going through the most challenging period of my life. Dealing with a violent partner is tough, it takes boldness, guts, and determination to have a toxic and abusive relationship. Going home not with excitement or happiness, but with sadness and fear. […]
Living an Authentic Life
Many queer women may feel the need or the pressure to come out of the closet. Coming out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual is a difficult process that involves both exploring your identity and sharing your identity with others. Coming out is a process of understanding, accepting, and valuing your sexual orientation/identity. It can be […]
I read a book titled: TRANSCENDENT
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash I did not anticipate the way this book would simultaneously shake and awaken something in me. Within the pages of this book are tales of fantasy and queerness, beautifully blended. “I just wonder, maybe I won’t be the same person if I start out as a boy.”— EM Transcendent […]
When my closet comes in handy
Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash There is a marked increase of people coming out globally. This is not a surprise considering the rise in awareness of queer existence and lives around the world. Across social media platforms, there is a tale about someone coming out to their family. Some of these coming out stories […]
Religion and Queerness
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash There were so many ways I wanted to begin this article that would have painted me as unpatriotic. As much as I do not care for that, it is important that my motherland is not dragged in the dirt. My country can do much more for itself and the humans that […]
The Power of Language
At the foundation of ELLA as an organisation, we have made it our mandate to create a platform that echoes the lived experiences of the queer community all over, especially women and nonbinary people. This platform exists for them to share their realities, express their identities and grow a network of people around the world […]
72% of South Africans “believe” that same-sex relationships “are wrong”
South Africa is no doubt a leader in the African continent when it comes to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights by way of marriage equality and legal protection against discrimination. However, there is a huge disparity between written policies and actual lived experiences as the general feeling is that legal protection preceded public acceptance. This […]
The Spectrum
When I first heard the word spectrum used in relation to gender and sexuality, honestly? I thought “Okay, QUEERS, we may have gone a likkle too far with this one…?” because the meaning to me had nothing to do with our lives as a minority. Thankfully, I know better now and I have forgiven myself […]
Let’s talk about queer, baby!
“If you are comfortable answering, can you tell us what your sexual orientation is?” Everyone’s eyes fell on me and I froze for a whole minute. I looked at all their faces and…was it eagerness I saw in their eyes? I cannot recall exactly. What I do recall from that moment was the brief panic […]
A tale of a misgendered enby
I wonder how far we would have to go if we played the “Tell me you’re from X without saying you’re from X” game before you guessed my country. But I won’t bore you with the problems that plague my motherland; that is not what this is about. However, the country where I live is […]
