zethu matebeni | University of Cape Town (original) (raw)
Papers by zethu matebeni
Lynne Rienner Publishers eBooks, Dec 31, 2022
Canadian Journal of African Studies, Jul 19, 2023
Journal of decolonising disicplines, Jun 30, 2021
This paper offers a critical reflection on the experiences of facilitating postgraduate and under... more This paper offers a critical reflection on the experiences of facilitating postgraduate and undergraduate seminars in the field of sociology through a decolonial forum we term the Writer’s Café. The paper represents our attempt at grappling with issues of power by negotiating, distinguishing and finding our collective and acceptable regimes of truth through this forum. The frameworks of ubuntu and decolonisation became integral in the conceptualisation of the Writer’s Café, as well as its implementation. As researchers in the fields of sociology of health and sexualities and gender studies, the Writer’s Café offers opportunities to unpack the social and cultural bases of the subjects of both fields of study. Key to this analysis of the Writer’s Café is the emphasis on agency, inequality, change, and understanding connections between epistemologies. As an African philosophy and practice, ubuntu offers the student in sociology an integrated experience of two fields of study that are deeply embedded in the experience of everyday life while addressing African realities. We use critical reflection as a method of inquiry by situating ourselves as research participants, using examples from the Writer’s Café, as well as a selective review of literature on critical pedagogy and ubuntu to draw out the interconnectedness of both fields and their implications for decolonisation and a responsive pedagogy.
In February 2008, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) hosted the third Leadership Institute o... more In February 2008, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) hosted the third Leadership Institute on Building Lesbian Feminist Thinkers and Leaders for the 21st Century: Feminist Response to Patriarchy and Homophobia in Africa. LAMBDA, the Mozambiquan Association for Sexual Minority Rights, and member of CAL, the Coalition of African Lesbians, facilitated the logistics for hosting the institute in Maputo, Mozambique. The institute attracted more than sixty delegates from all regions in the African continent, with the majority from South Africa. CAL, a network of organizations, is the first African body that seeks to be “the voice and face” of African lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women. The leadership institute is one of the ways in which CAL aims to “build the capacity of African lesbians and organisations.” CAL does this through utilizing “African radical feminist analysis in all spheres of life” (Coalition of African Lesbians 2006).
How is space in South Africa’s democracy being carved by and for women and men who do not conform... more How is space in South Africa’s democracy being carved by and for women and men who do not conform to gender ideas inherited from apartheid? Dr Christi van der Westhuizen, feminist, author, award-winning political columnist and research associate with the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, University of the Free State, engages with Dr Zethu Matebeni, activist, author, filmmaker, curator and researcher on black female sexualities and genders at The Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town. They talk about current upheavals in South Africa’s sexual and gender relations, as especially lesbians, but also young heterosexual women present alternatives and challenges to patriarchal norms. These alternatives and challenges have provoked a backlash against women who refuse to be bound by conventional and restrictive gender norms, whether through their dress code or conduct. The speakers also consider the implications of the current wave of moralism and the use and abuse of gender in the national political debate
Springer eBooks, Dec 9, 2020
“Those who are directly identified with same-sex desire most often end up dead, if they manage to... more “Those who are directly identified with same-sex desire most often end up dead, if they manage to survive, it is on such compromised terms that it makes death seem attractive” (Heather Love, 2007:1)
Jenda: A Journal of Culture and African Women Studies, 2015
The mass demonstrations that began in December 2010 in Tunisia and then spread to other parts of ... more The mass demonstrations that began in December 2010 in Tunisia and then spread to other parts of North Africa and the Middle East became recognizable as a decisive moment, globally and politically, for various reasons. The determination of the people in the streets reminded the world of the power of the collective and influenced new political strategies, most prominently the Occupy Movement that gained shape in light of the financial crisis. The images of the demonstrations in the streets provided us with a sense of revolutionary hope of a different tomorrow that would eventually affect all of us. The global North turned once again to the global South for inspiration and as a source of hope.
Revista De Antropologia, 2017
This paper locates its position from the Southern African context in order to rethink knowledge p... more This paper locates its position from the Southern African context in order to rethink knowledge production in sexuality and gender relations. Grappling with the brutal violence and murder of Black lesbians in particular, the paper unpacks how what I call ‘the queer turn’ has simultaneously advanced and made invisible particular struggles. Finally, based on the experience of the #RhodesMustFall movement and in artistic cultural productions, the paper argues for reimagining the category queer not just as sexual or gender identity, but also as a form of destabilizing notions of belonging attached to the racist and heteronormative neo-colonial project.
The Palgrave Handbook of African Women's Studies, 2021
Agenda, 2012
In this conversation I engage with Jabu Pereira, a Johannesburg-based black queer person who cura... more In this conversation I engage with Jabu Pereira, a Johannesburg-based black queer person who curates interventions on subjects related to gender, queerness and the body, and Ignacio Rivera, black queer porn activist and artist, among others, from New York. Though based in the United States (US), Ignacio Rivera commands a significant following at least here in South Africa, in North America and in other parts of the world. Ignacio’s (and Papi Coxxx’s) queer pornographic films and other artistic works and sex educational projects are easily accessible via various social networking platforms and multi-media. The conversation we engage in is an experimental first set of ongoing transnational conversations on queer porn, gender variance and sexuality. It is captured through different mediums, including video-conferencing, texting, one-on-one conversations and electronic mail between the three. The conversation is aimed at opening up the debates and positions around different genres of pornography, particularly queer porn, and how this possibly shifts and expands the ways in which pornography can be understood. It further illuminates the position queer porn occupies in personal histories.
Agenda, 2015
“The problem with English is this: You usually can't open your mouth and it comes out just li... more “The problem with English is this: You usually can't open your mouth and it comes out just like that – first you have to think what you want to say. Then you have to find the words. Then you have t...
Safundi, 2017
In an interview with Nadia Davids, Zethu Matabeni discusses contemporary queer politics in South ... more In an interview with Nadia Davids, Zethu Matabeni discusses contemporary queer politics in South Africa and Cape Town in particular. Matebeni contextualizes current queer activism in a broader historical trajectory in which she observes the ongoing exclusive boundaries of Pride celebrations and positions two recent protest movements, #FeesMustFall and Rhodes Must Fall. Zethu Matebeni (ZM): I'm interested in a different narrative, because I know there have been a lot of queer women of color who have done so much work in this city, changing the landscape and the culture around it. "Queer in Africa? The Cape Town Question" is a symposium that we're holding from 6-8 October 2016. And it's going to be in various locations in Cape Town. The idea behind the symposium was for me to actually interrogate the city, as someone who has lived here for a few years now and has had a number of encounters and interventions in the city as a queer person and a black person. I've created a queer tour of Cape Town, which tells stories that nobody's ever really heard, of queer people of color in this city, starting by reimagining the arrival of the Dutch (laughs), and what happens in Robben Island, what happens in Company Gardens, for example. The tour starts in Sea Point and it goes along the city, kind of in a straight line into Khayelitsha. And over there, throughout that journey, we're meeting a whole range of people, going back through historical spaces and moments that talk about queer life in Cape Town. For me it's really important because actually what it does is change the main narratives: because the main narrative that people know about queer Cape Town is actually a white, gay Cape Town, which is what you get from the Green Point, Sea Point side. And so I've been interested in going back to their own archives and asking them to retell their stories and to map a different Cape Town for us and for, I suppose, the next generation. And so I've found them. They're in Salt River. They're in Athlone. They're in Khayelitsha. And it's been really exciting! So that's the one part: to do this tour and to introduce people to a different Cape Town, to the people of the Cape. And the second part is to invite people to respond to the critical questions that we've posed: around the history of the city, around the racialization of the city, and the class issues around the city KEYWORDS Queer; cape Town; South africa; lGBTQ; gay pride; Beverly ditsie; aidS; #feesmustfall; rhodes must fall
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2015
Since the demise of apartheid, gay and lesbian people in South Africa have enjoyed equal rights a... more Since the demise of apartheid, gay and lesbian people in South Africa have enjoyed equal rights and access to legal reform on many levels. Same-sex partnerships, adoption rights, immigration rights, and other social benefits for same-sex partners have become a norm in South Africa. Though the postapartheid South African constitution grants rights to sexual minorities, the extent of racial and class inequalities within gay politics indicates the need for a revamped movement or politics that will challenge structural injustices and lack of redistribution. Looking at South Africa through the commonly used gay lens is not only limited but also problematic. This lens follows the same forms of exclusion that gay history has revealed. Gender, class, and racial tensions within postapartheid gay politics, as in South Africa as a whole, are easily overlooked when the focus is primarily on freedom and equality.
BMC Women's Health, 2015
Background: Experiences of forced sex have been shown to be prevalent in Southern Africa. Negativ... more Background: Experiences of forced sex have been shown to be prevalent in Southern Africa. Negative outcomes of forced sex have been documented in general populations of women and men and include alcohol abuse, drug use, mental health problems, mental distress, sexual health problems and poor overall health. This study is the first to examine experiences of forced sex and associated health problems among lesbian and bisexual women in Southern Africa. Methods: This study is based on data collected as part of a collaborative endeavor involving various Southern African community-based organizations. Lesbian and bisexual women in four Southern African countries participated in a cross-sectional survey, for a total study sample of 591. Results: Nearly one-third of participants had been forced to have sex at some time in their lives. Thirty-one percent of all women reported to have experienced forced sex at least once in their life: 14.9% reported forced sex by men only; 6.6% reported forced sex by women only; 9.6% had had forced sexual experiences with both men and women. Participants experienced forced sex by men as more serious than forced sex by women; forced sex by women was more likely to involve intimate partners compared to forced sex by men. Participants who experienced forced sex by men were more likely to report drug problems, mental distress and lower sense of belonging. Forced sex by women was associated with drinking problems and mental distress. Having experienced forced sex by both men and women was associated with lower sense of belonging to the LGBT community, drug use problem and mental distress. Conclusions: The findings indicate that forced sex among Southern African women is a serious issue that needs further exploration. Clinicians should be made aware of the prevalence and possible consequences of forced sex among lesbian and bisexual women. Policies and community interventions should be designed to address this problem.
Cadernos Pagu, 2010
A partir de uma perspectiva qualitativa, este artigo analisa a forma como as pessoas "negras... more A partir de uma perspectiva qualitativa, este artigo analisa a forma como as pessoas "negras" na África do Sul esforçam-se por superar e ressignificar as marcas de uma história de repressão e de marginalização "raciais". Seguiremos a trajetória de Mpho, uma mulher "negra" com o objetivo de refletir como "raça" e gênero articulados envolvem situações de negociação, coerção, ressentimento e recusa. Estudaremos como certos indivíduos reorganizaram suas redes de sociabilidade no pós-apartheid, com foco no "campo de possibilidades" disponível para diferentes grupos "raciais".
Culture, Health & Sexuality, 2013
HIV prevention and service programmes have long either ignored or overlooked lesbians. The experi... more HIV prevention and service programmes have long either ignored or overlooked lesbians. The experiences of lesbians with HIV have similarly been unrecognised and unreported. This erasure has contributed to the invisibility of lesbians in relation to HIV and related health risks. This community participatory study, based on in-depth interviews with twenty-four self-identifying African lesbians living with HIV in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, focuses on their personal experiences and circumstances. Women's experiences shed light and challenge popular notions around lesbian risk. In particular among this group are lesbians who self-report exclusive sexual relationships with women. For these women, experiences of living with HIV are challenging as they struggle to understand the possibility of female-to-female transmission. While battling with their own perceptions of invulnerability and accepting their HIV positive status, they have to deal also with wide-ranging misconceptions about risk. The paper argues that within the context of HIV lesbians cannot be regarded as a `no-risk' group. Health services and health providers are encouraged to respond to the health needs of lesbians living with HIV.
Lynne Rienner Publishers eBooks, Dec 31, 2022
Canadian Journal of African Studies, Jul 19, 2023
Journal of decolonising disicplines, Jun 30, 2021
This paper offers a critical reflection on the experiences of facilitating postgraduate and under... more This paper offers a critical reflection on the experiences of facilitating postgraduate and undergraduate seminars in the field of sociology through a decolonial forum we term the Writer’s Café. The paper represents our attempt at grappling with issues of power by negotiating, distinguishing and finding our collective and acceptable regimes of truth through this forum. The frameworks of ubuntu and decolonisation became integral in the conceptualisation of the Writer’s Café, as well as its implementation. As researchers in the fields of sociology of health and sexualities and gender studies, the Writer’s Café offers opportunities to unpack the social and cultural bases of the subjects of both fields of study. Key to this analysis of the Writer’s Café is the emphasis on agency, inequality, change, and understanding connections between epistemologies. As an African philosophy and practice, ubuntu offers the student in sociology an integrated experience of two fields of study that are deeply embedded in the experience of everyday life while addressing African realities. We use critical reflection as a method of inquiry by situating ourselves as research participants, using examples from the Writer’s Café, as well as a selective review of literature on critical pedagogy and ubuntu to draw out the interconnectedness of both fields and their implications for decolonisation and a responsive pedagogy.
In February 2008, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) hosted the third Leadership Institute o... more In February 2008, the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) hosted the third Leadership Institute on Building Lesbian Feminist Thinkers and Leaders for the 21st Century: Feminist Response to Patriarchy and Homophobia in Africa. LAMBDA, the Mozambiquan Association for Sexual Minority Rights, and member of CAL, the Coalition of African Lesbians, facilitated the logistics for hosting the institute in Maputo, Mozambique. The institute attracted more than sixty delegates from all regions in the African continent, with the majority from South Africa. CAL, a network of organizations, is the first African body that seeks to be “the voice and face” of African lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women. The leadership institute is one of the ways in which CAL aims to “build the capacity of African lesbians and organisations.” CAL does this through utilizing “African radical feminist analysis in all spheres of life” (Coalition of African Lesbians 2006).
How is space in South Africa’s democracy being carved by and for women and men who do not conform... more How is space in South Africa’s democracy being carved by and for women and men who do not conform to gender ideas inherited from apartheid? Dr Christi van der Westhuizen, feminist, author, award-winning political columnist and research associate with the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, University of the Free State, engages with Dr Zethu Matebeni, activist, author, filmmaker, curator and researcher on black female sexualities and genders at The Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town. They talk about current upheavals in South Africa’s sexual and gender relations, as especially lesbians, but also young heterosexual women present alternatives and challenges to patriarchal norms. These alternatives and challenges have provoked a backlash against women who refuse to be bound by conventional and restrictive gender norms, whether through their dress code or conduct. The speakers also consider the implications of the current wave of moralism and the use and abuse of gender in the national political debate
Springer eBooks, Dec 9, 2020
“Those who are directly identified with same-sex desire most often end up dead, if they manage to... more “Those who are directly identified with same-sex desire most often end up dead, if they manage to survive, it is on such compromised terms that it makes death seem attractive” (Heather Love, 2007:1)
Jenda: A Journal of Culture and African Women Studies, 2015
The mass demonstrations that began in December 2010 in Tunisia and then spread to other parts of ... more The mass demonstrations that began in December 2010 in Tunisia and then spread to other parts of North Africa and the Middle East became recognizable as a decisive moment, globally and politically, for various reasons. The determination of the people in the streets reminded the world of the power of the collective and influenced new political strategies, most prominently the Occupy Movement that gained shape in light of the financial crisis. The images of the demonstrations in the streets provided us with a sense of revolutionary hope of a different tomorrow that would eventually affect all of us. The global North turned once again to the global South for inspiration and as a source of hope.
Revista De Antropologia, 2017
This paper locates its position from the Southern African context in order to rethink knowledge p... more This paper locates its position from the Southern African context in order to rethink knowledge production in sexuality and gender relations. Grappling with the brutal violence and murder of Black lesbians in particular, the paper unpacks how what I call ‘the queer turn’ has simultaneously advanced and made invisible particular struggles. Finally, based on the experience of the #RhodesMustFall movement and in artistic cultural productions, the paper argues for reimagining the category queer not just as sexual or gender identity, but also as a form of destabilizing notions of belonging attached to the racist and heteronormative neo-colonial project.
The Palgrave Handbook of African Women's Studies, 2021
Agenda, 2012
In this conversation I engage with Jabu Pereira, a Johannesburg-based black queer person who cura... more In this conversation I engage with Jabu Pereira, a Johannesburg-based black queer person who curates interventions on subjects related to gender, queerness and the body, and Ignacio Rivera, black queer porn activist and artist, among others, from New York. Though based in the United States (US), Ignacio Rivera commands a significant following at least here in South Africa, in North America and in other parts of the world. Ignacio’s (and Papi Coxxx’s) queer pornographic films and other artistic works and sex educational projects are easily accessible via various social networking platforms and multi-media. The conversation we engage in is an experimental first set of ongoing transnational conversations on queer porn, gender variance and sexuality. It is captured through different mediums, including video-conferencing, texting, one-on-one conversations and electronic mail between the three. The conversation is aimed at opening up the debates and positions around different genres of pornography, particularly queer porn, and how this possibly shifts and expands the ways in which pornography can be understood. It further illuminates the position queer porn occupies in personal histories.
Agenda, 2015
“The problem with English is this: You usually can't open your mouth and it comes out just li... more “The problem with English is this: You usually can't open your mouth and it comes out just like that – first you have to think what you want to say. Then you have to find the words. Then you have t...
Safundi, 2017
In an interview with Nadia Davids, Zethu Matabeni discusses contemporary queer politics in South ... more In an interview with Nadia Davids, Zethu Matabeni discusses contemporary queer politics in South Africa and Cape Town in particular. Matebeni contextualizes current queer activism in a broader historical trajectory in which she observes the ongoing exclusive boundaries of Pride celebrations and positions two recent protest movements, #FeesMustFall and Rhodes Must Fall. Zethu Matebeni (ZM): I'm interested in a different narrative, because I know there have been a lot of queer women of color who have done so much work in this city, changing the landscape and the culture around it. "Queer in Africa? The Cape Town Question" is a symposium that we're holding from 6-8 October 2016. And it's going to be in various locations in Cape Town. The idea behind the symposium was for me to actually interrogate the city, as someone who has lived here for a few years now and has had a number of encounters and interventions in the city as a queer person and a black person. I've created a queer tour of Cape Town, which tells stories that nobody's ever really heard, of queer people of color in this city, starting by reimagining the arrival of the Dutch (laughs), and what happens in Robben Island, what happens in Company Gardens, for example. The tour starts in Sea Point and it goes along the city, kind of in a straight line into Khayelitsha. And over there, throughout that journey, we're meeting a whole range of people, going back through historical spaces and moments that talk about queer life in Cape Town. For me it's really important because actually what it does is change the main narratives: because the main narrative that people know about queer Cape Town is actually a white, gay Cape Town, which is what you get from the Green Point, Sea Point side. And so I've been interested in going back to their own archives and asking them to retell their stories and to map a different Cape Town for us and for, I suppose, the next generation. And so I've found them. They're in Salt River. They're in Athlone. They're in Khayelitsha. And it's been really exciting! So that's the one part: to do this tour and to introduce people to a different Cape Town, to the people of the Cape. And the second part is to invite people to respond to the critical questions that we've posed: around the history of the city, around the racialization of the city, and the class issues around the city KEYWORDS Queer; cape Town; South africa; lGBTQ; gay pride; Beverly ditsie; aidS; #feesmustfall; rhodes must fall
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2015
Since the demise of apartheid, gay and lesbian people in South Africa have enjoyed equal rights a... more Since the demise of apartheid, gay and lesbian people in South Africa have enjoyed equal rights and access to legal reform on many levels. Same-sex partnerships, adoption rights, immigration rights, and other social benefits for same-sex partners have become a norm in South Africa. Though the postapartheid South African constitution grants rights to sexual minorities, the extent of racial and class inequalities within gay politics indicates the need for a revamped movement or politics that will challenge structural injustices and lack of redistribution. Looking at South Africa through the commonly used gay lens is not only limited but also problematic. This lens follows the same forms of exclusion that gay history has revealed. Gender, class, and racial tensions within postapartheid gay politics, as in South Africa as a whole, are easily overlooked when the focus is primarily on freedom and equality.
BMC Women's Health, 2015
Background: Experiences of forced sex have been shown to be prevalent in Southern Africa. Negativ... more Background: Experiences of forced sex have been shown to be prevalent in Southern Africa. Negative outcomes of forced sex have been documented in general populations of women and men and include alcohol abuse, drug use, mental health problems, mental distress, sexual health problems and poor overall health. This study is the first to examine experiences of forced sex and associated health problems among lesbian and bisexual women in Southern Africa. Methods: This study is based on data collected as part of a collaborative endeavor involving various Southern African community-based organizations. Lesbian and bisexual women in four Southern African countries participated in a cross-sectional survey, for a total study sample of 591. Results: Nearly one-third of participants had been forced to have sex at some time in their lives. Thirty-one percent of all women reported to have experienced forced sex at least once in their life: 14.9% reported forced sex by men only; 6.6% reported forced sex by women only; 9.6% had had forced sexual experiences with both men and women. Participants experienced forced sex by men as more serious than forced sex by women; forced sex by women was more likely to involve intimate partners compared to forced sex by men. Participants who experienced forced sex by men were more likely to report drug problems, mental distress and lower sense of belonging. Forced sex by women was associated with drinking problems and mental distress. Having experienced forced sex by both men and women was associated with lower sense of belonging to the LGBT community, drug use problem and mental distress. Conclusions: The findings indicate that forced sex among Southern African women is a serious issue that needs further exploration. Clinicians should be made aware of the prevalence and possible consequences of forced sex among lesbian and bisexual women. Policies and community interventions should be designed to address this problem.
Cadernos Pagu, 2010
A partir de uma perspectiva qualitativa, este artigo analisa a forma como as pessoas "negras... more A partir de uma perspectiva qualitativa, este artigo analisa a forma como as pessoas "negras" na África do Sul esforçam-se por superar e ressignificar as marcas de uma história de repressão e de marginalização "raciais". Seguiremos a trajetória de Mpho, uma mulher "negra" com o objetivo de refletir como "raça" e gênero articulados envolvem situações de negociação, coerção, ressentimento e recusa. Estudaremos como certos indivíduos reorganizaram suas redes de sociabilidade no pós-apartheid, com foco no "campo de possibilidades" disponível para diferentes grupos "raciais".
Culture, Health & Sexuality, 2013
HIV prevention and service programmes have long either ignored or overlooked lesbians. The experi... more HIV prevention and service programmes have long either ignored or overlooked lesbians. The experiences of lesbians with HIV have similarly been unrecognised and unreported. This erasure has contributed to the invisibility of lesbians in relation to HIV and related health risks. This community participatory study, based on in-depth interviews with twenty-four self-identifying African lesbians living with HIV in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, focuses on their personal experiences and circumstances. Women's experiences shed light and challenge popular notions around lesbian risk. In particular among this group are lesbians who self-report exclusive sexual relationships with women. For these women, experiences of living with HIV are challenging as they struggle to understand the possibility of female-to-female transmission. While battling with their own perceptions of invulnerability and accepting their HIV positive status, they have to deal also with wide-ranging misconceptions about risk. The paper argues that within the context of HIV lesbians cannot be regarded as a `no-risk' group. Health services and health providers are encouraged to respond to the health needs of lesbians living with HIV.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet joined UCT Chancellor Mrs Graça Machel and distinguished pane... more Chilean President Michelle Bachelet joined UCT Chancellor Mrs Graça Machel and distinguished panelists to participate in a Gender-in-Dialogue event in UCT's Jameson Hall on 10 August as part of the 12th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture Dialogue Series. Live streamed from the UCT homepage, the lively discussion featured influential thought-leaders, including Mbuyiselo Botha, Nomboniso Gasa and Zethu Matebeni. The event was chaired by Jane Bennet of the African Gender Institute. The event was facilitated by Yaliwe Clarke.
Reclaiming Afrikan: Queer Perspectives on Sexual and Gender Identities is a collaboration and col... more Reclaiming Afrikan: Queer Perspectives on Sexual and Gender Identities is a collaboration and collection of art, photography and critical essays interrogating the meanings and everyday practices of queer life in Africa today. In Reclaiming Afrikan authors, activists and artists from Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Kenya and South Africa offer fresh perspectives on queer life; how gender and sexuality can be understood in Africa as ways of reclaiming identities in the continent. Africa is known to be harsh towards people with non-conforming genders and sexual identities. It is within this framework that Reclaiming Afrikan exists to respond to such violations and to offer alternative ways of thinking and being in the continent. The book appropriates “Afrika” and “queer” to affirm sexual identities that are ordinarily shamed and violated by prejudice and hatred. The use of “k” in Afrika signals an appropriation of an identity and belonging that is always detached from a “queer” person. “Queer” in this book is understood as an inquiry into the present, as a critical space that pushes the boundaries of what is embraced as normative. The artists and authors included in this text are “queer” themselves and occupy spaces that speak back to hegemony. For many, this position challenges various norms on gender, sexuality, and existence and offers a subversive way of being.