OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE ISSUE 45

Issue 45, SUMMER 2020

AFRICA

MAGAZ I N E

MEN - ALSO VICTIMS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

MEET NDUDUZO NYANDA

POPE FRANCIS FREE

REACHING OUT THE HAND OF TOLERANCE

TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK If you have tested positive but you are no longer on treatment or you have never been on treatment, it’s time to take your life back.

If you start treatment and stay on treatment as prescribed, the virus can become undetectable over time, which means you can’t pass it on to your sexual partner. So for a happy, healthy life just take your ARVs, it’s that easy!

Make your appointment today

060 633 2512

Monday - Friday | 09h00 - 16h00 | Call | WhatsApp | SMS Please note that all COVID-19 safety precautions are in place at the clinic.

We look forward to seeing you.

Cape Town

INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES

2 Editor’s Comment 3 Cape Town Pride Plus - Save the Date ...6 March 2021 4 Fashion Week 2021 6 Dressing “Gay” 8 FEATURE: Nduduzo Nyanda - Successful, Driven & Gorgeous 18 Cape Town Pride Icon Awards 2021 24 FEATURE: Pope Francis - Putting out the hand of Tolerance 26 Looking Back 28 Jo’burg Championing Gay Rights 30 FEATURE: Hidden Traumas - When Men are Victims of

gender-based & Sexual Violence 33 Important Numbers 34 FITNESS: Getting Ripped 38 MEN’S HEALTH: Looking Great This Summer 40 THE BUZZ: Trans Playboy Playmate, Victoria Volkova

Mark Wahlberg takes on Bullies Transgender Violence

Caster Fights on

Aimee Barrett-Theron Makes History Pride Polarised 48 WORDPERFECT: Memorial 49 MUSIC MOVES: Kylie Smashes it!

50 OUT Takes

8

18

24

14

FASHION 14 - 17 Summer is here!

34

SCENE OUT

11 - 13 Woof - Men & their Best Friends

REVIEWS

42 OUT ON FILM: The Best LGBTI+ Black cinema

“It is absolutely imperative that every human being’s freedom and human rights are respected, all over the world.”– Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir former Icelandic Prime Minister and the first openly gay head of state

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FROM THE EDITOR Welcome all It seems that positive developments are taking place regarding the development of a vaccine against the 2020 Corona-virus scourge. And great news that at least one of the vaccines will be manufactured in South Africa. So there is hope that we can get back to normal in the not too distant future.

In light of this, plans are well under way for Cape Town Pride 2021. Turn to pages 3 and 4 to find out what’s in store. Pride 2021 is being dubbed Cape Town Pride Plus as it will also be live-streamed across the African Continent with participation from other Pride organisations in Africa. This is especially important for those people in countries where they cannot hold pride celebrations, and the success of United Prides of Africa, which attracted over 1.3 million viewers bears this out.

Our cover features Pope Francis who has during his tenure held out the hand of tolerance to gay and lesbian congregants.

Whilst his utterances are not church policy or changes in CAtholic doctrine, they are a move in the right direction, and in direct opposition to the views expressed by his predecessors.

We also feature Nduduzo Nyanda, the young. dynamic country manager of Uber South Africa. This young entrepreneur is not only LGBT but a perfect illustration of how, with a lot of effort and drive one can be successful - a shining example to young LGBTI+ people everywhere. Turn to page 8 to learn a bit more about him ... oh, he’s great looking too.

There are a host of articles which will be of interest to readers, including a looking back at how it was to be a gay person in the 60’s & 70’s. On pages 30 - 33, there’s a study on a much overlooked social issue, that of gender-based and sexual violence against men.

We also take a look at some of the best black LGBTI+ cinema, so stream or download these great movies, some of which have broken barriers and made social statements so relevant today.

We feature our regular grooming, health and fitness stories and even bring you a few pages of guy-candy to feast your eyes on.

For those thousands of you who love the undisputed Queen of Disco, turn to page 49 to read a review of Kylie’s new album Disco ... this time she really has smashed it! stay safe, mask up, social distance... now that vaccines are real, it won’t be long before we can hug, kiss, romance and if you’re lucky, make a little whoopie ... have a great festive season and New Year ... bring on 2021

Cover Photo: Pope Francis Mag 2

MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 ISSN 2304-859X Published by: PATTERSON PUBLICATIONS P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Cell: 082 562 3358 E-mail: outmagafrica@telkomsa.net outmagazine@mweb.co.za outlet@telkomsa.net

CONTRIBUTORS: Rob Hamilton PHOTOGRAPHY: l

ADVERTISING SALES: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All rights are reserved. No materials may be copied, modified, published or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine.

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.

Saturday, 6 March 2021 CAPE TOWN PRIDE PLUS Plans for Cape Town Pride 2021 are well underway with plans to stream it all over Africa ...

P

ride organisations around Africa have came together to celebrate The United Prides of Africa event on Saturday, 26 September 2020, which was hugely successful. Official YouTube statistics recorded 1 387 562 people tuning in with 896 788 watching the event in its entirety.

With such a huge response United Prides of Africa will make this online event an annual happening to deliver a Pride in which everyone can participate, wherever they are in Africa and the World. The remarkably successful event included musical performances, speeches, shout-outs from allies and key messages from human rights activists including those outspoken activists like Peter Tatchell who has been instrumental in highlighting injustices against our community all over the world but particularly in Africa.

United Prides in Africa was held in conjunction with Prides and Pride Organisations from: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Tunisia and Eswatini Following on from the success of this event, OUTREACH Africa is busy with planning the first post-Covid Pride celebration in conjunction with the City of Cape Town and a number of sponsors and allies of out community in Cape Town. With Covid-19 restrictions still in place, it is hoped that Cape Town Pride will take place at the Green Point Track (A-Track) an enclosed venue

, on Saturday 6th March 2021. This years Cape Town Pride is being dubbed “Cape Town Pride Plus” as not only will it be a physical event but an online one as well. In many countries in Africa people can not celebrate Pride or even mention being part of the LGBTIQ+ community. The online platform gives those people a space to let their voices be heard and an opportunity to join in with the LGBTI+ community in Cape Town in celebrating who we are.

So get a party together, put of your favourite Pride outfit, get down to the Green Point Track or if that’s not possible switch on your TV and tune in to your favourite YouTube live stream of Cape Town Pride ... crack open your tipple of choice and join another online Pride event not ONLY for the Cape Town community but for every LGBTIQ+ person on the African Continent!

6th March, 2021 Mag 3

FASHION WEEK 2021

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As part of the build up to Cape town Pride 2021, one of the events will be Pride Fashion Week.

T

he event is a first on the Cape Town Pride calender and will be taking place in February 2021, in the week leading up to the Pride March and Festival day .

This super-glam event will take place over three days at the V&A Waterfront in conjunction with the shops in the centre and Cape Town Pride.

Cape Town Pride have employed the knowledge and professionalism of Be Confident under the watchful eye and direction of Tracy Maltman, herself a former model and insider in the industry.

Gay Fashion Week will not only comprise a number of fashion shows, but exclusive after-parties at top restaurant venues sponsored by some of the biggest names in the fashion and allied industries in South Africa.

The organisers of Cape Town Pride are pleased to announce that Mercedes Benz have come on board as the main sponsor as they have for other major fashion events that have been held in Johannesburg and Cape Town such as the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.

The event is sure to be a highlight of Cape Town Pride and tickets will sell out quickly, so it is important to keep an eye on their Facebook page and website for further details ...

Leading up to the main event will be a host of other happenings.

There will be movie nights which will showcase some of the best gay classics, which could be a real eye-opener for millenials and a walk down memory lane for some of the older folk. Added to this there will be some of the regular pre-Pride functions. The Miss & Mr Cape Town Pride pageant is always well supported and a favourite of many in our community. Always a glamorous extravaganza with our fabulous drag strutting their stuff in beautiful gowns fit for any spectacular show.

Then there are the other less glittering occasions but loved and well-supported like the Book Nights, where readers will get the opportunity to meet some local authors as well as the poetry and art evenings - quieter but never-the-less enjoyed by those who enjoy the more serious side of LGBTQ+ life. Not everyone wants to always put on their favourite body-hugging, glitter outfit and patsy the night away at a club. But for those that do enjoy dancing the night away with like-minded people the Pink Party, Men’s Night and Women’s Space are always good.

Hopefully, by February next year Covid-19 restrictions will be more relaxed and we will be able to go out and have a little fun like the old days - a year ago - seems like a lifetime!

So keep an eye on social media for updates as to what Pride 2021 will bring. Cross off February - it’s all about Pride and start planning what you going to wear, where you going to be seen and make sure you’ve saved the date for the Pride Festival, Parade and Mardi Gras.

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DRESS “GAY”?

By Andrew Christian - (Maya Vukovska) Have you been asked whether you are gay just because you wear skinny jeans or dress stylish? The question is absolutely ridiculous, of course. Why would one assume that any welldressed guy is either gay… or Italian? Although there’s no direct link between one’s dressing style and sexuality, clothes and accessories can be used as symbols of status and means of attracting attention. Tight-fitting, forms-accentuating garments, extravagant prints and embroidered wool scarves: Is there really such thing as “dressing as a gay man”?

LET’S GO SHOPPING Straight men have been known to complain there’s nothing left for them to buy in the clothing stores since gays have become the centre of attention of the fast-fashion retailers. Indeed, gay men are a target market whose massive fashion needs have to be diligently catered to. That’s why they are offered more fashion options to play around with, and also the chance to develop a distinctive dressing style. Although some bold and adventurous straight guys gladly steal ideas form the gay wardrobe, it’s still quite unpopular to go around in polka dots or floral patterns.

So yes, gay men are the main focus group of fashion retailers, simply because they’re the better shoppers.

GAY FASHION STYLE HAS BECOME A CELEBRITY THING At some point in their careers, almost every straight guy in show business is rumoured to be gay. The funny thing is that they don’t mind. On the contrary, that’s a desired effect. Being a trending male celebrity goes along with the idea that one doesn’t exactly fit the mold of what is generally considered as a 100% masculine look. Let’s take Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, for example.

He says he wouldn’t have been that popular and adored (by both men and women!) if the question about his sexuality had never popped up. Straight guys with brains and attitude have realised that being taken for gays may actually work to their advantage.

So, they go around looking scruffy no more.

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Joey Slivinski’s Year Book entry ...

The Headmaster took it out

THE FASHION ITEMS THAT SCREAM “GAY” No, it’s not low-waisted shorts with sequins, c’mon! There are other, not that obvious clothing items that are generally associated with the gay fashion wardrobe.

Luxury oversized bags. No self-respecting gay will step out of

his apartment tucking the wallet and the phone in his jeans’ back pockets. He’ll put all his belongings in a designer tote bag instead. And a big one at that!

Mandals. Straight men wear them but they associate these with the hospital nurses or their 75-year-old grandfathers, but, believe it or not, (scream!!!) mandals are the star of the summer footwear trends. NO! please GOD NO! Scarf ties. They bring a little bit of vintage flare and a lot of British camp.

Floral prints. Again and again. Gay men just don’t mind looking like their Grandma’s wallpaper. On the other hand, these prints look gorgeous on a slim, boyish body.

Shorts. And they must be really short - the kind that George Michael used to wear back in the 80’s. There’s nothing that looks sexier on a gay butt than short shorts. You can ask anybody who survived the Studio 54 fever!

Luminescent fabrics. It’s not exactly high fashion blinding someone with the texture of your pants, but some gay men do believe they will be the centre of attraction if they sparkle.

Andrew Ridgley & George Michael in those shorts!

Evening robes. Very sophisticated, very decadent, very shameless (especially if worn with nothing underneath!)

THE ADVENT OF GAY CHIC Certainly in the 1980’s and 90’s gay men set the fashion trends ... and it took the likes of iconic metro-sexual straight men, David Beckam for example, who dressed trendily and styled his hair in the way that young gay men were trending to make “dressing “gay” acceptable. More and more contemporary designers draw heavily on looks they “steal” from gay clubs and dance scene.

As a result, a whole new style in men’s fashion is born, which combines seemingly unlikely elements of both gay and straight culture - cycling shorts, oversized jerseys, skirts, bomber jackets, boots… The concept of what is categorised ‘gay chic’ is now elevated to the next level, where gay fashion style is even more intense, exciting and thought-provoking.

Adam Levine & Behati Prinsloo

Some gay men do believe they will be the centre of attraction if they sparkle.

Floral shirts are all Mag 7 the rage

FEATURE

NDUDUZO NYANDA YOUNG, SUCCESSFUL, CHARMING AND DRIVEN ... OH ...

AND DROP-DEAD GOOD-LOOKING TOO ...

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Ndududzo Nyanda is a young, highly motivated and driven entrepreneur who is making a name for himself in the business world. He currently holds the portfolio of country manager for the large multi-national Uber and is a perfect example of the future direction of this great country we live in ... Out interviewed this amazing person ... read on to learn more about him ...

As a way of introducing you to our readers, tell us a bit about yourself – where were you born, your childhood and where did you go to school?

I was born in Durban, to a loving and supportive family. I was a determined individual from a young age, that sort of did my best at whatever I set my mind to. I held that determination when I graduated from the University of Witwatersrand and I still hold it today as the country manager of Uber South Africa.

On leaving high school, which University did you attend and what made you decide to read a Master’s Degree in Development Planning?

I furthered my studies at the University of Witwatersrand where I did a BA undergraduate degree in Politics and Philosophy.

In my third year, the Town Planning department then offered a third year and postgraduate module on the politics of urban planning which I took up as a third major. It was honestly the hardest yet most rewarding module in my undergraduate. Going into the field, experiencing people’s lived experiences first hand and coming up with tangible initiatives to help them blew my mind.

This is what made me fall in love with planning and why I pivoted to spatial and transport planning in my postgraduate studies.

For many young people coming to terms with their sexuality can be a very difficult process. At what age did you realise you were gay and what was your coming out experience?

I’ve always struggled with the notion of ‘gay’ not just because I self identify as bisexual but because of how conservative and oppressive SA society is. The topic of sexuality let alone sex is so stigmatised that you find adults in committed relationships reluctant to talk to each other about their needs or desires. This is what made it hard for me to come out so ‘late’ as it were.

Primarily because I had no reference points or safe spaces to ask questions or learn from.

Did you encounter any discrimination or homophobia? And if you did, how did you deal with it? Once you left University armed with your impressive qualifications, did you struggle to find employment?

I have been called derogatory slurs, but because I also present “conventional” this does not happen often. I am very aware that this is also what has made it relatively easier for me to assimilate and not have opportunities taken from me.

Was your first job with the South African Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning? What was you function and did you feel that you were able to apply your qualifications to the job?

Having grown up in a working class home, I’ve always had to find ways of funding my life. So in Varsity I did a few promo gigs as well as bartending. My first “official” 9 - 5 was at a small

media content firm in Rosebank where I was brought on as an analyst. From there, I went into planning at a private firm (SJA) where I learnt a lot about the on the ground intricacies of the planning profession. This coupled with my studies helped prepare me for my tenure at the South African Chair in Spatial Analysis and City Planning, where I learned a lot as well.

You joined Uber South Africa in 2017. In your capacity as Country Manager, what are your responsibilities?

When I joined Uber in 2017, I was an operations manager for the Sub-Saharan Africa business. I became the South African Country manager a year and half later. My responsibilities are primarily concerned with growing the local business and stakeholder engagement.

Does your sexual orientation have any influence in the decision-making process when it comes to rolling out promotions?

No and it should never have to. Fortunately the business not only hires diversity, but has support structures in place that encourage individual growth and development and are cognisant of the importance of representation.

Uber Worldwide, and Uber South Africa in particular, are supportive of the LGBTI+ community. How is

this support rolled out?

Pride at Uber works at celebrating all employees irrespective of sexual orientation not just by highlighting the need of inclusivity, but actively backing that orientations must be heard, understood and supported. The company employs a wide variety of individuals that represent all walks of life, while it released internal guidelines for transgender, non-binary, and gendernonconforming employees planning or going through a gender transition.

Further to this, Uber and Uber Eats have an acute recognition of education and the dispersal of perspective via key partnerships.

For four years, Uber has consistently earned a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI).

However, because people are not the sum total of their sexuality, we have other Employee Resource Groups like Women at Uber and Black at Uber. The various ERGs interact and cross collaborate to better account for intersectionality.

Our commitment to fostering a positive and exceptional workplace for every employee is based on respect, trust, collaboration, and allyship.

Do you support the various Pride organisations? It

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was brought to my attention that Uber were at Cape Town Pride 2020 and the app had the driver’s route marked in the rainbow colours. That was very innovative and went down well with the community.

What other creative ideas has Uber incorporated under your guidance?

In 2017 and 2018 we partnered with Joburg Pride and did something similar. Since 2018 we’ve worked with the Other Foundation and The PLUS+ Network to help support LGBTI+ SMMEs and organisations associated with them. Pride campaigns are great for visibility, but as a business we need to do more in supporting grassroot initiatives which is what the Other Foundation and The PLUS+ Network do with their programmes like the LGBTI+ Business Summit which Uber has been a part of for three years.

We’re proud to help shine a spotlight on the different communities, flags, sexual orientations, and gender identities that represent some of the colours across the LGBTQIA+ community.

With Pride at Uber, we undertake various efforts to encourage conversation and education around the LGBTQIA+ community to ensure that everyone feels welcomed in the workplace.

We’ve also launched our diversity and inclusion policy as part of our mission to ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion. We see direct parallels between how we ignite opportunity through our company and how we ignite it within our company.

We also understand that a solely data-driven approach will never be sufficient, because D&I is more than a box to check or a target to hit. The numbers matter, but they’re only a starting point; a commitment to diversity and inclusion has to run much deeper. That’s why we’ve set an audacious goal: to make Uber the most diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace on the planet. And we’re not just setting high expectations for our own good. We’re aiming sky-high because we know from experience that reducing and eliminating inequity is hard to do if all you

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shoot for is incremental change.

As far as the LGBTI+ community are concerned what future projects are on the drawing board?

Well COVID has meant a lot of businesses have had to pivot and adapt and Uber is no different. We’ve had to rethink some of our plans and initiatives and see how best we can affect change with the limited resources we have.

Your obvious enthusiasm, passion and ability to hold a high position in a large multi-national company deserves our admiration. How do you cope with the stresses that go along with senior management? On the lighter side, what do you do to relax and unwind?

I swim if I’m really stressed. I love cooking and spending time with family and friends, that helps me de-stress. Less that, sometimes I watch trash TV and home makeover shows to help zone out.

Who is your favourite performing artist?

Unfortunately I haven’t seen him live (need a one on one actually), and I wouldn’t categorise him as a ‘live performer’ but he is hands down our generation’s most artistic all rounder. Christopher Edwin Breaux aka Frank Ocean!

What is your favourite snack?

Depends… When I’m at home in the afternoon (even in Summer) rooibos and 2 rusks, late at night - trailmix, banana, berries and yoghurt. If not and I’m out and about, a young Nosh bar or 80% dark chocolate are my go to’s.

Single, dating or married?

I have a man-friend I’m sure there are a lot of readers’ who hearts are shattered ... Thank you for allowing us a small peek in to who the real Nduduzo Nyanda is.

GUY CANDY MAN & HIS BEST FRIENDS Mag 11

GUY CANDY

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FASHION

2020 SA MENSWEAR WEEK SPRING / SUMMER 2021

DESIGNER: ICONIC BLACK Featured: Branded T’s with brightly patterned swim-shorts ideal for our long hot summer season

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SUMMER

Photos: Simon Deiner / SDR Photo / GRPcr8.com

R IS HERE!

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Photos: Sim

IT’S CASUAL Mag 16

DESIGNER: PERSEUS featured iconic street wear matched with accessories for your phone, money and anything else that you need to carry ...

IT’S STRE

mon Deiner / SDR Photo / GRPcr8.com

EET

IT’S SEXY

Casual wearable fashion was the order of the day for DESIGNER: SPCC Mag 17

OUTREACH A

WA

FRIDAY 15

Simon Nkoli OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CAPE TOWN PRIDE

HOMETOWN HERO AWARD

THE PEOPLE’S C ICON OF T NOMINATE YOUR CHOICE AT iconawards@capetownpride.org ENTRIES CLOSE ON 5 JANUARY 2021.

THE TOP NOMINEES WILL BE PUT ON A FACEBOOK POLL FOR YOUR VOTE..

ROGER PAULSON

ROBERTO QUINTAS

Roger is well known in the community, and over the years has worked tirelessly at every Pride for a number of years. Taking on and volunteering for a variety of functions - he is always willing to be of assistance.

Over the past year, Rob, when ever he was approached to assist or mediate in any situation, did so enthusiastically. Going so far as to using his own finances and resources in order to achieve some of the our goals. For his dedication and help, he is a perfect choice to receive this award.

Roger is a well deserved recipient of this award.

The Outreach Africa Icon Awards ar and organisations that have demonst the LGBTIQ+ community. Those who opportunity and fair treatment for identity, or intersex experienc

The Icon Awards are an incredible o community to have their achievements individual achievements, corporate s their endeavours, showcase the ve

TOP CONTRIBUTING MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

TOP CONTRIBUTING PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

TOP CONTRIBUTING YOUTH ADVOCACY PERSON OF THE YEAR

LATHEEM GABRIEL

MANILA VON TEEZ

ALISON GREY

Latheem has been a huge supporter of Cape Town Pride for the last 4 or 5 years. He has performed on the Pride stage to rapturous applause.

He writes and performs his own music and was also involved in the production of the short film El Fitre for the Islamic community in Cape Town. Latheem is a worthy recipient.

As one of Cape Town’s best known performers, Manila has made a name for herself nationwide having competed in the finals of SA’s Got Talent a few years ago.

Alison is an educator at Westerford High School. She has been a pioneer in LGBTI+ rights within the schooling system and creating diversity within the LO Programme.

Manila is professional and dedicated to her craft. She has performed internationally and is a credit to both the community and the City.

For her work in promoting LGBTI+ rights, Alison is a perfect choice for this award

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AFRICA ICON

ARDS

5 FEB 2021

Desmond Tutu

CHOICE AWARD THE YEAR

MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

LGBTIQ+ ACTIVIST OF THE YEAR

TREYVONE MOO

RICKI TSHEPO KGOSITAU-KANZA

Treyvone is a journalist and media influencer who has brought LGBTI+ issues to the forefront on main-stream media. He is the newly-appointed editor of EXIT, one of the country’s longest running publications.

Ricki is a trans-rights activist and executive director at Accountability International. She is a global advocate on transgender rights.

NOMINATE & VOTE FOR YOUR CHOICE FOR ICON OF THE YEAR FROM 6 JANUARY 2021 NOTE THAT ALL NOMINEES MUST BE FROM THE WESTERN CAPE

re designed to showcase individuals trated an outstanding commitment to o go the extra mile to ensure equality, all, regardless of sexuality, gender ce deserve to be recognised.

opportunity for members of LGBTIQ+ s acknowledged. The awards celebrate support and role models who through ery best our community has to offer.

For is hard work & dedication Treyvone deserves the award.

For her support of our community Ricki is a well-deserved recipient of this award.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO HEALTH & WELLBEING IN THE LGBTIQ+ COMMUNITY

LGBTIQ+ ALLY OF THE YEAR

OUTSTANDING WORK IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES

DR. ANASTASIA TOMSON-MYBURGH

CITY OF CAPE TOWN

SISANDA KAPISTO KAYZA FATYELA

Dr Tomson-Myburgh is a transrights activist within the medical field. She lectures UCT Medical School on gender & sexual orientation subjects, with particular emphasis on transgender health.

For her unfailing work in the community she is a worthy recipient.

Over the years, the City of Cape Town has supported the LGBTI+ community, especially with Pride.

Championing the success and increasing popularity of Pride, each year the City has gone a little further, with sponsorship, lighting-up of buildings, assistance with applications ... Pride owes a debt of gratitude to the City of Cape Town

Sisanda has been involved with Pride for several years and has worked tirelessly in the disadvantaged area of Cape Town. She has brought Pride to these area through iKasi Pride and other LGBTI+ events in these areas.

Sisanda has earned this award!

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Saints Sergius and Bacchus. 7th Century icon from St. Catherine’s Monastery on Mt. Sinai in Israel

TRAVEL

VISITING LGBTIQ+ MEMORIALS AROUND THE GLOBE

All communities wherever they are need recognition of their existence, their contribution and their struggle. The LGBTI+ community has been side-lined, marginalised and ignored for so long that you may be surprised to discover that there are a number of monuments and memorials around the world honouring our heroes, icons, our trials and tribulations.

“Know thy history. Let it horrify you; let it inspire you.” Were the words of American musician Rhiannon Giddens. Her message applies not only to the people of any nation but also to the members of the large LGBTIQ+ community. LGBTIQ+ history is part of the history of all the people of the world and cannot be narrowed down to just one or two events. Our rich history is honoured at many places around the world…make a note of these and make a point of visiting them when you next get the opportunity to travel…

W

e begin our journey in Amsterdam, Europe’s premier gay-Mecca where you can visit The Homomonument. This memorial to homosexual victims of the Holocaust is situated on the bank of the Keizersgracht canal, near the historic Westerkerk church. The monument represents three pink triangles made of granite, arranged in a way to form a larger triangle. It had been designed and commissioned seven years earlier following the actions of gay activists who were arrested in 1970 for placing wreaths on the War memorial in Dam Square to pay tribute to all homosexual people who died during the Second World War. There are a number of monuments to the LGBTI people who were persecuted, imprisoned and killed in the Nazi death camps … in Berlin, you will find the Memorial to Homosexuals Mag 20

persecuted under Nazism. The monument is a concrete cuboid which has a window on the front through which visitors can see a short film of two kissing men.

Homomonument Amsterdam

Memorial to victims of the holocaust in Berlin

In the German town of Frankfurt you’ll find Frankfurter Engel. A beautiful bronze angel which stands near St. Peter’s Church in the centre of a square in the shape of a cross. The inscription on the statue explains that it is dedicated to all the homosexual people who were hounded under the German Criminal Code during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Tel Aviv’s holocaust memorial for LGBTIQ+ victims

There are statues celebrating the lives of some of the best known LGBTIQ+people in history. No article would be worth its salt if there wasn’t a mention of Alexander the Great (356 BCE-323 BCE). Travel to Thessaloniki, Greece or to Skopje, North Macedonia where one will find enormous statues to legendary leader.

Alexander III of Macedon married three women over his lifetime and scholars also debate the nature of his relationship with his general Hephaestion, described by Aristotle as “one soul abiding in two bodies.”

Alexander the Great monument in Thessaloniki

Frankfurter Engel

Cologne’s Rosa Winkel

Also in Germany is the Rosa Winkel (Pink Triangle) Memorial in Cologne, also commemorating the persecution of homosexuals under Nazism.

In 2013, in Tel Aviv a memorial was unveiled honouring LGBTIQ+ victims of the Holocaust—the first in the country to commemorate both Jewish and non-Jewish victims. Located outside the LGBTIQ+ Community Centre in Gan Meir (Meir Park), the memorial is composed of three pink benches that form a triangle. Once used to identify gay men in Nazi concentration camps, the pink triangle has been reclaimed as a symbol of LGBTIQ+ pride, resilience, and resistance.

Each bench is engraved in Hebrew, English, and German: “In memory of those persecuted by the Nazi regime for their sexual orientation and gender identity.”

In Chicago, USA you’ll find The Legacy Walk, the world’s only outdoor LGBTIQ+ history museum. The Walk consists of 38 bronze memorials, each of which commemorating the life and achievements of notable LGBTQ individuals, such as Leonard Bernstein, Walt Whitman, Cole Porter, Reinaldo

There is also the Gay and Lesbian Holocaust Memorial in Sydney, Australia. Next to the Sydney Jewish Museum, there is a park, the Green Park, which hosts a memorial commemorating the lives of thousands of gay people killed in the Holocaust. It is in the form of a large pink triangle with black holes. This moving tribute was dedicated in 2001.

The holocaust memorial in Sydney Mag 21

Arenas, just to mention a few. Since the launch of the Legacy Project in October 2012, the Walk has been visited by 1.5 million people annually. In 2019, the Legacy Walk was declared a historic landmark.

In Dublin, Ireland you’ll find a rather eccentric, somewhat mischievous statue of the famous Irish playwright and bon vivant Oscar Wilde. The colourful statue wears a jacket of Dublin celebrates the life & works of Oscar Wilde

Lisbon’s memorial to homophobia from one side and a woman when viewed from the other. In fact, the artist purposely sculpted the figure in a generic way to emphasize that it could be any of us. The other door is open, inviting anyone who wants to enter.

Statue of Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba in Luanda

nephrite jade, collared in a pink Norwegian thulite. His pants are “tailored” from glistening Norwegian blue pearl granite, and his shoes are spit-shined in black granite. The result is a life-size Oscar Wilde looking as dandy and flamboyantly fashionable as the living one did.

Travel to Manchester, England and you’ll find the Alan Turing Memorial - a life-size, bronze statue of Alan Turing reclining on a park bench. The war hero, acclaimed mathematician, and pioneer in computing, Turing helped crack the Enigma code— an accomplishment that ultimately led to the Allied victory in

Manchester pays tribute to Alan Turing World War II. Turing was arrested for “gross indecency” in 1952 and chemically castrated via forced hormone injections. He was one of tens of thousands of gay men victimised under British law. Turing committed suicide as a result of his persecution.

His memorial was built in 2001, and in 2013, he received a posthumous royal pardon. his story helped in the fight for the legalisation of homosexuality in the UK.

Closer to home, if you’re ever visiting Angola’s capital city, Luanda, make a point of checking out the Statue of Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba (1583-1663). Nzinga (also spelled Njinga) was one of the leaders of African peoples facing the devastation of European colonisation and fought back against the slave trade her entire 37-year rule. Rulers of the Ndongo and Matamba were typically male, so Nzinga was considered a “female king” and it is rumoured the men in her harem had to dress as women. Her 2002 statue stands tall in Kinaxixi Square in Luanda, depicting her with a battle-ax which she was known for using adeptly.

When visiting the huge, vibrant metropolis that is Sao Paulo be sure to check out My Heart Beats Like Yours a large-scale interactive sculpture by Estúdio Guto Requena that serves as a tribute to the LGBTIQ+ community in Brazil. It was unveiled in 2018 in Praça da República, a park and public square where the city’s first LGBTIQ+ activist community met back in 1978.

The structure is composed of metal cylinders usually found exclusively underground. These cylinders transmit audio statements made by members of the LGBTQ+ community, along with the sound of their heartbeats, the pulse of which informs the algorithm that impacts the pattern of the lighting at night. From above, the sculpture resembles an arrow dissolving on the ground.

When visiting Lisbon, Portugal, take a moment to visit the Príncipe Real Garden, a popular park in Lisbon, where there stands a monument to the victims of homophobia, lesbophobia and transphobia. The monument is titled “Lisbon of April — City of the World”, and it was inaugurated on 17 June 2017, the day of Lisbon’s annual LGBT pride march, which starts in the garden. Sculpted in iron and concrete by Rui Pereira, the monument is in the shape of two doors. Inside one door stands the silhouette of a person, said to resemble a man when viewed Mag 22

Sao Paulo - sculpture to the LGBTIQ+ community

In Berlin, Germany, make a special side trip to the Schwules Museum to see the bust of one of the country’s LGBTIQ+ heroes, Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935). Hirschfeld lived in Germany as a gay Jewish man until he left in early 1933, never to return. The Nazis burned his life’s work at the Institute of Sexology not long after his escape. He was a pioneer of public advocacy for LGBTIQ+ rights and scientific research on LGBTIQ+ people, even founding the world’s first LGBTIQ+ rights organisation in 1897. Berlin’s Schwules Museum is the first museum in the world dedicated to LGBTIQ+ history.

Freddie Mercury rocks Montreux

Magnus Hirschfeld is honoured in Berlin Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay people ever elected to public office when he became a San Francisco Supervisor in 1978, making him an important icon in United States LGBTIQ+ history. He was tragically murdered less than a year into his term by a fellow city supervisor inside his City Hall office. A bronze bust of Milk was dedicated in the rotunda of San Francisco City Hall in 2008 on what would have been his 78th birthday. Before his death, he poignantly said, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”

San Francisco remembers Harvey Milk

If you find yourself in Switzerland, take a trip to Montreux where you’ll find a flamboyant Statue of Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock band Queen. Notably, the voice behind classics like We Are The Champions and the subject of the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Mercury first came to Montreux, Switzerland in 1978 for its world-famous annual jazz festival and fell in love with the tranquillity of Lake Geneva. He bought a lake-view apartment where he often stayed. Freddie died of HIV Aids in 24 November 1991 and lives on as a gay icon. In 1996, the town of Montreux erected a statue in his honour on the lakeside promenade.

One of those truly fascinating finds is the Statue of AlHakam II (915-976) in Córdoba, Spain. The Caliphate of Córdoba was a powerful Muslim state a thousand years ago

The Statue of Al-Hakam II in Spain spread over what is today Spain and Morocco. The second Caliph of this Caliphate was Al-Hakam II, a peaceful ruler who emphasised education, the arts and sciences, and cooperation with Iberian Christians. He is one of those responsible for the construction of the beautiful Mezquita that still stands in Córdoba. While he did marry a woman who bore him two children, it is said he had her dress as a male and go by the name Jafar to make what was necessary for procreation possible. AlHakam II also kept a male harem. His statue has stood near the Mezquita in the Plaza Campo Santo de los Mártires since 1976.

If you ever fortunate enough to visit the vibrant city of Istanbul take a side trip to visit the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, formerly the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, is a former Greek Eastern Orthodox church dedicated to Saints in Constantinople, built between 532 and 536. Saints Sergius and Bacchus were third-century Roman soldiers, Christian martyrs and men who loved each other. Since the earliest accounts, the close bond between the two soldiers has been stressed. The high-ranking officers were referred to in the oldest record of their martyrdom as erastai (Greek for “lovers”). The pair were tortured to death around 303 in present-day Syria after they refused to attend sacrifices to Zeus, thus revealing their secret Christianity. They were arrested and paraded through the streets in women’s clothing in an effort to humiliate them. Early accounts say that they responded by chanting that they were dressed as brides of Christ. They were separated and beaten so severely that Bacchus died. According to the early manuscripts, Bacchus appeared to Sergius that night with a face as radiant as an angel’s, dressed once again as a soldier. He urged Sergius not to give up because they would be reunited in heaven as lovers.

In South Beach, Miami, USA Casa Casuarina has become a historic landmark and popular tourist attraction. This is the house where fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and where on the morning of 15 July 1997 was shot by Andrew Cunanan on the front steps of his home. The mansion has been turned into a very expensive one hotel, but its glamour will give visitors an insight into the designers extravagant lifestyle.

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FEATURE

POPE FRANCIS

While some may call the Pope’s acceptance of civil unions as revolutionary, anything “revolutionary” when it refers to the Catholic Church is highly relative. Pope Francis and his Church have restrained and in fact continue to discriminate and oppress the human and civil rights of LGBTQ+ people. He continues to deny LGBTQ+people the benefits, privileges, and responsibilities of legalised partnerships and families, continuing to prohibit them from the priesthood, and even denying them the right to be named and serve as godparents. This is not revolutionary, but is possibly a small step in the right direction.

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I

n a documentary film Francesco, which premiered at this year’s Rome Film Festival, Pope Francis rocked the world with his endorsement of same-sex civil unions, declaring, “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said in the documentary. “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.”

This is not the first time that the Pope has spoken out in support of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2010, before becoming Pope, in his position as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he advocated for same-sex civil unions, albeit in an attempt to block a same-sex marriage law being passed in Argentina at the time.

Archbishop Bergoglio supported civil unions as a way of keeping same-sex unions distinct from traditional heterosexual marriages, but never-the-less it was an indication of his acceptance that homosexual relationships exist and future comments would confirm his support for the community.

In 2013, shortly after his election as Pope he was asked about gay priests in the Catholic church. His reply, ““If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?” giving us an insight that the new head of the Catholic church had a different take and may bring one of the World’s most dogmatic religions in to the 21st century.

Pope Francis’s stark change in rhetoric from his two predecessors - makes what he’s done in since his accession all the more important.

Pope John Paul II’s acknowledgement, of what has become known as the “Rat Letter” - an unprecedented damning of ho-

“

non-Catholics who welcome a more tolerant and liberal view from one of the World’s most influential leaders.

The Pope’s comments suggest he is sympathetic to the experience of LGBTQ+ people in the church, and their families. More often, than not these people are not tolerated by the church. So it is therefore more refreshing and hopeful that a man of the Pope’s stature should be calling for tolerance and acceptance of the churches gay and lesbian flock.

During an in-depth interview with America magazine in September 2013, the Pope recalled, “A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person.”

In his first message for the World Day of Peace he reiterated his belief that the Church should not turn their backs on their homosexual followers saying, “All men and women enjoy an equal and inviolable dignity. All are loved by God.” When visiting India after the country recriminalised homosexuality the Pope said, “The Catholic Church is opposed to the legalisation of gay marriage, but teaches that homosexuals have the same dignity of every human being and condemns all forms of unjust discrimination, harassment or abuse.”

When the Pope was interviewed by Juan Carlos Cruz, a surviver of sexual abuse in the Catholic church and critic of the churches handling of the issue, Cruz says he spoke to the pope about his sexuality and the Pope responded by saying: “God made you gay.

God loves you like you as you are and you have to love yourself.”

If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge ...

mosexuality as an “intrinsic moral evil,” confirmed his anti-gay stance. The fact that this letter was penned by one of his cardinals, Joseph Ratzinger, who went on to become Pope Benedict XVI seemed to endorse the Catholic Church’s unwavering antihomosexuality position.

Whilst Pope Francis is still not pro-gay by today’s standards, he did acknowledge soon after becoming Pope, referring to samesex unions, that, “This union is born of their love, as a sign and presence of God’s own love, and of the acknowledgement and acceptance of the goodness of sexual differentiation.” A statement that showed that the new Pope was not going to blindly follow his predecessors. His comments have not gone without criticism and a backlash from many clergy and Catholics around the world, but Pope Francis has remained resolute in his belief that the Church must embrace their LGBTQ+ followers.

Needless to say his statement on civil unions underscores the general inclusivity of his world view, which has earned him a set of hard-line opponents within the Catholic Church but has also earned him praise from millions of people, both Catholic and

”

Pope Francis said that when he was a cardinal, “I used to receive letters from homosexual persons who are ‘socially wounded’ because they tell me that they feel like the church has always condemned them. But the church does not want to do this. During [a recent] return flight from Rio de Janeiro I said that if a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge.” Adding, “Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person.”

When Advocate Magazine nominated Pope Francis as their Man of The Year in 2013 they commented that, “Pope Francis is leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics all over the world. There are three times as many Catholics in the world than there are citizens in the United States. Like it or not, what he says makes a difference.

Sure, we all know Catholics who fudge on the religion’s rules about morality. There’s a lot of disagreement, about the role of women, about contraception, and more. But none of that should lead us to underestimate any Pope’s capacity for persuading hearts and minds in opening to LGBT+ people, and not only in the U.S. but globally”.

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Michelle Bruno was famous in her day

Granny Lee was one of the best-known characters

LOOKING BACK Internationally, October is LGBTIQ+ history month ... what was life like before equality ... this article looks back at some of the events, people and places that have shaped our lives ...

A

fter watching the movie remake of Matt Crowley’s play The Boys in the Band on Netflix, I was reminded of the reverberations the original film caused when it was released in 1968. The superb acting ensemble, dressed in cashmere cardigans, show just how it was like to be a “perverse” homosexual living in a no-less-perverse society, and in South Africa, made more so by the apartheid government which ruled the country with an iron rod, at the time. And while for many, the 1960’s and 1970’s was a glorious time of sexual awakening and liberation, for gay and bisexual men it wasn’t all like that. The repressive atmosphere in a xenophobic and homophobic world and add to that the racist policies of the South African regime, led to many lives being ruined and reputations destroyed. The 2020 drama directed by Joe Mantello has once again reminded us of how far the society has come and how far we still have to go. From the restrictive laws with few rights to today’s more open society where LGBTI+ rights are part of the constitution.

Homosexuality was one of those “conditions” that wasn’t spoken of. Homosexual characters in films were always depicted as ultra-effeminate or as the dark, evil villains. Few gay men were openly gay and those that were, invariably were employed or associated with industries where their eccentricities were tolerated. Many people thought that if homosexuals were not spoken about, they would just disappear, as if they’d never existed. The authorities, however, witch-hunted and persecuted people suspected of homosexual conduct. Here in South Africa police raided known gay men’s homes if they thought that two men may be sleeping together. Of course, the black Mag 26

gay experience was far worse, not only had they to deal with society’s, and the government’s homophobia, there were racist laws and policies to add to their already difficult lives. Laws were draconian and extreme with long jail sentences and public humiliation.

The Forest Town raid is an example of the police crack down on gay life in the 60’s. On January 22, 1966 a glamorous party, which included prominent gay socialites, took place at a house in Forest Town, Johannesburg. Plain-clothed police, raided the home early in the morning and arrested 9 men for a variety of

infringements, including masquerading as women, “gross indecency” and the illegal sale of liquor.

Newspapers covered the event, describing the party as a “mass sexy orgy,” reported The Daily Mail. The papers also focused on the professional people, such as doctors and lawyers, present at the event, even going so far as to printing their names. The press helped create a fear of “deviant” lifestyles and called it “a problem for the white community of South Africa.” Evidence collected by the police was used to influence the proposal of anti-homosexuality legislation in 1967 which would criminalised both male and female homosexuality with imprisonment for up to three years for offenders. It would also be the first time that lesbians would be subject to punishment under the law and homosexuality, not just homosexual acts would be illegal. It would be illegal to be gay! This inspired LGBTI+ people to form action groups to fight these laws. The Homosexual Law Reform Fund was created to raise money for attorneys to challenge the proposed law. The Law Reform movement did cause the South African legislature to drop the proposed law and instead, the Select Committee created three amendments to the Immorality Act. These included raising the age of consent for homosexual sex acts to 19, outlawed dildoes and criminalised male homosexual acts at parties. Of course, Black LGBTI+ individuals were also further marginalised after the raid. Forest Town was in a sense South Africa’s “Stonewall”, galvanising the community and giving them a greater sense of coherence in the fight for equality and LGBTI+ rights.

South Africa was not alone, in the UK, some of the greatest minds of the era couldn’t escape the pervasive homophobia. If you’ve seen the 2014 movie The Imitation Game, then you are familiar with the gruesome fate that caught up with Alan Turing, the phenomenal mathematician, and Enigma-code breaker. In the early 1950’s, he was convicted of “indecency, “was stripped of his job and forced to undergo hormone therapy – this inhuman treatment drove Turing to commit suicide. He is just one example but there were many who could not cope with the ostracisation, humiliation and prospect of living as an outcast.

1960’s however, were also a time of sexual liberation.

In the USA, hippies and “flower-people” flocked to San Francisco, who can forget the song, where gay people were tolerated, even welcomed. I remember Hillbrow in Johannesburg was South Africa’s most welcoming spot and white gay men flocked there from all over South Africa and Zimbabwe. It was a buzz, there were bars, clubs, gay shops – the country’s first gay village so to speak… we were everywhere!

Despite the strict Group Areas Act laws, the suburb was racially integrated, as well as the focal point for organised gay and lesbian activism. Throughout the 70’s & 80’s, Hillbrow became more integrated and ‘multiracial’ and by 1990, white residents made up only about 20% of its population.

In the ‘50’s and the early ‘60’s the gay rights movement was small-scale and marginalised. This all changed in June 1969, when in the United States, The Stonewall riots took place, this event galvanised the movement and gave rise to nation-wide gay activism, which spread internationally. In a police raid on The Stonewall Inn, the patrons decided to fight back. Their actions led to several nights of street riots and the emergence of the Gay Liberation Front. One newspaper, the Sunday News, described the “uprising” with the headline “Homo Nest Raided, Queen Bees Are Stinging Mad” The following year a march was arranged to commemorate Stonewall, Pride as we know it, was launched, spreading first to San Francisco, London, other European capitals and today that same movement has spread Worldwide. On the 13th October 1990, South Africa’s first Lesbian and Gay Pride march was held in Johannesburg. It was also the first Pride March on the African continent and acted as both a gay pride event and an anti-Apartheid march. The march was organised by the Gay and Lesbian Organisation of the Witwatersrand (GLOW) and attracted a crowd of about 800 people. October has since been designated LGBTI+ history month, I assume in recognition of that first Pride march.

Despite harsh anti-queer legislation and sentiments, the Mag 27

In those days, the bars were glorious places which kept running thanks to audacious owners, bribed cops and enthusiastic crowds. The Butterfly Bar in the Harrison Reef Hotel was one such place. Opened in the early 70’s as a watering-hole for the burgeoning gay male population, and it heaved every night. The bar like all establishments at the time was a whites-only bar.

This changed in 1985 when the bar opened its doors to black gay men. Charl Blignaut described life in Hillbrow perfectly in “A Moffie Walks In A Bar…” “Skyline wasn’t like any bar I’d seen before and, frankly, since. There was an incredible mix of men. All we really had in common was that we were illegal. We could be gay, but we couldn’t have sex. We were a secret and like any secret our closets were susceptible to infection. But a miracle happened when you walked along Pretoria Street and into Skyline. You felt you were legal. In Hillbrow I was free. I could go and browse the “gay literature” in Estoril Books, a famous cruising place right next to the Mini Cine that showed banned films like Rocky Horror Picture Show. Across the road was the infamous 58 with its drag cabarets and later, dark rooms. But down the strip, past Highpoint, you got to the Harrison Reef Hotel and went up the stairs to Skyline and it was a parallel universe, where “normal” gay men could hang out … “ To get around the law, many gay bars operated as “bottle bars” - private clubs where “members” could bring their own booze, remember The Dungeon Club in downtown Jo’burg. Mandy’s (later Idols) had an all-you-could-drink policy for R15 entrance.

The practice of charging an entrance/membership fee with free drinks was started by the gay clubs to circumvent police raids - and club raids were a regular occurrence. The editor of OUT magazine was arrested and jailed after a raid on Mandy’s.

Despite the possibility of severe penalties some gay bars and clubs allowed in people of colour, even though it was strictly against the law. Even so most gay black and coloured people could not come because of the harsh regulations controlling their movement. Unbelievable! - especially at night.

Life, however, and especially in the gay world was filled with colourful characters, Granny Lee and Michelle Bruno spring to mind. Certain artists in the ‘60’s and the ‘70’s were a huge influence on the gay community. Judy Garland, for example, many gay men found empathy with her tragic lifestyle. She was huge. There were the Village People, who appeared at Sun City, Cher and locally Joan Brickhill wowed theatre lovers with her iconic performances of Hello Dolly and Mame. In America the Black civil-rights movement got going and here in South Africa, in 1961, Nelson Mandela and his ANC cadres were jailed for

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taking on the apartheid government. Their movement would keep going and intensify over the following 30+ years. As the gay movement in the United States and the UK progressed, so too did the gay movement here. During the 1970’s and early 80’s a number of organisations formed, which pressured the government and where iconic people like Simon Nkoli, Beverly Ditsie and Justice Edward Cameron played crucial roles.

But legal legitimacy does not automatically translate into gay acceptance, particularly in black rural areas and townships.

Black lesbians still face the horror of so-called “corrective” rape.

Rapists who believe they can “fix” women not conforming to conservative gender norms. South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world, including against lesbians, because they are lesbians. But legal equality is the starting point. Giving LGBTI+ people equal rights as equal citizens is essential and paves the way for acceptance.

Despite the social hostility, persecution of our community, the fear and the challenges the gay community had to go through, the ‘60’s, ‘70’s and the ‘80’s were glorious times worthy of celebration. Because this is when modern LGBTQ history and the fight for the rights that we all enjoy today were crafted and these pioneers should be recognised.

JOBURG CHAMPIONS GAY RIGHTS

This was revealed by the Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development, Councillor Eunice Mgcina, during the first-ever LGBTQI+ discussion in the City that aims to address challenges faced by LGBTQI+ community.

“We will consult with the LGBTQI+ community as soon as the first draft has been completed in order to have their input as well,” said Councillor Mgcina.

She said the City is dedicated to advancing human rights with a particular focus on those who are marginalised, including LGBTQI+ community.

The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Geoffrey Makhubo, has thrown his weight behind the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex community, insisting that the City’s administration would not tolerate discrimination against any resident based on their sexuality.

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n his keynote address to a virtual panel discussion on gay and lesbian rights, the Executive Mayor said the LGBTQI+ community is entitled to all rights as every South African citizen and should be treated with dignity and respect.

“As government we need to reflect on whether we have done all that was expected of us to ensure that the values in the constitution are realised and lived,” said Mayor Makhubo.

The Executive Mayor’s support comes as the City prepares to develop an exclusive programme dedicated to advancing the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.

The discussion panel included Jay Judah Matlou from Thami Dish Foundation, Roche Kester from OUT Organisation, Anzio Jacobs from Scope Facilitation and Mpho Buntse from Embrace Diversity Movement.

Matlou said the City had a responsibility to educate residents.

“How many people attending this virtual discussion know what the letters LGBTQI+ stand for and what they mean? That’s where we have to start when educating the people and I believe the municipality have the resources to do so,” she said.

Kester said while strides had been made in advancing LGBTQI+ rights over the last two decades, the City had made unfulfilled promises, include having a shelter exclusively dedicated to members of the LGBTQI+ community.

She urged the City to review its gender policy as most LGBTQI+ community members who work for the municipality are mistreated by their colleagues.

The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Social Development, Councillor Margaret Arnolds, urged residents not to discriminate based on sexuality or race.

“We should normalise to be proud of ourselves. We should not be in the closet about challenges that are faced by LGBTQI+ community. We must all live with each other in harmony.

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HIDDEN TRAUMAS

WHEN MEN ARE VICTIMS OF GENDER-BASED AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Photo by Frank K from Pexels

By Rob Hamilton

Introduction

G

ender-based violence (GBV) has been pervasive across the course of human history. It is only one of many strands in the woven fabric of institutional violence that preserves patriarchal culture, ensuring the continuation of male dominance and ongoing control by men of key institutional resources, all of which contribute to keeping women and girls ‘in their place’.

The United Nations defines GBV as (McMahon 2018): … violence that is directed at a person on the basis of gender or sex.

It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, threat of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty.

While GBV has always been characterised by female victimhood and male perpetration, it is worth noting that this definition makes no explicit reference to the gender of either the victim or the perpetrator. The possibility, then, of male victimhood, is important to consider. This is not to deny that most of the energy and resources should focus on women and girls as victims (and indeed on marginalised victims such as trans people, gay men and lesbian women, and people who are gender variant). But in shining a light on (mostly heterosexual) men as victims, we open the door to helping such men, and we introduce necessary complexity and nuance in a field which may have closed the door on male victimhood.

McMahon (2018), for example, points out that there is no international legal instrument specifically prohibiting sexual violence against men, which she believes reinforces the prevailing notion that only women and girls are victims of GBV. Yet the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE, 2018) states that “… it is Mag 30

always understood that gender-based violence means violence against women” (my emphasis).

Why is it so difficult for boys and men to be seen as victims of GBV? One answer to this question relates to toxic constructions of masculinity. Messerschmidt (2005) suggests that a key attribute of toxic masculinity is the social expectation that boys and men should only engage in stereotypically masculine performances of gender. Amongst others, these rigid notions of what constitutes a ‘real’ man restrict emotions which men and boys are allowed to show publicly: in particular, men are expected to be dominant and to frequently express anger, whilst expression of vulnerable, so-called ‘feminine’, emotions such as fear, sadness, vulnerability and pain, is prohibited. Any male individual who expresses vulnerability is likely to be demeaned by dominant alpha males[1], and to have their personal masculinity questioned and belittled.

Hence many male survivors of GBV are likely to invest strongly in concealment of their trauma: public disclosure, particularly of experiences of emotional and physical trauma or vulnerability, risks survivors being an object of derision for men who are heavily invested in policing toxic masculinity, and hence survivors’ immediate experience of trauma may be compounded by public disbelief that men and boys could be victims (as well as perpetrators) and painful experiences of shaming (Zalewski et al. 2018). The absence of an empathic response is reflected in the most common reactions of police and social support services across the world when men disclose that they have been victims of GBV: their complaints are not treated seriously, and male victims may find themselves being belittled.

Men who are victims of domestic violence where perpetrators are female may face social prejudice and humiliation when they

report the traumatic event to police. Male victims of domestic violence are perceived as lacking machismo, and their gender identities may be perceive as fundamentally damaged. Cases of intimate-partner violence (IPV) in which the perpetrator is female and the victim is male are rarely reported, and in some communities the traumatic act is not even recognised as inherently violent.

In countries like Uganda or Saudi Arabia (where homosexuality is illegal and homophobia is rampant) disclosure to police by a male victim of sexual violence that the perpetrator was male may be met not only with scepticism and ridicule, but the police are likely to assume that he consented to such sexual acts. This may in turn lead to him being arrested and charged with a criminal offence.

A court case may follow, with public shaming, and if convicted, he may be sentenced to a long period of imprisonment or even violent flogging in a public setting (McMahon 2018).

Finally, many countries do not even go as far as collecting data on men who have experienced GBV, which effectively results in them feeling invisible. Recent statistics on crime in South Africa, released by the South African Police Service[2], offered for the first time sex disaggregated information when it reflected “crimes committed against women and children”. These crimes included sexual offences, and no mention was made of men as victims.

The Southern African context Research regarding men as victims of GBV in Southern Africa is conspicuously absent.

South Africa reports a very high incidence of women and girls who experience GBV, yet almost no data exists on men as victims of GBV (Machisa et al. 2011). Hence South African-based organisations working towards gender justice inevitably focus on vulnerable women and girls, and on provision of support to female GBV survivors. There are virtually no services provided for men who have experienced GBV victimisation, apart from trauma counselling offered by certain LGBTI community organisations.

Yet not all South African men are perpetrators of GBV, nor does the possession of a male gender identity necessarily keep all boys and men in South Africa safe from GBV and sexual violence.

emotional, sexual or physical abuse, or in some other form. The study also found that internalised homophobia was a common factor in abusive behaviour, both for perpetrators and victims.

Previous studies of gay male couples had found that on average a third of men in same-sex relationships experienced emotional abuse, a quarter faced physical abuse, and one in ten experienced sexual violence. It appears that the incidence of IPV tends to decrease with age, but tends to increase if the couple experience stress regarding their finances, depression or either of them engages in substance use.

Institutional settings and risk Research has shown that certain male sub-populations are more likely to be exposed to GBV, and some institutional contexts make sexual violence directed towards men or boys highly likely to happen. In South Africa boys and men in prisons or institutional care have been identified as at particular risk for GBV. Male offenders in a South African prison setting are particularly vulnerable to male rape, which includes a high risk of HIV infection. and their degree of vulnerability is often linked to their physical appearance and / or gender presentation (Trammel 2011). It is difficult to determine the prevalence of male rape in South African prisons, since sexual assault and rape were until recently classified as general assault by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), and researchers have been dependent on inmate’s personal accounts regarding the nature and extent of the problem.

Gear (2007) and Booyens (2009) are two researchers who have sought to understand the dynamics of male rape in South African prisons, and who describe the social complexities underlying vulnerability. They describe the most vulnerable men in a prison setting as those men who are identified as gay or transgender, adolescents and young men who appear to be less physically powerful, men who are slight in stature or shorter than other men, men with no links to gang networks or financial resources (and hence who have no means to ensure gang protection from sexual violence), as well as offenders known to be serving a prison sentence following conviction for the sexual abuse of children (who are highly stigmatised both by other offenders and prison staff members).

Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Morgan and Wells (2016) reported on men’s experiences of IPV perpetrated by their female partners. All the men who were interviewed identified themselves as victims of abuse, which took multiple forms. One particular form of abuse which was highlighted was a controlling form of abuse (e.g. isolating the male partner and preventing him from having outside social contacts, or threatening to withdraw his right of access to his children). The participants also pointed out that the female perpetrators were highly adept at hiding the abuse from others, or falsely accused the men of being perpetrators of abuse, and hence distracted attention from the women. It was felt that the perpetrators exploited the common myths that women are vulnerable, weaker than men and fundamentally nurturing, to hide the extent and longevity of the abuse within the relationship.

IPV does not affect only heterosexual couples. A study of IPV amongst gay male American couples, which was published in the July 2018 issue of the American Journal of Men’s Health, found that gay male couples experience domestic partner violence at rates comparable to those of heterosexual couples.

Some 46% of couples that were surveyed said that one or both partners had experienced IPV over the past year, whether as

Photo by Wicliff Thadeu from Pexels Mag 31

In 2013 the South African Department of Correctional Services adopted the Policy to Address the Sexual Abuse of Inmates in DCS Facilities, which tackles the problem in similar ways to the Prison Rape Elimination Act in the United States. This was described as a historic first step towards ending male GBV in South African prisons. However, the main challenge will be effective implementation of the policy, given the overcrowding of South African prisons and the chronic staffing crisis (Keehn & Geer 2015).

torture survivors was most often sexual dysfunction, including decreased sexual interest, inability to trust a sexual partner, aversion regarding sexual activity, inability to become sexually aroused and erectile dysfunction.

Another group of boys and men who are more likely to become victims of GBV are physically and intellectually disabled males in institutional care, who are at particularly high risk of sexual assault from male and female caregivers. Men with disabilities are reportedly four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than men who are not disabled (health24 2011).

A study of male victims of sexual torture in 45 countries found that although fewer than 20% of male detainees who had been sexually assaulted by guards or interrogators could later provide physical evidence of the assault, more than half of the victims developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (Bhugra, Craig & Bhui 2010).

GBV and sexual violence during war and social conflict

GBV and sexual violence against men in the African context Boys and men in African countries with ongoing violent unrest or ethnic conflict (such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Congo DRC) face a particularly high risk for GBV (Institute for Security Studies 2018).

According to Ngari (2016), sexual violence has been a tactic of war since the dawn of civilisation, and such acts have aimed to humiliate, dominate and instil fear in subjugated groups of people.

In modern times sexual violence has increasingly been used as a tactic of terrorist movements. The international focus of current NGOs has been on supporting women and girls who are survivors of sexual violence, but the fact that boys and men can also be at risk is often glossed over. Sexual violence targeting men and boys can include anal and oral rape, genital torture, castration and coercion to rape other individuals. In the context of normative masculinity, many of these acts are experienced by male victims as emasculating. Although some male victims willingly testify regarding the sexual violence that they have witnessed, the majority are reluctant to disclose what sexual violence they themselves have experienced and its traumatic effects.

There were widespread reports that Israeli security forces engaged in verbal sexual harassment of Palestinians, including threatened rape, sexual humiliation of Palestinians’ family members and sexual threats made to family members.

Boys and men may be forced to fight, and then as combatants become victims of GBV. Some male victims may in turn become perpetrators of sexual violence against others of either gender. A particular problem is posed by young male child soldiers who have been victims of sexual violence, and then perpetrate further atrocities themselves.

Photo by Inzmam Khan from Pexels

As with female survivors of sexual violence, men and boys who are victims of GBV during periods of conflict may experience severe and permanent trauma, particularly when the conflict involves civil war or protracted ethnic violence. The sexual trauma which men experience in these circumstances is much more likely to be overlooked or ignored than sexual trauma suffered by women.

Clark (2017) describes in poignant terms the impact of civil conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990’s, and the severe sexual violence inflicted on both men and women. Despite the fact that two decades had passed since the end of the war, he found that scant attention had been given to men and boys subjected to sexual violence during the conflict.

Loncar, Henigsberg and Hrabac (2009) describe the long-term impact of sexual violence inflicted on males during the Bosnian and Serbian conflicts. Male victims experienced rape, various forms of sexual abuse; and most victims were also severely beaten. The most common traumatic effects for male survivors were disturbances of sleep, difficulties with concentration, recurrent nightmares and flash-backs, and feelings of hopelessness.

Persistent physiological symptoms following sexual violence included severe headaches, profuse sweating and elevated heart rate. The researchers believed that the number of men who were sexually abused during the civil conflict was far higher than the cases which were actually reported.

Another form of sexual violence inflicted on boys and men is sexual torture. Weishut (2015) provides evidence of Israeli authorities inflicting sexual torture on Palestinian men detained during the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sexual torture had included detainees forced to be nude, squeezing of the male scrotum, male-on-male rape, genital mutilation and even castration of men. The long-term consequence for male Mag 32

Thus a seemingly unstoppable cycle of sexual victimisation and passing on of trauma may be initiated. Unfortunately little is known about how best to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate traumatised former male combatants into society. And there is a dearth of research regarding conflict-related sexual violence which involves boys as a particularly vulnerable group. Conducting research in this area is fraught with ethical challenges. However, accurate statistics for such crimes would be a useful starting point, and would help to build up an evidence base regarding the incidence of GBV, to whom and by whom GBV occurs, and which contexts increase the risks of GBV. Ferrales, Brehm and McElrath (2016) document GBV experienced by male refugees who had fled civil conflict and genocide in Darfur (Sudan). They suggest that the sexual violence experienced by men and boys had the effect of emasculating them in four ways, which they described as: demeaning male victims as being homosexual; reducing male victims to the far lower social status of females; inflicting genital injuries; and engaging in sexselective killing (i.e. a focus on killing males in particular). They conclude that male-directed GBV reinforces existing gender inequality, but inflicts particular harm on male survivors because it deprives them of their traditional masculine identities.

Non-combatant men and boys have been, and continue to be, the most frequent targets of mass killing and genocidal slaughter,

as well as a host of lesser atrocities and abuses (Human Security Centre 2005). Gendercide Watch, an independent human rights group, has documented multiple examples of genocide where there was a particular focus on exterminating males (both adults and children), including the Anfal Campaign in Iraqi Kurdistan in 1988, the Armenian Genocide (1915-1917) and the Rwandan genocide (1994). Forced conscription is also sometimes considered to be gender-based violence by men against other men.

A way forward Sexual and gender-based violence, regardless of the genders of the perpetrator and the victim, is a very grave violation of the individual’s person and personal well-being. Consequences often remain with the victim for life, long after any physical injuries have healed. If we wish to facilitate the healing of victims, we need to develop a holistic perspective regarding sexual and genderbased violence. Established and outdated stereotypes regarding sexuality, gender and power relations need to be challenged. We need to fully understand that boys and men are also vulnerable in specific contexts, and may also be in need of protection.

Where international instruments focus on sexual violence directed at women and girls, consideration should be given to exploring the situation of both male and female victims.

Adequate mechanisms need to developed to encourage male victims to disclose their traumatic experience freely, knowing that they will be listened to and taken seriously. An example of this is men-only groups or workshops in which male victims of sexual

violence are able to share their experiences. Careful facilitation of such groups would enable male victims to open up and to disclose their experiences.

Systematic collection of data regarding the incidence and nature of GBV focused on male victims is essential, in order to justify the provision of services and to leverage for funding.

Members of police and other protection services, government officials and NGO staff need to be educated about the realities of men as victims of GBV, and to take any reports of male victims as seriously as the reports of female victims.

Psychoeducation of communities regarding the nature and consequences of all forms of sexual violence and gender-based violence needs to be prioritised.

Strategies to provide assistance to men and boys on such a sensitive issue should be put in place. The longer these offences remain hidden, the more serious the physical, emotional and psychological damage is. In the words of a Congolese refugee who had experienced GBV, “The more I am hiding, the more I am suffering”.

About the author: Rob Hamlton is a CSA&G consultant and a clinical psychologist in private practice.

This article was first published on Gender Justice, a project of the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender (CSA&G) at the University of Pretoria: https://www.justgender.org/hidden-traumaswhen-men-are-victims-of-gender-based-and-sexual-violence/

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

IM NO POR PR TE TH TANT I CR DE SH E NEW ISI S N ELTE UM R N 072 ICOLE BER 287 631 0 Mag 35

FITNESS

10 STEPS TO GETTING RIPPED Mag 34

© Copyright 2020 Trifecta Inc.

Your Guide to Getting Ripped

Step 2: Cut Calories to Lose Fat

Here are ten steps, backed by science, that will assist you in getting those abs to show and the chiselled physique you’re dreaming of.

Whether you are bulking first and then cutting, or working to change your body composition all at once, controlling your calorie intake is essential.

The process will be neither quick nor easy, but persistence is key, and before you know it you will begin to see results.

The way calories work is that they provide 100% of the energy your body needs each day. You get calories from foods and beverages and burn calories through daily movements and bodily functions. If you are eating more calories than you need, they get stored as reserve energy, also known as fat. And if you eat less than you need, you must tap into these reserves, and essentially burn body fat for fuel. Thus, cutting calories consistently is the most effective way to lose body fat.

Step 1: Strength Train to Build Muscle Probably the most important thing you can do for a more toned body is to increase your lean mass. Burning fat is crucial, but the more muscle you have underneath, the more ripped you’ll look. Not to mention, muscle is your primary fat burner - driving your BMR and daily calorie needs more than anything else.

Having more muscle mass means your calorie needs will be higher - because you weigh more. And muscle takes up less space than fat, helping you look lean even at a higher body weight. So increasing your lean mass means you can eat more calories in a deficit and still lose body fat, compared to just calorie restriction for weight loss alone at a lower lean mass.

Moreover, your abs are a muscle, and just as with any other muscle in your body, increasing the size of your abs and strengthening them can promote better definition in your stomach. But don’t just focus on core exercises, increasing your lean mass overall can help give you better results and make the process easier. Plus, many compound lifting movements and heavy lifting, in general, incorporates your abs. If you haven’t been lifting weights or including any strength training in addition to your ab workouts, you may want to start.

For how often you should be training, weight training three times a week has both been associated with more muscle growth than less frequent training. And the amount you can lift may not matter according to studies, heavy weights for low reps and high-frequency light weight lifting are both associated with positive muscle growth. In other words, just strength training at any weight multiple times a week is going to support lean mass.

Best Core Building Exercises: Sit-ups Leg Lifts Oblique Twists Planks There are endless variations of these simple exercises that include hanging, weighted, decline, etc. Including a variation of these basic functional movements at least 3 days a week and increasing the difficulty can help build your ab muscles over time.

If you are looking to bulk first, stick to a moderately high calorie diet and weight train for a few months before moving on to a calorie deficit in step 2. If going right to a cut, keep weight training and working your core consistently.

Planking

It’s also important to not cut your calories too low. While this can help speed up the process temporarily, you may end up losing precious lean mass. Research suggests that this may be more important for trained individuals and those with less fat to lose, compared to those with less lean mass and more body fat to begin with.

Not to mention that starving yourself is likely going to make the process much more difficult, by negatively effecting your energy levels, mood and appetite.

Start by figuring out how many calories you need a day to lose weight and track your daily intake to ensure you are below this amount daily. Use this online calorie calculator to get started.

You can also figure out your calorie needs by getting a body fat test done - this will give you a more personalized and accurate estimation of your calories needs, as well as your approximate lean mass that you can use in step 3 to determine your protein needs. A body fat test will also be your best indicator of how your progress is going overall, compared to the scale that is not measuring body fat alone.

Overall, you should aim to cut calories for about six weeks to three months at a time and then take a break if needed - this will keep you from getting diet fatigue and make the process much more sustainable.

Stick to your calorie goals for at least three weeks and reassess your progress. If you aren’t feeling or looking leaner, consider cutting a little lower. And if you are starving and having trouble sticking to your diet, consider increasing your calories a little.

If you only master step 1 and step 2 of this guide, you are going to get results. The rest from here is really just supplemental to those two key factors.

Step 3: Eat Enough Protein Whether you are looking to gain muscle or lose weight, increased protein intake is thought to be beneficial. This macro is key in supplying the necessary nutrients to build, repair and maintain your lean tissue - all of which is needed when strength training. Protein is also protective of your muscle in a calorie deficit, helping you lose more body fat and less lean mass.

Moreover, high protein diets (at least 25% to 30% of your calories from protein) thought to support better appetite control and reduce cravings, making it a dieters best friend.

Photo by Karl Solano from Pexels

Aim to get at least 30% of your calories from protein, or one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass - slightly more if in a calorie deficit. Or to roughly estimate, eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight.

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Step 4: Eat a Moderate Amount of Healthy Fats Eating fat will not make you fat unless you are eating too many calories. However, limited research implies that some people may be more susceptible to changes in body composition from fat intake than others. After all, fat is more likely to be stored as body fat in a calorie surplus compared to other macros.

Fat is also calorically dense, meaning it can be easy to go overboard and add more calories than you realize. So, unless you are following a specific, high-fat diet like keto, controlling your overall fat intake could be important in helping you maintain calorie control and promote more fat loss.

The type of fat you eat also matters, with research suggesting healthier, unsaturated fats are less likely to be stored as fat compared to saturated fats. Including some healthy fats is also thought to be appetizing and satisfying, since fat provides appealing flavour to foods, making it easier to stick to your diet. Moreover, healthy fats offer important health benefits that should not be ignored.

Aim to keep fat at 20 to 30% of your total calories and opt for more healthy, unsaturated fats to keep you feeling satisfied and obtain potential health benefits.

Photo: Pexels - Pixabay

Step 5: Try Carb Cycling Contrary to popular opinion, carbs alone do not cause weight gain. And if you are hitting the gym hard, you’re workouts could benefit from adequate carb intake.

Instead of going low carb, consider cycling your carbs.

Carb cycling is the process of timing your carbohydrate and calorie intake around when your body needs it most - when you are working out, on high output days, and when you are generally more active. In theory, this would allow you to utilize carbohydrates more efficiently, supporting your workouts and energy needs, and reducing the chance of fat storage from higher carb intake.

Carb cycling may be protective of lean muscle when carbs stores are replenished strategically on higher carb days and have positive effects on appetite control at later times (31,32,33). In addition, it is thought to promote more fat utilization when carbs are limited, helping you burn more body fat in a calorie deficit.

Additional benefits include positive effects on overall calorie control without having to be ultra-restrictive. Since your body does not regulate calories in 24-hour increments, it is more of a rolling accumulation over time, cutting carbs and subsequently calories on certain days of the week, can help you decrease your weekly calorie average. And timing lower calories and carbs on days you are less active, means you are less likely to negatively impact your workouts, and more likely to control appetite and protect lean mass on higher activity days.

Consider swinging your macros from one day to the next, allocating more carbs on heavy lifting and high intensity training days, and lower carbs and calories on light days or rest days.

Another approach to nutrient timing is by utilizing more carbs in pre and post workout meals and stacking more carbs during the time of day you are more active.

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Step 6: Use Portion Control Even if you are meal prepping and tracking all of your intake, it can still be a challenge to get accurate portion control if you are not weighing or measuring your food.

Every calorie counts. It can be easy to estimate your portions incorrectly, especially underestimating, when you aren’t weighing everything. Eyeballing or measuring cups work great for a while, but eventually, those extra calories add up.

In some studies, participants tend to underestimate their calorie intake by up to 20% on average, which can be enough to inhibit fat loss altogether.

For example, just pouring a small amount of oil in a pan to cook your food may not seem like a big deal, but you could be adding a hundred calories or so to your meal without realising it. So ..portion control oil Consider purchasing a food scale and learning what weights align with your portion and calorie goals to be as accurate as possible when prepping and tracking your food.

Step 7: Add High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) If your morning jog or the elliptical isn’t getting you results, it may be time to up your intensity. Increasing the intensity of your cardio or conditioning workouts can not only help you burn more calories in the gym but may have additional fat loss benefits.

Some research suggests that high-intensity interval training or HIIT workouts may promote fat loss and improve stamina faster than endurance training alone. This level of output is thought to create a significant shift in your metabolic output that continues a high calorie burn for after your done training. And HIIT training may offer unique benefits in burning more belly fat in specific.

Add two high intensity training days to your workout routine to support fat loss and help you lean out.

Step 8: Get Some Sleep Rest is a crucial component to both muscle building and fat loss. When you are using your muscles, you are tearing them down - which supports strengthening and growth, but the actual building of muscle happens during times of rest, like when you are sleeping.

As for fat loss, poor sleep has been linked to increased belly fat in numerous studies.

Sleep is also essential for recovery in general, helping us keep our energy levels high and mood stable, both of which can effect our desire to workout and stick to a healthy diet if not managed properly.

Aim to get at least seven hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep each night.

Step 9: Control Stress When high amounts of stress are negatively impacting your life, it can lead to increased fat storage, mainly abdominal fat. And while calorie control will help counteract some of this, stress can do a number on our willpower and cravings making sticking to your diet that much harder.

Learning to combat daily stress or at least channel it in a more positive way could be key to helping you lose more body fat and get better results.

Step 10: Stay Consistent All of the steps above are meaningless unless you practice them consistently.

And being consistent simply means repeating the same behaviours on a regular basis.

The goal is not perfection, nor is trying to stick to a diet perfectly realistic for most people. Instead focus on getting it right a majority of the time. Consistency coupled with patience and enough time will ultimately lead you to your desired results.

In order to stay consistent, track your calories daily and keep on eye on your weekly averages, stick to a reoccurring eating and exercise schedule, and don’t forget to measure your progress with body fat testing and progress photos - these will be much more valuable than the scale alone. Progress photos are also a great way to keep you motivated to stick to your plan.

Photo by Pikx By Panther from Pexels

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MENS HEALTH

LOOKING PERFECT FOR SUMMER Mag 38

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Get your hair healthy - The healthier your hair is going in to

summer, the less sun, chlorine and sea salt damage will affect it. Make a habit of deep conditioning your locks once a week, whether with a handful of coconut oil or a mask. Keep your beard neat & trim.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Start exfoliating now - Get into the habit early and often.

Scrubbing your whole body may seem tedious in the shower, but it genuinely makes a big difference not only in the overall health of your skin, but also in its ability to absorb moisturising products. For those of you who shave your legs, it will be a whole lot more pleasant if you slough off those winter layers of dead skin first.

Clean out your medicine cabinet - Seriously. Check

expiration dates on your green products. Make sure everything smells like it’s supposed to. A winter living in your steamy, artificial-heat riddled bathroom may have compromised your skincare products. And if there’s anything you haven’t used since last summer that you were hoping to save for this summer…be wary.

Photo by Oliver Sjöström from Pexels

Re-evaluate your skin care routine - Summer skin

is a different thing than winter skin. If you’ve been using heavy oils and creams all winter to fight dry skin, kudos to you. But you’ll want to consider something lighter come summer, and possibly with an upped SPF in anticipation of more hours spent outside.

Stock up on sunscreen - Consider buying a sunscreen for

your body and another for your face. That way, when the first really nice day rolls around unexpectedly, you’ll be ready to head outside without fear of sunburn or expired SPF. Remember use high SPF factors on your face at all times and when you’re heading to the beach or languishing by the pool the higher the SPF the better for your skin - Don’t burn! Sunscreens moisturise and protect whether your skin is dark or fair.

Switch up your deodorant - If you’ve been waiting to make the change to all-natural deodorant, do it soon rather than later. Your body will need time to purge itself of any residual chemicals left over by your conventional stick, so your body’s natural odour may change (i.e. get stronger) for that transitional period. Plus, natural deodorants work better with time so if you get started now, your pits will be in great shape for the dog days of summer when the deodorant really gets to and needs to work.

Don’t ignore your feet - When weather finally lets us wear

flip-flops, don’t let the feet and toenails you ignored all winter long stop you from putting your best foot forward. Yes, they’ve been bundled in thick socks for months now, but be proactive with your foot care. Use a scrub weekly to soften up those calluses. Slather on a heavy-duty moisturizing salve at night to smooth cracked heels. (Pro tip: Put socks on right after to make sure the moisturiser stays put and really soaks in.) Give your nails and cuticles some love with an oil designed especially for them.

Detox - While you wait for the bounty of in-season summer produce

that awaits, consider detoxing a bit now with whatever fresh produce you can get your hands on. Whether it’s adding a scoop of greens to your morning smoothie, upping the healthy bacteria in your gut to fight that winter bloat or experimenting with some vegan dishes, baby steps now will mean you have the energy to get out and actually be a person when the weather calls for it

Makeup - Drag queens, trans girls, our lipstick lesbian sisters and

any guys who love a little slap, keep in mind that our summers are hot; you don’t want to be walking around with a face full streaks that have run when you sweat, heavy applications can also lead to clogged pores. Let your skin take advantage of the warmth and humidity that comes with summer and get comfortable with different products now so the switch will be seamless when temperatures rise. If you’re used to full-coverage foundation, consider a sheer CC cream. Instead of a dark matte lippy, play around with a berry-hued tints.

Fitness - Keep fit - walk, jog or gym - you want to stay in shape!

Photo by Savvas Stavrinos from Pexels Mag 39

THE BUZZ TRANS WOMAN MAKES COVER OF PLAYBOY

While you were OUT

THE TRAGEDY OF TRANSGENDER VIOLENCE

MARK WAHLBERG FILM ABOUT DAD OF BULLIED GAY TEEN

TRANSRESPECT VERSUS TRANSPHOBIA WORLDWIDE

TvT TMM UPDATE TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 2020

350 trans and gender-diverse people reported murdered between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020 350 personas trans y género-diversas reportadas asesinadas entre 1 octubre 2019 y 30 septiembre 2020

V

ictoria Volkova is making history in Mexico as the first trans woman to make the cover of Playboy Mexico.

Volkova is a lifestyle and beauty influencer and YouTube personality popular in Mexico. The 27-year-old was born in the Mexican state of Querétaro and has become a leading advocate for trans rights and the LGBTQ+ community in her home country.

She posted the cover pic on Instagram with the following message: This cover celebrates the different ways of being a woman, the different ways of being beautiful, the different ways of exploring your sensuality and enjoying your process. I hope that with this cover people are more curious. More curiosity to know each other, more curiosity to know what it is like to be a trans person. More curiosity about how trans people live in this country and in the world and what we have to go through to live a dignified life, to be respected, to earn a living, to earn the respect of others, to be heard and dignified, to get a job, to survive school, to survive in this society that does not turn to look at us or our problems.

This cover is also [helping me accept] myself. For a long time I hated my body and hated being a trans woman, since I thought that was what made me a less valuable person, less deserving of love, less “normal”. But later I learned that the

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fter being retooled and recut following a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, Mark Wahlberg’s latest film, now titled Joe Bell, is set for a release on February 19, 2021. The film follows a small town Oregon father who embarked on a cross-country walk to raise awareness about bullying after his teen son was bullied for being gay and committed suicide.

Wahlberg stars in and produced the film, which is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), and written by Diana Ossana and Lary McMurty, who won an Academy Award for their screenplay to Brokeback Mountain.

So save the date, it’s mainstream and draws attention to one of the saddest crisis affecting young LGBTI+ people. one who had to accept myself was myself before demanding that others accept me, because when you accept yourself first, you no longer care what others think of you.

When you learn to love yourself and to see everything that makes you beautiful and valuable. When you embrace your imperfections and tell them thank you for making you so unique and so different. When you learn that your biggest difference, the reason why people teased you at school, is what years later will make you a person who will stand out from the rest.

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Africa South Africa

África Sudáfrica

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Asia India Pakistan Philippines Indonesia Nepal

Asia India Pakistán Filipinas Indonesia Nepal

10 7 2 1 1

Central and South America Brazil Mexico Colombia Argentina El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Peru Puerto Rico Ecuador Bolivia Dominican Republic Nicaragua Paraguay Venezuela

Centro y Sudamérica Brasil México Colombia Argentina El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Perú Puerto Rico Ecuador Bolivia República Dominicana Nicaragua Paraguay Venezuela

Europe Italy Russia Azerbaijan Finland France Spain Sweden

Europa Italia Rusia Azerbaiyán Finlandia Francia España Suecia

4 2 1 1 1 1 1

Oceania Australia

Oceania Australia

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North America USA Canada

Norteamérica Estados Unidos Canadá

152 57 21 12 10 8 6 6 7 2 1 1 1 1 1

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Trans Murder Monitoring TvT project TGEU transrespect.org

nternationally each year the 13th - 19th November has been designated as Transgender Week, where the LGBTI+ community comes together in raising awareness for the many issues the Trans community continues to face.

The week is capped by Transgender Day of Remembrance November 20, and in this regard, Transrespect Versus Transphobia Worldwide have released figures showing a shocking level of violence faced by trans people globally.

The group’s researchers documented 350 homicides of trans and gender-diverse people around the world from October 1, 2019, through September 30 of this year. That’s a 6 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, and the researchers have recorded 3,664 homicides since the effort began in 2008.

These figures come as a huge shock and awareness of the communities plight needs to become public knowledge and we must lobby our government to do more to support this increasingly marginalised community. The chart below shows one homicide in South Africa. A figure I am sure is incorrect, but one person is one too many!

CASTER SEMENYA IS NOT GIVING UP

O

ur double Olympic 800-metre champion Caster Semenya is not taking the ruling from World Athletics lying down.

She recently announced that she is taking her case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Despite losing her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and another subsequent plea to the Swiss Federal Tribunal (SFT) asking for the CAS ruling to be set aside the athlete’s lawyer said “We will be taking World Athletics to the European Court of Human Rights.”

Adding, “We remain hopeful that World Athletics will see the error it has made and reverse the prohibitive rules which restrict Ms Semenya from competing.”

As a female athlete with differences in sexual development (DSDs), World Athletics insists she must reduce her naturally high testosterone levels through the use of drugs or surgically in order to compete.

AIMEE BARRETTTHERON MAKES HISTORY

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or the first time ever a toplevel 15-a-side mens rugby match was refereed by a woman.

Aimee Barrett-Theron, who is a wellknown former South African rugby union player, having represented South Africa Women at Under-20 level in 2008, at senior level between 2008 and 2010 and for the sevens team between 2008 and 2012 and appearing at the 2010 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, has made history refereeing the Puma’s - Bulls clash at Loftus Stadium in Pretoria in November.

Whilst it was reported that she wasn’t perhaps as vocal as some of counterparts, she took no truck sternly resetting scrums and keeping the front rows in check. Aimee tweeted after the game, “Absolutely incredible experience out there reffing my first Super Rugby match!!

Thanks for all the amazing messages and calls - I’m blown away by the support.”

World Athletics claim the regulations are aimed at creating a level playing field for all athletes, and that their regulations are lawful and legitimate. Yet, Caster was born the way she is, just as some people who are naturally tall, which gives them an “unfair” advantage in some disciplines.

Having played herself she decided to take up refereeing and today is one of South African rugby’s most respected and sought-after referees. She insists that she is not being controversial and just wants to be seen “not as a female referee, just as a referee and a servant to the game.”

Athletics South Africa are behind the athlete, insisting that Caster is still part of the team for the Tokyo Olympics next year.

The 33 year old, has been in a long term relationship with her partner Zaandré Barrett-Theron.

PRIDE IS POLARISED

T

wo years after Pride officially reached all seven continents on the globe, the first-ever Polar Pride Day was celebrated. People working at both poles of the Earth recognised the landmark event simultaneously on November 18.

The announcement was made jointly by the governments of the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) and the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI), which operate parts of Antarctica.

Researchers in the Arctic joined in, too.

The celebrations were part of recognising the 200th anniversary of the ‘discovery’ of Antarctica. They also were an extension of the International Day of LGBTQIA+ People in STEM celebrations, which is organized to promote out representation in science fields, such as arctic research.

Their website cites a 2015 study reflecting that one in three U.S. physicists have “been urged to stay in the closet to progress in their career,” and that half of the transgender or gender non-conforming physicists were harassed in their own departments. They also cite evidence that gay and bisexual students are less likely to follow an academic career in STEM due to the stigma.

Polar Pride Day helps to combat that.

Rainbow flags were flown on both ends of the Earth, and a special pin was created.

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OUT ON FILM BLACK LGBTQI+ CINEMA AT ITS BEST Marginalised and largely ignored, there are some amazing films and documentaries centred on the lives and experiences of Black LGBTQI+ people and their communities. Thankfully, their stories are becoming more visible and getting the attention they deserve.

Some brilliant South African films are on the list and we urge all readers to make the effort to watch these great movies and support the hugely talented directors and actors who have brought black gay cinema to the forefront as well as understand and celebrate Black queer lives.

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irst and foremost is the iconic Oscar winning masterpiece Moonlight (2017). The film made history at the 2017 Academy Awards, becoming the first LGBTIQ+related film and the first with an all-Black cast to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

Moonlight is about a young African American man and his coming of age, presented as three stages in his life, in an impoverished Miami neighbourhood, where he grapples with his sexuality, manhood, and the abuse he suffered at the hands of bullies and a single mother addicted to drugs. Chiron, (Ashton Sanders), a young African-American boy, finds guidance in Juan, (Mahershala Ali), a drug dealer, who teaches him to carve his own path. It was based on the play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, written by Tarrell Alvin McCraney.

The Watermelon Woman ... In the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian (Cheryl Dunye), The Watermelon Woman depicts a lesbian woman and movie enthusiast who works in a video store. After discovering and taking exception to how Black women are uncredited or depicted as stereotypes in films throughout history, she makes it her mission to learn more about a 1930’s black actress who played ‘mammy’ archetypes was only noted as The Watermelon Woman.

The controversial 2017 South African film The Wound (Inxeba), directed by John Trengove, follows a closeted gay factory worker Xolani (Nakhane Touré) who every year, acts as a guide to young Xhosa boys undergoing the ritual circumcision that signifies their journey to manhood. Tasked with looking after gay city boy Kwanda (Niza Jay Ncoyini) – and reunited with a secret lover – he begins to question the choices he has made. The film which received 19 awards worldwide, including being nominated in the Best Foreign film category at the Oscars, is a beautifully hewn, brave piece of filmmaking that asks difficult, searching questions that will haunt you long after the credits roll.

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Tangerine (2015) follows the lives of two trans women who are close friends and engage in sex work, after one of them gets released from a month-long prison sentence. Sin-Dee (Kitana Rodriguez) learns that while she was in prison, her boyfriend and pimp cheated on her with a cis woman. Sin-Dee and her friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) embark on a revenge-fueled mission during Christmas time in Los Angeles. The film importantly explores is a trans “street culture” that is rarely seen on film and features trans actors in the parts of its two principal trans characters.

Two trans women, Sin-Dee (Kitana Rodriguez) and her friend Alexandra (Mya Taylor) embark on a revenge-fueled mission

In what would be Black gay documentarian Marlon Riggs’ final film, Black Is, Black Ain’t (1994) illustrates how there’s no singular, monolithic way for people to be Black within a community that’s diverse in its own right. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community.

Riggs who was dying of AIDS complications even commented on camera in several scenes from his hospital bed. The documentary blends various art forms and scholars, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists as well as interviews and his own direct addresses to the audience.

The 2004 film Brother to Brother film follows the emotional and psychological journey of a young, black, gay artist as he discovers the hidden legacies of being black and gay. After his parents kick him out for being gay, a young Black painter enters a homeless shelter, where he meets an older Black gay poet. The elder character is based on the life of Bruce Nugent, who made important contributions during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s and 30’s, and imparts that he endured some of the same hardships that the younger artist has come to encounter. The film both moving, thought-provoking and refreshingly honest.

Pariah (2011) was African-American director Dee Rees’ debut film about a 17-year-old Black girl comings to terms with being lesbian while navigating friendships, a complicated romance, and her relationship with a mother that doesn’t approve of her butch aesthetic. As she prepares to go to college, she’s faced with decisions about coming out and whether it’s best for her to change who she is or move on with her life. Whilst the film, which is semi-autobiographical, depicts a woman coming out as a lesbian, it centres on main character Alike’s (Adepero Oduye) journey to embracing a gender fluid identity outside of the confines of the traditional gender binary. Pariah is brave. heart-wrenching and captures the struggles of girls like Alike eloquently.

Adepero Oduye, portrays Alike in the film Pariah Mag 43

In Set It Off (1996) four working-class inner-city friends who work full-time but can hardly pay their bills set out on a bank robbery spree in search of financial freedom. The heist is devised by a rebellious queer woman, Cleo, portrayed by Queen Latifah with solid performances by co-stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise in roles normally played by men. The hopelessness of black families living in projects is vividly depicted.

But, even so, this sisters-are-doing-it-for- themselves romp is stylishly and sensually shot with a great sound-track and is a welcome, refreshing addition to the female bonding bandwagon.

The multiple award-winning 2009 film, Mississippi Damned is an autobiographical heartwrenching look into generational poverty and abuse within a Black household ever depicted on screen and has been applauded vigorously by both the mainstream and Black press for it’s overall quality and message. The film which centres on three siblings who each confront their family’s generational traumas and whether or not they’ll choose to lead lives that break the cycle. The movie takes a look at their lives as children in 1986, and then skips 12 years into the future. Among the characters is Leigh (Chasity Kershal Hammity), a lesbian who isn’t out and struggles with the news that her girlfriend is marrying a man, while Sammy (Malcolm David Kelley), Leigh’s cousin, is a skilled basketball player, one who might just go to college and on to the pros, but Sammy endures mental, physical and sexual abuse. The film features a stellar cast including character actress Michael Hyatt, Charles Parnell, D.B. Woodside and Tessa Thompson, and is artfully directed by Black lesbian film maker and screenwriter Tina Mabry.

The Skinny depicts five Brown University friends, four gay men and a lesbian woman, who reunite for Pride weekend in New York City, a weekend of sins, secrets, lies and drama.. The otherwise pleasant reunion turns into a wild weekend that brings out the best and the worst in the group’s friendship dynamics. The film carved its name in film history paving the way for other movies to examine black queer life. Advocate magazine described the film as “History’s most meaningful film about Pride”.

Directed Patrik-Ian Polk, the film launched the career of Jussie Smollett and uniquely features black gay men who are an invisible demographic in a media industry dominated by the experiences of white gays.

Paris is Burning is a 1990 American documentary film directed by Jennie Livingston. This documentary focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their “house” culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. Set in New York’s drag scene in the 1980’s, the award-winning documentary centres on the lives of Venus Xtravaganza, Pepper LaBeija, Kim Pendavis, André Christian, Dorian Corey and Paris Mag 44

Mississippi Damned

The cast of the iconic Paris is Burning

In The Skinny four gay men & a lesbian reunite for Pride in New York City,

Duprée. The queens in the movie keep delivering their individual messages on life as they experience it, each in their own way: “I would like to be a spoiled, rich white girl,” says Venus Xtravaganza.

“They get what they want, whenever they want it.” So Venus’s style of drag is poised, moneyed, effortlessly feminine, aspirational, the epitome of what the queens call realness: drag so seamless it blends with the realities that it mimics, to the point of a bystander being unable to tell the difference. Whilst Corey says, “you can be anything you want. You’re not really an executive, but you’re looking like an executive. And therefore you’re showing the straight world that I can be an executive. If I had the opportunity, I could be one.

Because I can look like one.” It is ultimately the story of what drag culture is and why—as told by the queens themselves for the people who love it, this is what makes the film so vital.

If you loved Paris Is Burning, there’s a solid chance you’ll also fall in love with Kiki, a 2016 documentary that focuses on a group of young LGBTQ+ people in New York City that are a part of a subset of the ballroom community. While the film highlights the beauty in what ballroom presently looks and feels like, Kiki also examines the systemic injustices experienced within the community, such as homelessness, prejudice in policing, and lack of access to vital resources.

The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson (2017) is a documentary, directed by David France that investigates the mysterious death (which to this day remains unsolved) of trans activist and Stonewall riots icon Marsha P. Johnson. In July 1992, Johnson was found dead in the Hudson River a few days after she’d told her friends that a car had been following her. Originally ruled a suicide, many in the community believe she was murdered. The documentary offers a unique perspective on liberation for gender nonconforming individuals and is an imperative documentary for anyone looking to fully understand the origins and evolution of the LGBT movement. The film offers a crucial look at not just the violence against transgender people but the long-fought struggle that trans people have had (and still have) within their own community as well as the wider community and prevalent the world over where they suffer abuse, humiliation and death at the hands of a prejudiced, intolerant straight society.

Activist & Stonewall legend Marsha P. Johnson

Punks is a 2000 film made by Noah’s Arc creator Patrik-Ian Polk, which follows four Black gay men who are all close friends searching for a fulfilling romantic relationship. The comedic take explores what it means to be Black and Gay while also shedding light on the everyday struggles shared as part of the human experience. This sparkling, rhythm-and-blues-driven romantic comedy set in the gay-village of West Hollywood. The characters of Punks are a lovable crew who anybody would die to have as their own best friends. There’s Hill

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(Dwight Ewell), struggling with a breakup after his French husband cheated on him; young Dante (Renoly Santiago), who still lives with his parents and is trying to find himself; drag diva Crystal (Jazzmun), dealing with backstage drama and the woes of having a high-profile and closeted boyfriend; and the film’s main protagonist, Marcus (Seth Gilliam), a reserved introvert who falls head over heels for the hunky straight guy next door, Darby (Rockmond Dunbar).

Holiday Heart (2000) - After his boyfriend dies, a Black gay drag queen (Ving Rhames) becomes friends with a single mother and her daughter. He unwittingly becomes a father figure to the young girl after her mother (Alfre Woodard) relapses with a drug addiction and makes an effort to build with the family. The characters are well developed and depict a very accurate picture of loss, co-dependence, addiction and hope. Real to life nothing gets watered down or sugar coated, the unforgettable characters, the locations, the passion, the glory, the joy, the sadness, the pain together with the plot twists make this movie a great cinematic experience.

In Rafiki (2018) Two young Kenyan women enter a budding romance despite the fact that their fathers are running against each other for local political office. Together, they build a relationship that must remain secret because homosexuality is illegal. The Kenyan drama film which was directed by Wanuri Kahiu was banned by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) “due to its homosexual theme...” but won 16 awards internationally. The film is a touching and heartbreaking portrait of young love, A tale of acceptance, hope and young love, it is a beautiful, thought-provoking romance and the empathetic performances by Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva make the movie special.

The hugely talented Queen Latifa stars as Bessie the “Empress of Blues”. Bessie Smith not only fought against racism, sexism, economic inequality, and violent white supremacists, but she also subversively made music that captured aspects of what it means to be bisexual. Smith was a true trailblazer. The film was directed by Dee Rees and was nominated and won numerous awards including the Critics Choice Award for best Television film and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. Queen Latifah picked up a Best Actress SAGA and Dee Rees won the Directors Guild of America Award.

In Naz & Maalik, two Muslim, gay, and closeted teenagers have a secret love affair that gets swept up amidst the surveillance of mosques.

The film highlights the many twists and turns within a single day in the life of Naz and Maalik, as their petty schemes and alleyway kisses catch the haunting eye of an FBI operative. The 2016 film written and directed by Jay Dockendorf and Mag 46

William Hurt shines in the Kiss of the Spiderwoman

starring Curtiss Cook Jr. and Kerwin Johson Jr., whose romance is vulnerable and touching, and their love feels authentic. Naz & Maalik unfolds with a youthful vitality, which is bolstered by the charm of its lead actors.

Blackbird deals with a young high school student coming to terms with his religion and sexuality

Blackbird is a 2014 film which follows a gay high schooler in the deep South as he reconciles his sexuality and Christian faith, as well as a complex family dynamic.

Directed by Patrik-Ian Polk the film focuses on the dynamic between affirmation from one parent, while the other (portrayed by Oscar-winner Mo’Nique) lashes out upon realising her son is romantically involved with a slightly older man. Whilst the film was panned by critics for being stilted, disjointed and yet another coming out struggle. The relevance, Polk explained, in an interview, of the need for more stories featuring Black gay men is, “Through my years of film-making, we have seen the gay coming-of-age story from every possible white male point of view ... We’ve seen it over, and over, and over.”

The 1967 documentary film, The Portrait of Jason directed by Shirley Clarke. Her veritable masterpiece remains a scathing social and character study of race in America and is both a fascinating look at one man’s life and a self-aware critique of documentary filmmaking. Jason Holliday (nee Aaron Payne, 1924-1998) is the title subject of the documentary where the Black and gay cabaret performer, hustler, and sex worker shares various tales from his life, edited down from a 12-hour interview, completed in one night. Throughout the film, Holliday sounds off on being a Black, gay man during the Civil Rights era, all while casually enjoying drinks, weed, and cigarettes on camera, described by one critic as challenging but essential viewing.

The film Gun Hill Road takes place in a multi-ethnic suburb of the Bronx in New York and deals with the changes and challenges faced by a father returning home from prison and his relationship with his wife and his son. The family dynamic has changed - he learns that his wife cheated on him, and that his son Michael (Harmony Santana) has transitioned. Whilst the story is more about the father Enrique’s (Esai Morales) challenges, the much fresher and dramatically alive scenes are those where Michael sallies forth in to the world as a woman. His pain and fear of his father is very real, but as a woman he appears older and soon attracts the attention of a player who doesn’t even realise he’s hitting on a transsexual.

Their eventual relationship, a case of needy emotional comfort for Michael and sexual exploitation by the older man, is much more compelling than the tired father-son dynamic.

The 2010 South African documentary Difficult Love captures the many challenges of being Black and lesbian in South Africa, told from the perspective of activist photographer, and Out Africa Magazine cover feature in the last issue, Zanele Muholi. Difficult Love is a highly personal take on the journey experienced by the country’s Black Lesbian community and is an intimate, thoughtprovoking portrait of Zanele Muholi’s personal experience. The film features interviews with Muholi as well as with her friends, colleagues and peers, and provides a compelling overview of the artist, her life and her work.

Esai Morales and Harmony Santana in Gunhill Road

Activist, artist, photographer Zanele Muholi’s documentary Difficult Love challenges the viewer

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WORD PERFECT

MEMORIAL

Memorial is Bryan Washington’s debut novel which was published soon after a he took the world by storm with Lot, his collection of short stories last year.

Washington’s novel which has been getting rave reviews has featured on best seller lists internationally.

The novel follows Benson and Mike, two young gay men living together in Houston’s Third Ward, a predominantly Black neighbourhood that’s become gentrified over the past few years. Their move isn’t entirely unwelcome, as Benson wryly notes: “The black folks who’ve lived here for decades let them do it, happy for the scientific fact that white kids keep the cops away.”

It’s a funny and profound story about family in all its strange forms, joyful and hard-won vulnerability, becoming who you’re supposed to be, and the limits of love. Benson and Mike are a couple who fight frequently, and both are reluctant to discuss at length what exactly their relationship is, and where it’s going.

Benson’s a Black day care teacher and Mike is a Japanese American chef at a Mexican restaurant. The couple have been together for a few years - good years -but now they’re not sure why they’re still a couple.

Their discussions, which ultimately are frustratingly unproductive, tend to lead to fights, which lead to sex, as Mike thinks, “What conversations do you have when you feel like there’s nothing you want to say?”

Their relationship is forced to undergo its greatest test when Mike tells Benson that he’s going to visit his dying father, Eiju, in Japan — the day after his mother, Mitsuko, is set to arrive in Houston for a long visit.

Benson isn’t excited about spending an indeterminate amount of time with a woman he’s never met; Mitsuko is crushed that her son has chosen to skip town to visit the ex-husband whom she doesn’t hold in particularly high regard.

meaning more to each of them than they ever could have predicted.

Their absurd domestic situation ultimately ends up

Sourced from Review by Michael Schaub

Part of what makes Memorial so believable is Washington’s uncanny ability to draw the reader’s attention to what’s not said as much as what is. The While Benson adjusts to life with Mitsuko, all the while dialogue in the novel is pitch-perfect, but it’s in the spaces between the talking - the awkward silences, the juggling his job at a day-care and his own troubled questions left unanswered - that the characters reveal family, Mike stays with his father in Osaka, helping themselves.

Eiju run his bar, observing the tavern’s regulars, and communicating with Benson via sporadic text Washington also has a remarkable eye for family messages. Benson makes periodic attempts to draw dynamics. The scenes featuring Mike and Eiju are Mitsuko out, but they’re mostly unsuccessful. At one alternatively funny and heartbreaking. Similarly, point, Benson notes that he and Mitsuko have barely Benson’s reluctant conversations with his father are tough talked about Mike, she replies, “He came out of my to read, but perfectly rendered. body. He’s a homosexual. He left his mother with a stranger. I’ve already got everything I need to know.”

Washington is an enormously gifted author, and his writing reads like the work of a writer who has been All the while, Benson and Mike continue to ponder working for decades, not one who has yet to turn 30. Ann what they want, and what they need from each other.

Patchett, author of the award winning The Dutch House When Mike asks Benson what he wants out of the said, “Truly unlike anything I’ve read before. Bryan relationship, Benson becomes uncomfortable, telling Mike that he’s “okay” with the way things are. “Okay Washington’s take on love, family, and responsibility is is good,” Benson says. “All right is good. Most people as complicated and true as life itself. I can’t stop thinking about it.” don’t get more than that. That’s a myth.”

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MUSIC MOVES Kylie smashes it!

K

ylie breaks records with the launch of her latest album Disco. Kylie is the first female artist to score a number 1 on the UK’s official Albums Chart in five consecutive decades … from Loco-Motion in the late 80’s to Disco (2020) and it hasn’t disappointed the legions of Lovers around the world as it skyrocketed to the number 1 spot after the online launch. It is her eighth number one, meaning she has overtaken Elton John, Cliff Richard and George Michael in the all-time chart leader-board. The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan have also landed chart-toppers across five decades, though not consecutively.

On Disco, Kylie has crafted a bevy of contemplative, dance floor-ready tracks that recall her retro-imbued albums Light Years (2000) and Fever (2001), revisiting her dance music roots.

The first song on the album is Magic, which Kylie said in a tweet “was always going to be the first song” saying that, “For me it’s the perfect intro to the album” quoting, ’I feel like anything could happen…’

Miss a Thing she said was “finished in lockdown” with “all the vocals [being] recorded from home”. Fans loved the track tweeting that the track is a “banger” with Kylie saying that they “experimented with taking it down a semi-tone or a tone lower, but this key was sweet spot”. It’s cooler, slinkier, the grown-up cousin and one of the more straight-up disco songs on the album, said The Huffington Post, adding that It’s also distinctly “Kylie” and yet still manages to sound unlike anything like she’s ever done before.

Abba-esque feel about it. Kylie tweeted that when she was younger she was obsessed by ABBA , “still am” she added.

Last chance (the first song on side B of the vinyl), according to Kylie has “a little nod to I Will Survive in the lyrics”

Real Groove sounds like it could have been lifted Of the track I Love it, Kylie says the song straight off Dua Lipa’s recent disco-tinged Future clicked with her “on a (rare) lockdown Nostalgia Album, who praises Kylie as one of her walk. It’s so positive and uplifting.” Addinfluencers, reminding us of how to be carefree as ing’ “I started it just before, lockdown.

Then we finished it remotely.” we were in those halcyon disco days.

Monday Blues is the first change of pace on the Where Does The DJ Go? Kylie asks on album and some fans are hailing it as their fav. one of the most fun tracks with its campy spoken-word climax.

Supermova sounds exactly like a song called Supernova should sound: vocoder vocals, which Kylie tweeted “the ‘space voice’ is me on vocoder!”, intergalactic lyrics and a huge hands-in-the-air chorus.

Say Something was recorded in the first ever sessions for the album, before the album was fully conceptualised. Kylie said “the song reminds me of wedding discos … when the tempo picks up towards the end, there will be no one left sitting down.” The number has an

Dance Floor Darling is a mid-tempo bop which speeds up taking us back to the exuberance that typified disco. When she asks, “Would you be my dance floor darling”, the answer from fans will be a resounding and hearty “yes!”

She described Unstoppable as “my Diana Ross moment”. Ironically, the song was produced by Troy Miller who is working with Miss Ross at the moment.

The album is unashamedly glitterball pop and is a positive slant to a very trying, difficult year for everyone on the planet including and especially performing artists who have been unable to carry out their craft for months.

Other great tunes include: Celebrate You, Till You Love Someone, Fine Wine, Hey Lonely and Spotlight The album is an homage to disco – a celebration of the genre but brought right up to date. The original “Princess Of Pop” has delivered one of the best albums of her amazing 32 year career in the music industry and counting. To some critics, the best songs are the ones which were not released as singles. Some of them are shamelessly joyous, euphoric and loud, others are touching and emotional. Beware: You won’t be able to get them out of your head.

One fan summed it up with comment, “Absolutely OUTSTANDING!! Can’t skip a track, I love the entire album. The Queen of Pop has done it again!” with another saying, “Much needed feel good album, dancing round the house again! Kylie smashes it.”

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OUT TAKES

“

“ Michael Cunningham Author

I was not ladylike, nor was I manly.

I was something else all together.

There were so many different ways to be beautiful

“

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“

I saw 2 guys wearing matching outfits and asked if they were gay - They arrested me

“

“

Acceptance of yourself is far more important than acceptance from others

#pride A proud supporter the LGBTQ Community

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