Q-zine Issue 14 - 10th Anniversary

issue 14

february 2022

10

th

anniversary edition

imagining

tomorrow

Issue 14 • 1

thank you all from

Cover image by Valentin Fabre ABOUT Q-ZINE Q-zine is a Queer African Youth Network (QAYN) project EDITORIAL TEAM Managing Editor Claire Ba Lead Editor Rufaro Gwarada TRANSLATOR Claire Ba GRAPHIC DESIGN GTECH Designs CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Emma Onekekou Rosie Olang Ruth Lu CONTACT Website: q-zine.org Digital magazine: issuu.com/q-zine Facebook: Q-zine Instagram: qzine_mag Twitter: @q_zine Email: editor@q-zine.org

Inside this issue

Photo by Rosie Olang

10 Years of Q-zine!

Issue 14 · Imagining Tomorrow

Poetry Fiction In Conversation 17 The Multiple Facets of Passion Ruth Lu 34 Who changes the world in one day ?

Rufaro Gwarada 55 Miss Diva: An artistic, cultural and political space for the trans* community in Togo Claire Ba 67 The Nameless Collective: Fostering queer artistic and cultural expression in Burkina Faso Emma Onekekou

13 A Perfect World Lynn Aurélie Attemene 41 Their Excellency MissTer Igram Kevynn HONFO: First Openly Non-Binary President of the Republic of Benin Kevynn Igram Honfo 63 Moongirls: The Magic of a New Age and New Gods Akosua Hanson 75 In My World Emma Onekekou

Essay 49 Dolly Ma Brigitta: Queer babydoll mythography in Trininad and Tobago Carnival Amanda T. McIntyre

23 Fleeting Promises Ruth Lu 29 25 August 2025 Peace Tolo the Wordsmith 47 Tomorrow Malix Campbell 61 I Hear You Emma Onekekou 73 Just Imagine Tomorrow Ruth Lu

Review 25 And the caged bird will sing beyond death Wanini Kimemiah

Visual Art 31 Precious Rainbow: Make-up Artist Kabira Akintayo 39 Equi-Libre Francesca Lalanne 79 Night Bird Wacyl Kha

AKOSUA HANSON is a writer, and artist activist based in Accra, Ghana. She works as radio host at Y 107.9 FM Ghana.

AMANDA T. MCINTYRE is a Trinidadian author, artist, and advocate. She is the Art Administrator at New Local Space (NLS), Kingston. In 2020, McIntyre was part of the faculty for the La Pràctica Group Residency and an advisor for the NLS, Curatorial, and Art Writing Fellowship.

Photos from GTECH Designs

Contributors Her art practice is mainly rendered through performance, photography and film. She is the creator of Dolly Ma and Dolly Ma Brigitta Baby Doll masquerades. In 2017 she was awarded the title “Ole Mas Champion”, by the Bocas Literary Festival and the National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago.

McIntyre is also a policy and advocacy specialist. In 2018 she founded She Right Collective (SRC), a Caribbean feminist advocacy network that hosts platforms for contemporary literature, visual arts and performance.

The Iere Art Show, that curates the work of queer Caribbean artists, is a collaboration between SRC and Pride Trinidad and Tobago.

Photos from GTECH Designs

CLAIRE BA is the managing editor of Q-zine.

Queer, feminist and originally from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, she is a music lover with a passion for reading, art, the ocean, sunsets and starry nights. Claire is the liaison between Q-zine and Queer African Youth Network (QAYN) where she is the Knowledge Production and Communication Manager.

artist for Khoj International Artist Workshop in Pune, India. Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, Art Miami, and recently, Quotidian Gallery in Los Angeles.

EMMA ONEKEKOU

KABIRA AKINTAYO is a 24 year old student with a great passion for art.

Currently, she is a project manager at AQYI where she oversees the Mawulisa Fellowship, an exciting and powerful project for independent LBTQ women activists in Francophone West Africa.

FRANCESCA LALANNE was born in South Florida and raised in Haiti. She completed her Bachelor of Design in Architectural Studies and Fine Arts in 2005 at Florida International University.

In 2012, she earned her Masters of Fine Art at the Rochester Institute of Technology and received their Wallace Center Purchase Prize Award. She has had several solo exhibitions and participated in a variety of group exhibitions along with performance and public art installations. In 2015, she was a Joan Mitchell Grant Nominee and invited

Photos from GTECH Designs

She has always loved writing and has always wanted to make films. She was able to fulfill both dreams by publishing her first collection of short stories, À Celles Qui S'aiment (To The Women Who Love Each Other), and wrote and co-directed her first film, Inbri (Sunshine) and hopes that you will have the opportunity to see it. It is a film about the painful journey of a young lesbian woman somewhere in West Africa who makes the choice to be with a woman. Lately, she has been asked by several people if she is an artist, which she thinks has something to do with her haircut. Her answer is often “No” when in fact she is an artist. This is actually one of the reasons she is part of the Collectif Les Sans-Nom (The Nameless Collective), a collective of artists based in Burkina Faso. Emma is a dreamer and likes to imagine the world, to shape it in her own way.

Francesca works in the media of sculpture, painting, and print. Her works often explore connections between memory, trauma and space.

Photos from GTECH Designs

is a skilled communicator and a mother. She started her professional career as a trainee journalist in a financial magazine. She later resigned and founded Emma.L.InfoS, a francophone West African LBTQ+ digital media platform for LBTQ+ women to express themselves and share their experiences. She defines herself as a black woman, lesbian, feminist, writer and aspiring filmmaker.

Issue 14 • 8

Contributors KEVYNN IGRAM HONFO is a non-binary singer and performer born in Cotonou. Professional animator of karaoke and live music, Kévynn has a proven track record in several artistic spaces, karaoke and bar-restaurants in Benin. They won various competitions such as Mode en Musique, 1st edition ( July 2017); My Gender, My Talent, 2nd edition (May 2020); Isolated But Connected ( July 2020), a global virtual campaign, organized by EGIDES to raise awareness on the impact of COVID-19. They were also a finalist in music competitions such as Benin Revelation Star, 3rd edition (September 2015) and Moule de Star 2nd edition (March 2018). So far, Kévynn has produced four songs available on YouTube of which the most listened to is AKPE (2020).

Besides music, Kévynn is passionate about writing where they can express themselves and share their opinion on different social issues 9 • February 2022

Photos from GTECH Designs

MALIX CAMPBELL

LYNN AURÉLIE ATTEMENE is a young feminist activist, cisgender lesbian of Ivorian nationality, residing in Burkina Faso. Committed to the fight for freedom for LBTQ people, she is currently in charge of the podcast and web radio of Emma.L.Infos, a digital media platform. There, she dedicates herself to bringing to life the stories of lesbians in order to leave traces of their experiences whether they are sad or beautiful.

In this personal essay, she allows herself to imagine a better world for all, for her community in particular for which she has great admiration.

aka Naomi, is a trans* Afro poet and feminist activist advocating for the rights of transgender people in Burkina Faso. A psychosocial project referent, she promotes LGBTQI community health projects in Bobo Dioulasso, her hometown. She is also the president of a community organization in Burkina Faso called Association Transgenders Burkina.

PEACE-TOLO THE WORDSMITH is a Zimbabwean author, poet and editor. She has been writing poetry since high school. She has coauthored a novel entitled Another Wedding. Peace-Tolo the Wordsmith has always used writing as a form of expression and escaping unpleasant realities of the world. Born and bred in Bulawayo, she attended primary school, high school and university in Bulawayo before moving to Harare for publishing work. She’s passionate about soccer and would love to play more on a social basis. Peace is the last born in a family of five. She hopes to publish her own poetry book in the near future.

Photos from GGTECH Designs

RUTH LU is a 25 years old black Congolese woman (DRC) living in France who sometimes ventures where she is least expected. Currently a student in Development Studies, she is involved in various photo, writing and activist projects.

As an Afrofeminist, she is an activist committed to issues related to education, health, women and girls' rights, among others. With an overflowing curiosity, she sometimes writes texts for/about women's rights and sexual minorities.

ROSIE OLANG ODHIAMBO (she/her) is a writer, artist and arts and culture producer living and working in Nairobi, Kenya. She understands her various roles in the arts as framed by the late Toni Morrison relation to work: “I really only do one thing.

I read books. I teach books. I write books, I think about books, it’s one job.” Similarly, she really only does one thing, she looks at and thinks about art, she reads about art, she writes about it, she makes art primarily in community, it’s one job. She is currently the co-founder of Magic Door, an experimental imprint in Nairobi, and serves as the Head of Programs at the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute.

RUFARO GWARADA is committed to a world animated by unhu (ubuntu) – the understanding that collective and individual wellbeing are one and the same. She is a writer, facilitator, and organizer, with over a decade of experience working for gender justice, migrant rights, African-led solutions for Africans, and utilizing art and cultural expression as conduits for healing, liberation, and joy. Rufaro is home in Zimbabwe, Northern California, with Sangha, on the dance floor, and among creatives and those who strive for liberation of all peoples.

WACYL KHA is a multi-hat, multi-origin, and multi-gender artist based in Burkina Faso. Stage designer, illustrator, video maker, they use these media to express their passion, tell stories that raise awareness and support their convictions as an intersectional feminist. Through their work, they reconcile art and activism and hope to be a voice for the voiceless.

WANINI KIMEMIAH is a visual artist, writer and enjoyer of sunlight based in Nairobi. When not watching competitive crafting shows or playing video games, you can find them chilling with their cat.

thank you all from

Issue 14 • 10

editors’ note Celebrating 10 Years of African Queer Art and Culture

11 • February 2022

September 2011 saw the publication of the first ever issue of Q-zine entitled Pelvic T(h)rust. Even though the magazine was still new, several voices from across Africa and the diaspora were already invested in pushing LGBTQIA+ creativity to the forefront.

Q-zine was among the first African continent-based platforms by Africans to provide an artistic and cultural space for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Ten years, 14 issues, 252 contributions, 227 contributors, several editorial teams, hundreds of visual artworks, stories, poems, reviews, and essays later, as well as countless minds, hearts, and lives touched by queer creativity from Africa and the diaspora, we are proud of how far we have come as a platform.

Today, we are thrilled to present this special 10year anniversary edition that marks Q-zine’s 14th issue. In it, you will find writing, images, and conversations that celebrate and affirm the lives of LGBTQIA+ peoples of Africa and the diaspora who strive for and navigate the delicate balance of life, joy, and thriving even in the midst of adversity. The COVID-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the many ways in which current systems of health, work, social safety nets, global collaboration, politics, and more have been, and are woefully inadequate and inequitable. And yet, an opportunity was presented for communities to rise above and to practice mutual aid, to participate in dreaming into a different way of being in which interconnectedness, interdependence, and collective thriving are at center. Drawing on this opportunity to live and be with each other differently, we were inspired to invite contributions that speak to creating new realities of belonging, love, healing, and wholeness.

The 18 contributors to this 14th edition of Q-zine shared, through their words and visuals, the ways

in which they are living into these new realities and sharing their vision for the kind of world in which all can live in peace, with dignity, and as authentically, boldly and beautifully as we wish.

This 10-year anniversary issue is a living testimony that we are here, we are creating, we are imagining and more importantly, we will not be forgotten.

We have been paving the way for LGBTQIA+ creatives on the continent and in the diaspora over the past 10 years and have every intention to keep it open for generations to come. Many thanks to all those who contributed to the space that Q-zine is today, whether through writing, submitting visual artwork, providing technical support, and most importantly through reading our publications.

We hope this issue takes your imagination on a creative journey far beyond anything you ever thought possible.

To many more years of queer art, culture and creativity and with gratitude from the Q-zine team!

From Rufaro Gwarada & Claire Ba On behalf of the Editorial Team Issue 14 • 12

fiction

A Perfect

World

BY LYNN AURÉLIE ATTEMENE

13 • February 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY ROSIE OLANG

No one could claim to know what the world would look like after; after COVID-19...

For me, this pandemic was heaven’s way of punishing us for so many reasons, and rightfully so. A necessary evil that, from a distance, could allow us to stop and reflect on life, human beings, the universe, nature and more importantly, on the law of nature which differed from social norms created by men; norms that prevented a number of human beings from enjoying their right to life, to freedom.

Not being able to go out as much was painful for me. I was not exactly a homebody. Staying at home forced me to face my inner self and it was far from a pleasurable experience.

Being alone with myself was unpleasant and unbearable.

Here I was having to process a break-up with my partner who, convinced that the pandemic was a sign of the end of the world, had decided to enter the convent to repent for being a lesbian. She had become a nun, “married to Christ” as they say in the Catholic Church. I also had to deal with myself, this being who was so vulnerable and needed constant reassurance. Because of COVID-19, my wife had left me to marry God. This pandemic! What a pain!

When I went outside, it was for very specific reasons. No one could go out like they wanted to. Every time I came back from my errands, I found myself calculating my expenses.

Nothing hurt more than having to buy a new mask every time I had to go into a store because yes, I always misplaced or dropped the previous one, not being used to its presence

Issue 14 • 14

fiction

in my life. This little object made me very angry because it prevented me from breathing properly. Besides, the money spent on this accessory could have gone to my savings.

It seemed that whoever held the remote control to this new life had misplaced it after having put us on pause. And now, they were struggling to find it, forcing us to move more slowly, to make more precise calculations and to question ourselves.

For me, this pause was still a necessary evil because people were no longer talking about other people’s life choices.

Everyone was focused on their own life. The places where people usually socialized and gossipped were now empty to allow other inhabitants of nature to finally experience life.

Those who had no time to judge, to mock, to settle scores, to insult, to threaten, to create conflicts, to hinder the life of others, were taking advantage of the silence, of the pause of humans. The air was pure…

My nosy neighbor, who used to sneakily look out her door whenever she heard footsteps, had become more discreet.

Now, she not only spared me her criticisms and preaching but had also become more attentive, asking caring and sensible questions. “Are you doing okay...? Are you eating right...? Take care of yourself.” If I may, I thank COVID-19 for this peace.

You would too if you had a neighbor like mine.

But the loneliness was beginning to wear me down, so I decided to leave my apartment to be with my family. If it was really the end of the world as my ex thought, it was better to be surrounded by my brothers and sisters. My ex enjoyed sending me Bible verses every morning and encouraged me to change. Speaking of my ex, she delighted in sending me pictures of her with her parents, all proud to see their daughter with a Bible in hand and a big cross around her neck. To me, the whole thing was more of a boring comedy show than reality. I knew her. She was the most woman-obsessed person I knew. I wondered if she really thought she had saved her soul by lying to herself the way she did.

With COVID-19, everyone found ways to keep busy. I kept busy by inviting myself into their picture to make it more "gay" and more real. I imagined myself right in the middle, holding her hand, and her parents next to me, smiling at me with great affection. In another life, they would certainly have 15 • February 2022

been proud to have their daughter married to me. In front of the picture, I closed my eyes and I could see her mother taking my hand and asking me to go shopping with her, so happy to have me as her daughter-in-law. I could also see her father settling our couple fights in the presence of my parents. And all together, I could see us sharing wine while discussing how we would have our future children. An atmosphere of peace, well-being, equality, joy, harmony, tenderness and kindness. I could also see myself in conversations with her brothers filled with love and naturalness. My thoughts happily transported me to her adioukrou village where I had attended a generation party before but was introduced as her best friend. This time, in my imagination, I was inviting myself as her wife. Her grandmother would treat me with much more attention and would introduce me to the neighborhood with pride. And that is what this photo should have portrayed.

"YOU'RE HERE MADAM." The driver had said "madam". It may seem banal, but this sign of politeness was so rare. Could it be possible that people were changing? That's the question I asked myself. This made me smile and I decided to leave him a 500 FCFA tip. This is how the world should be, polite and kind. All in all, I had high expectations of this world, after this pause of humanity.

Yes, I had high expectations.

Happy to be back with family, I laid down on my younger sister's bed to continue dreaming because on that day, I wanted to do nothing else but be in another world, in my imaginary world. We would probably go back to work soon. I wondered if people were questioning themselves like I was, and if they were, if they were doing it properly. I was really concerned about this. I didn't want to go back to work and get back to a boss who would spend his time judging and calling people names when tasks were not done as he expected. Instead, I imagined him talking to us with more respect, more restraint, more concern for our mental well-being.

Further on, I imagined having constructive conversations with my colleagues during our lunch breaks. Those would be nothing like those conversations where I had so little to say; where people like me, homosexuals, were judged without their consent. To my colleagues, we were criminals and had to be killed or locked up. During such conversations, I wouldn’t really express myself because my voice alone would not have been able to defend an entire community. So I would just

listen and on the rare occasions when I would speak up, I would be quickly cut off.

In my thoughts, in my world, there were constructive conversations. I imagined my colleagues listening to me with attention and consideration. I would imagine them respecting me. I would imagine us discussing the ‘issues’ calmly, sharing our opinions without judgment. Because even if they didn't agree with certain sexualities, they shouldn't criminalize or judge them.

This world that my mind was creating was pure, sweet, loving, altruistic. It was a good place to live. In this world, we really had a say. We were given a choice. Our parents listened to us and understood our lives. People had meaningful discussions.

Everyone cared about each other and did not interfere with each other's lives. Too good, you might say. And yet, this is the world we should all be dreaming of. And who knows, maybe it could become real. In this world, human beings would be more attentive to others and to nature. People would be gentle, loving.

"YOUR SISTER HAS FINALLY DECIDED TO JOIN THE FAMILY FOR THE LOCKDOWN." My father’s voice brought me back to reality. He had just returned home. There were lots of groceries in the car. I felt good. No more headaches because of endless expenses and calculations. And as my imagination was irrepressible that day, I allowed myself to imagine my father asking me about my wife, with a smile on his face. I also imagined my brothers teasing me about their beautiful sister-in-law.

"WHY HAVE YOU BEEN SMILING LIKE THAT SINCE YOU GOT HERE?" Even if I answered, my sister would not have understood.

She would not have understood how I could be in such a wonderful world when I was physically next to them; that my imagination could take me on this beautiful journey that I alone was leading. This world that I had built in the depths of my mind was pleasant. I could have taken them with me but they were not ready. It would have required them to question themselves; to reconsider all aspects of life, not just themselves. No. They were far from ready to visit this world.

There was still work to be done.

Tonight, we were going to have dinner together. I was happy. If I had known earlier that things would turn like this with this pandemic, I would have been with my family since day one. Is this how it is for every family? Finally, something positive! As we were all together, my thoughts took me away again.

A FAMILY DINNER...

Across from me, I imagined my wife sitting next to my father helping him open a bottle of wine. But instead of this image, I was seeing my brother tending to this mundane task.

I would have been so proud if that bottle of wine was in my wife's hands.

“A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS, DAUGHTER?” “I WAS IMAGINING A WORLD WHERE WE WOULD ALL BE EQUAL, WITHOUT EXCEPTION.” I should have continued. I shouldn’t have stopped there. I should have taken advantage of the situation. Perhaps it was the right time. I could see that my father was in the mood to talk about anything. His smile was endless. Even if coming out seemed impossible, I could at least have asked what he thought about gay people. Did he also think that we were responsible for the atrocities of this world and that we should be judged and killed like many people on social media?

This picture of my family at that moment would have made a nice postcard. It was nothing like the family photo my ex had sent me, convinced of her conversion. I try not to judge her behavior even though I find it absurd and disrespectful to her god. Oh... I'm not judging her, don't worry. As long as she enjoys her new life, then that’s all that matters. One day, I will invite her into my world; my world full of dreams and colors.

And perhaps, I will invite you too.

Issue 14 • 16

Photo By Studiio Peter Michael

in conversation

The Multiple Facets of Passion

17 • February 2022

A CONVERSATION WITH YOS CLARK INTERVIEW BY RUTH LU

Dancer, photographer, model, singer and much more, Yos Clark is an artist from Cote d’Ivoire. During a conversation full of energy and passion, he opened up to Q-zine about his life as an artist, especially as a dancer. As you read on, discover his journey in the world of dance and his aspirations as an artist.

Could you introduce yourself to our readers ?

My name is Yos Clark. I’m a dancer, model, and sometimes singer. I live in England. If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be “passionate”. Passion guides me in everything I do.

For instance, I started dancing out of pure passion.

It's also passion that drove me to photography, which I started almost at the same time as dancing and singing. I have always been guided by passion.

Regarding singing, I used to listen to a lot of opera when I started ballet. I only listened to opera and would sometimes imitate some of the singers.

Where did this passion for dance come from?

When I was younger, maybe eight years old, there was a TV show called “Un, Dos, Tres” that I used to watch. It was about the life of students who were studying art like painting, music, acting, ballet, and so on. I was completely captivated by ballet.

Issue 14 • 18

There was this beauty about ballet that attracted me. In spite of the pain these students would experience as dancers, they still had this ability to give of themselves, to give their audience the most beautiful show. And at that age, I was simply amazed! At eight, I was too shy and too young to put this new interest into words, so I kept it to myself. When I played with my friends, I would sometimes do the splits to try to make myself flexible. At school, I would also try to keep that flexibility by giving my all during gym class. Then around the age of fifteen, I started to get a little more interested in dancing. I did a lot of research.

When I opened my Facebook account, I would mostly only send friend requests to dancers. My first friend request, after my dad, was to a dancer [laughs].

Quite a few years passed between when I discovered ballet at eight years old and when I really started to explore it. As Africans, as men, we tend to have prejudices about people who like ballet, and I think that was what held me back for a while. I don't know if at that time, I would have been able to put this into words but we all have this image of ballet as the little girl and her pink tutu. We don't usually associate ballet with little boys so I let time pass [before I took it on]. There eventually came a time when I had to express myself and things happened naturally.

So how did you start in the dance world?

At 15, I wasn't dancing full time because I was still going to school. Dancing was just a hobby. But 19 • February 2022

Photo by Yos Clark

in conversation

most Ivorians can dance. I think it's in our genes [laughs]. So I danced regardless. I had Michael Jackson as a reference. At school, I used to imitate his dance moves. I would stand on my tiptoes and imitate his moves.

I started dancing seriously at age 17, when I was out of school. I had a lot of free time so it was kind of an outlet for me because when I was at home, I wasn’t always in good spirits. I had to find a way to escape. In the beginning, I did a lot of research and watched videos, trying to reproduce dance steps.

I mostly taught myself. And then I continued to make dancer friends on Facebook, took pictures of myself [dancing], posted them, and it went from there. Now I'm in dance school.

I started with ballet and gradually evolved towards contemporary dance. It's a universe that speaks to me more. In contemporary dance, I feel freer than in ballet where things are more rigid, where

WE DON'T USUALLY ASSOCIATE BALLET WITH LITTLE BOYS going to happen to my life. It was a very difficult time for me.

there are more rules. In contemporary dance, I can express myself fully. I can bring out my identity, tell my own story, put my own experience into it.

It’s a genre that really speaks to me.

How would you describe your year 2020 with everything that happened?

I came back to England in 2020 and lockdown started shortly later. At the time, I experienced it as a bit of a catastrophe. This whole situation was happening just as things finally seemed to be working out for me to study dance as I wanted to.

I thought I was cursed because after everything I had gone through to get to England, I was faced with another issue. I was constantly stressed out about how I was going to finish my training. With visa restrictions and all, I honestly couldn't see a way out. I would question myself about what was

Our classes were all online, which is something I had experienced in the past because while I was teaching myself ballet, I managed to find an online teacher to support me. So it was a learning model that I was somewhat used to. However, online dance classes are not ideal. Dancing when your space was constrained and the internet connection could be unstable was far from what I had imagined. But I managed to overcome all that, to cheer myself up and continue to post more [photos] on social media.

I even opened a new account dedicated to fashion.

I wanted to separate my dance content from my fashion content so as to be more in tune with my different audiences. I realized that people liked my content after all. Thanks to this account, I was spotted by an organization from the London Fashion Week that was interested in my work. They invited me to make a video with them and we worked with 10 other designers. The video was published on the London Fashion Week website and an article was published in Vogue Italia. So there you have it! It's true that 2020 didn’t start as I wanted it to, but eventually it all worked out. I'm very grateful for this journey and I am confident that this is just the beginning. There is much more to come!

Issue 14 • 20

After everything you had to go through to be able to fully exercise and express your passion, how do you see the future?

I tell myself that there is a bright future ahead of me. In life, there will always be ups and downs; but it's how you approach the challenges, the people you surround yourself with, and the opportunities that present themselves that make the difference.

I realized that every time I planned something, nothing went as planned. For example, when I started the online dance classes while I was still in Abidjan, I was supposed to meet my dance teacher in France. But this never happened. And life made it so that through the Africa’s Got Talent contest, she had an opportunity to come to Abidjan. That’s how we met in person. So now, I don't torture myself with too much planning. I keep my longterm goals in mind and I take the present as it comes because I know that life is unpredictable.

I just let life do its thing and then we find out together what comes of it.

When you think back on your journey, from the little boy who was amazed by the world of dance to the passionate and confident man 21 • February 2022

Photo by Valentin Fabre

in conversation

you are today, what message would you leave for little boys like you?

The most important message I can leave them with is to be true to themselves, to be authentic and to love themselves as they are. We hear more and more “if you don't love yourself, how can you love others?” So they should give that love to themselves and follow their passions. One piece of advice my father gave me when I was starting to dance was that when you do something that you love, you can only be good at it. And along the way, I've come to realize how true that is. Photography for example, is something I never learned. I started dancing with very little tools and knowledge.

Despite all the constraints, I still managed to make my way, and I'm very happy about that. I honestly have no regrets. So I would encourage them to live for their passions and to give themselves the means to achieve it. That's really the best thing!

What is your wildest dream as an artist?

As a dancer, my dream is to join a dance company.

There are dance companies that I would like to join and these are companies that are in line with my aspirations and that meet my expectations in terms of quality. Eventually, I would like to have a solo career. I am a fairly independent person, I like to improvise in my art, to express myself to the rhythm of the music. It's something that allows me to renew myself each time, to discover myself.

Having a solo career would allow me to free myself from all the restrictions that one can encounter when working within a limited framework.

In addition to that, I dream of becoming a choreographer and opening a dance or art school in Côte d'Ivoire. Maybe not in Abidjan where there are already a lot of opportunities, but in the countryside, to also give a chance to other young passionate artists like me. When I started, I did not have the means to pursue my art as much as

Photo by Studiio Peter Michael

in conversation

Photo by Studiio Peter Michael

I wanted, so I know very well the situation many Ivorian dancers find themselves in.

Lastly, I aspire to be able to merge my passions dance, photography and even modeling - into a single project one day. There is no photographer specialized in dance in Côte d'Ivoire for example.

This is something I would like to explore and bring to my country. I'll have to work a lot to get a clearer vision before I can take the plunge but we'll see how life surprises me!

Issue 14 • 22

Photo by Rosie Olang

poetry

23 • February 2022

Fleeting Promises

BY RUTH LU

Rise up from yesterday’s wreckage, Move forward so as not to perish, Deconstruct ideas from yesterday,

Lay the foundations for tomorrow, Listen to your thoughts,

Express yourself, unfiltered, Let go,

Dance over misunderstandings, Tomorrow will be,

That is the one certainty, Today is here, so be, Free your fiber, Dare to smile,

Dare these colors,

Tomorrow is so far

Far enough to push aside the uncertainty of distant moments To fleeting promises.

Issue 14 • 24

review

And the caged bird will sing beyond death

Tragedy narratives are some of the most complex and compelling narratives in fiction. The premise is simple enough; the story begins with a great horror, and the rest of the book is a picture of the events before or after tragedy struck.

With Akwaeke Emezi's third novel, The Death of Vivek Oji, the tragedy is already in the name. However, the greatest tragedy in this story is not Vivek's death, it is the unfortunate, soul crushing reality of their life. The book is a bold assertion, challenging the consuming despair we are told is our life and destiny as queer African people reeling from the many violences of being colonized people. There is death, yes, there is relentless terror; but there is also joy. There is also life.

25 • February 2022

Illustration by Rosie Olang

A REVIEW OF THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI

BY WANINI KIMEMIAH

Vivek is a bird ready to fly away; brilliant and bright and wonderous. They are born to a grieving family and the circumstances of their birth further complicate this grief. It is this same grief and miasma of death that follows Vivek throughout his brief life and obscures the truth about who he really is to his family.

"Picture: a house thrown into wailing the day he left it, restored to the way it was when he entered.

Picture: his body wrapped. Picture: his father shattered, his mother gone mad. A dead foot with a deflated starfish spilled over its curve, the beginning and end of everything."

In The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson writes: "No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream."

The absolute reality of death that Vivek's family lives under makes it impossible for any of them to allow themselves or their children to dream.

Mary's miscarriages hardened her into a bitter and fanatical woman who couldn't even love the one child she did have. Under her heavy hand and Ekene's negligent parenting, Osita withered throughout his childhood into a joyless young man. A misery like that can sully any good thing into something perverse, which is what his filial affections for Vivek mutated into. The absolute reality of Vivek's own household shrunk Kavita's world to her only child. She vows to have no other children and devotes herself to raising him. And yet, her grief at having lost Ahunna keeps her from truly seeing her child. Chika, even less. He is dismissive of the truth of Vivek from his birth and as he grows older, resorts to even sending him away to military school to "toughen him up"; to beat out the truth of him by thrusting him into a violently conformist hypermasculine environment. There's something to be said here about how the worry of African fathers for their sons (some who are secretly daughters) can only be expressed through absolute violence. If they kill your spirit, nobody else can. Chika wields manhood like a weapon and he is not afraid to bludgeon Vivek with it. Ahunna lives on in Vivek, but he would much rather she die again than accept his only child.

Vivek persists despite the death and dysfunction that plagues them. When the option to leave their family behind and make a new life while studying

Issue 14 • 26

review

abroad is no longer an option, they conjure up an existence for themselves out of thin air. In the face of death, Vivek does the brave thing that nobody in their family has attempted to do in decades; they choose life.

Vivek is a caged bird, but they have adorned their enclosure and adorned themself in magnificent splendor. In chapter 6, Vivek says:

"Beautyful. I have no idea why that spelling was chosen, but I liked it because it kept beauty intact. It wasn't swallowed, killed off with an ‘i’ to make a whole new word.

It was solid; It was still there, so much of it that it couldn't fit into a new word, so much fullness. You got a better sense of exactly what was causing that fullness. Beauty."

27 • February 2022

The kinship and community they build with Juju, Elizabeth, Somto and Olunne is the balm that they need. They allowed them to spread their wings a little and shake the dust off their feathers.

The girls allowed Vivek to dream, and dream she did. Osita on the other hand was completely unable to shake the baggage heaped on him by his family. He succumbed to it completely and it distorted who Vivek was to him. Osita watched Vivek change and free themself from the worst parts of the trauma passed on to them, and this terrified him. Why couldn't they be content with their chains? Why couldn't they accept the reality that there would never be any room for acceptance for the truth of them in their family or community as he had? Osita deeply resents that Vivek gave themself permission to exist, and not just exist, to defy categorization or simplicity or respectability. Vivek chose life and beauty where Osita was content with death and decay. It is this resentment, this rage that ultimately leads to Vivek's untimely death.

Some may argue, and have argued that Emezi's choice to depict an incestuous relationship between the cousins is for shock value and entirely gratuitous, but I disagree. They are not the first or last author to explore the idea of dysfunctional families and generational trauma using incestuous relationships. The relationship between the twins in Arundhati Roy's God Of Small Things is alluded to being similarly inappropriate, and much like in that story, it proves to be incredibly damaging

review

for both parties. It's not comfortable, or easy to consider such possibilities when writing a story about queer people. Especially since as a result of the prevalent fundamentalist Christian propaganda, many people in Nigeria think of queer people and in particular transfeminine individuals and men as aggressive sexual predators on par with sexual abusers. But perhaps that is the point of this particular narrative. It is a very poisonous idea that causes countless queer people untold physical and psychological harm from the people around them. How much worse could it be to internalize these ideas? The two are obviously aware of how inappropriate their relationship is and they keep it a secret from their friends for the longest time.

I believe the narrative invites us to question the conditions that lead to a damaging and dangerous relationship as this one. The volatile combination of Vivek's emotional distress and the idea that there were no other options or opportunities for love or intimacy for them proved ripe conditions for their relationship to begin. To me, this relationship is a sharp criticism of the hypocrisy of Nigerian society and attitudes towards queer people. You cannot poison a well and be angry when the water kills you. Undoubtedly, Vivek had come to a point where she no longer needed Osita in the desperate way she had, and I think that it is significant that mistakenly or not, Osita killed her for it.

Emezi makes a powerful statement by having Vivek honoured in death in a way she was not while alive. For many trans people, dying is just another continuation of the erasure they suffered in life. The deceased are buried in clothes they'd never wear, under names they no longer used and remain misremembered in the minds of their families. Kavita gave her child a send-off befitting their life. She made sure to dress them in the clothes she knew they loved, didn't cut their hair much to the disgust of the rest of the family, and ensured that the headstone had the correct names for Vivek. It is a shame to die young, but sometimes in death, one can finally find the freedom life could not offer. What is death anyway but one half of the cycle of existence?

From beyond the grave Vivek says: "I was born and I died. I will come back. Somewhere you see, in the river of time, I am already alive."

Vivek was a bird with clipped wings when she was alive, but in death she spread her wings and soared.

Issue 14 • 28

poetry

25 August 2025

BY PEACE~TOLO THE WORDSMITH 2021©

She knew.

The umbilical cord which connected us made us one.

She always knew.

I look on at her wrinkles; a story of grief, healing and reconciliation.

The winds of change slammed our dreams across the wall.

We had to carve out new dreams out of the pieces left behind.

She loved me.

I feel it in her silence; coated with the desperate need to understand me.

The need to birth me again in her mind as the person I truly am.

She always loved me.

She hated me; the evil that wormed into her daughter’s life.

She hated you for loving me.

Heaven heard the echoes of your 29 • February 2022

cries as you were torn between mother and lover.

Yet it slept while you wept, while you prayed for an escape, a better day.

You cut yourself open, hoping to get an outlet for the pain, You flashed fake smiles at the world, praying no one would have to fake concern.

You befriended demons; in hopes they would plead with their master to release you from the torment.

Home became a cold hell.

She hated you for loving me against all odds.

Illustration by Rosie Olang

August 25 2025.

No matter how bad the tide turned, the bond was a candle whose string never burnt out.

In and out of time, I was yours and you were mine, beyond flesh, circumstances and fears.

She loved you.

She was scared of losing you, losing you to faceless monsters, nameless villains and vices.

She was afraid of the world looking on ahead judgmentally at her.

Mama projected her fears in her lashings at you.

She couldn’t pray your love away; she couldn’t beat the rainbow strips out of your skin.

I believe with every fibre in my being, these hands were made to wipe your tears.

I was always meant to be by your side, for sunny and rainy seasons.

I love you beyond reason.

I loved you before and on this day; I pledge to love you forever.

August 25 2025.

You tell me this is it; home. You’ve found a place to walk barefooted.

You’ve made peace with everything.

You can finally breathe without shaking, smile without faking it.

You love me.

She graces the aisle with an innocent smile, spreading the love with flower petals.

Ruvarashe is a blessing we call our daughter.

The glue to the story, the reason two mothers chose to understand, To understand a love they ignorantly forbade.

They love her.

They love us.

Issue 14 • 30

Precious

Rainbow

Make-up Artist 31 • February 2022

Photos by Kabira Akintayo

visual art

BY KABIRA AKINTAYO

My name is Akintayo Kabira, I am a student and a makeup artist. I am a big fan of makeup and I love drawing. One night, I was having fun drawing patterns on my face with makeup and I found it beautiful. I took pictures and shared them on social media and got a lot of positive feedback.

That's how it all started.

The question I get the most is “Is it Photoshop?” [laughs] I got the idea of using the different colors of the LGBTQ+ flags last year, in May, on International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. I had decided to dedicate the entire month to showcasing LGBTQ flags by using their colors in makeup.

My creations are a sort of tribute to the LGBTQ community. I usually work when I am inspired and that is often at night. Since I work on my face most of the time, the first step is to make a draft to get an idea of the result.

Then comes the actual shaping, the addition of colors and the finishing touches. I use a lot of neon colors. It allows me to create a vivid effect and have a beautiful result.

Through my art, I want everyone to see my community for what it truly is: vibrant, colorful, stunning. I want us to be proud of who we are and for people to understand that there is no shame in being part of the LGBTQ community.

You can find me on Instagram and Facebook under the name Bira'licious.

Issue 14 • 32

Photo by Ziada Fana

in conversation

Who Changes The

World One Day? In

A CONVERSATION WITH ZIADA FANA INTERVIEW BY RUFARO GWARADA

33 • June 2017

Ziada Fana is an Eritrean-American photographer, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and Asmara, Eritrea. Based in Oakland, CA, her work centers around human experiences and identity. This conversation came about after Ziada had to reconsider her contribution to this 10th anniversary edition due to challenges brought about by a repetitive strain injury. She opened up to Q-zine about how her physical challenges have pushed her to invent more creative ways of being, both in her body and in the world, and about what she is learning and unlearning along the way.

Initially we talked about your project as a self-portrait of your hands, but as more ideas came to you, after you had to take a break from work to rest your hands, you realized that you’d need to use your hands to edit the photos that you were thinking about taking.

Yes and I think that part of me was trying to follow through on my commitment, still do something but without being impacted. As I considered options, I was excited by the possibility of setting photos on a timer thinking it wouldn’t require me having to hold, or click or, do anything with the

camera that requires my hands. I thought it would be a good experiment to see photos I'm able to come up with using a different method. But then, as creativity comes in whatever ways, I started to have all these different ideas, many of which I shut down. Ultimately, everything that I was thinking of required me having to go in and edit these photos.

I could potentially do it if I found somebody who was an editor to do it for me. But that's not an option, the final images wouldn’t be self-portraits.

Issue 14 • 34

in conversation

Less physical effort, less time.

Let’s go back to the theme of this 10th anniversary issue. It's about building new worlds, or new ways of being in the midst of the catastrophe that's COVID and everything else that's come with it.

What’s one of the new ways of being in your creativity that allow for thriving, that you are leaning into, or practicing?

That's been the harder piece as it relates to photography, because it's something that's been more difficult to tap into. Between the RSI [Repetitive Strain Injury] and distance from people, it's a practice that hasn't flourished. And there's been judgment around that too like: okay, I'm not really committed to this thing. Or: it doesn't give me that spark anymore. This inner dialogue is happening even though [my injury and COVID] are not necessarily all within my control, right? But I know that I'm a creative person, deep down, and so I've had to find other ways to tap into that. One of the ways has been through music. Even though I'm still using my hands to DJ, what’s required of my hands and the time commitment is different.

35 • February 2022

Being with music in that way has made it so I can tap back into that joy [of creativity]. The other piece is music curation. I would make very short playlists for friends who were experiencing something good, bad, or something in-between. That was a way for me to still be able to connect with people, without judgment, and without it being a thing for other people per se. It could just be the thing that I did for myself as an act of love for my friends. I don't see myself being a DJ but my friends always respond positively to my playlists.

If someone reading the article wanted to find your playlists somewhere, where might they look? Or is your DJing more just for you and loved ones and not for public consumption?

Anybody who wants access to the playlists can check them out on Spotify. I'm also looking into other ways to share my playlists like through YouTube or SoundCloud and incorporating more creativity.

Great! So, going back to your original self-portrait idea, what had you been hoping to capture in your images of your hands?

in conversation

I wanted to change the narrative about RSI. This is something that we've talked about a lot including how having an invisible injury can be so isolating, especially when it's something where people can't recognize it. Or if it’s something people haven't had experience with then it's very hard for them to empathize with somebody who has RSI. To have people tell you it's not that serious, or that you’re exaggerating your pain and discomfort is disappointing and jarring. So, basically, unless I have a million braces on my arms, then [RSI] is not understood as an issue, and neither are the limitations around the types of things that you can and can't do. For instance, depending on the day, I can maybe push a cart for a certain distance but I can't open a jar or mix ga’at or pap or sadza or whatever. It comes down to understanding the grades of ability. I think it's really hard for some people to get that.

And then there's a lot of guilt and shame that goes along with it too. For instance, I want to be able to come over and hold the baby, and take him off your hands, but I know just the fact that he is gaining a pound every day means I can't help in that way.

It's been interesting because I've been trying to be more creative with thinking about how I exist. So to go back to your question, I think a part of it was being able to change the narrative, so it's not so much of “I can't do X, Y and Z” but more so “how am I connecting with the things in my environment, and the things that I enjoy doing?” As an example, I have all of these little plant propagation stations in my house. And I'm like, okay, you know you need to stop doing this because it's about to be a plant

hoarding situation [laughs], but it's something that's been fun to do. I’ve also enjoyed watching the plants that just by their nature are resilient. I’ve watched their root systems and it's fascinating. I've learned more about plants in the forest in general … about their whole network underground. It's just really been fascinating, a gift really, to get lost in nature, and not just nature but other living things and not being so in my head, and in my body’s challenges.

So coming back to world building and other ways of being, what have you learned about yourself, and what kind of world are you building? I asked that, knowing that a lot of the time when we talk about building, it requires our hands, and you have an injury that can be debilitating. How are you thinking about world building, not just for yourself, as you figure out how to navigate the injury but also for and with others?

Issue 14 • 36

in conversation

There's the very tangible brick-by-brick way of building and then there's the way that we build our communities. I’ve been having an internal conversation, asking: what do I want from this existence, from this life? And one thing that I was thinking was, if my basic needs are covered, then from there, what else do I need or what do I want?

I want a simple existence that's not wasteful. I want to not live in excess, but also live in a way that I'm able to learn and grow through experiences, and have the flexibility to do that. And then having the opportunity to be around people, I don't want to create harm, and I don't want to be harmed. And so, these are all very very basic foundational things.

And there's a seed of a thought that I've been having around how what I learned growing up is showing up now in my life and how I might want to change it. So, for example, what does success mean? What does happiness mean? What does joy mean? How do we unlearn the things that we're supposed to do and focus more on what we want?

And one of the important things for me is being able to contribute, whether it's on a small or large scale and that's okay and that's enough. When I was younger, it was very idealistic to think, I want to have this huge impact. The older I've gotten, the more I realized that sometimes, the smaller oneon-one interactions or experiences are the most impactful. So, I may not be able to contribute in a way that's physically building something or

37 • February 2022

putting something together as much as I would like to. But what does it look like when I have a conversation with my neighbor? What does it look like when I meet with a friend? What does it look like to have conversations beyond small talk?

What does it look like to be very intentional in the way that we engage with each other? Those are some of the things that I've been thinking about.

And how do you move from thinking to doing?

I’m doing some of these things. The thinking about them part comes up when I reflect on my day [in the morning], and consider what could happen on that day, and how I will conduct myself. There is an exercise that my partner always does, that she always gets me to do at the end of the day. She asks me to name three things I’m grateful for and one way I changed the world.

My first reaction to the last part was: oh, I didn’t change the world today. In fact, when my partner first asked me that question, I remember saying, this is crazy, who changes the world in a day? [Laughs], I was just being difficult. She said it doesn't have to be a huge thing. It reminds me of a situation in my first job when I I had a conversation with a student who didn't want to do her homework.

That conversation, unbeknownst to me, shifted how she approached the rest of her school. So little

in conversation

things like that, where we don't even realize the impact of the small gestures are how we change the world every day.

As you're moving through the world, what do you want to carry forward with you from the COVID times?

Well, I am not all ‘Kumbaya, this is wonderful’.

Many days, I wonder about all that's wrong in the world, what the point of it all is. And, there are moments that do give me hope, like the times I see the beauty in our community, in someone speaking to someone that they normally wouldn't. Or when the pandemic first happened and we were all in lockdown, everybody went for walks, and that is not an American thing. So that was something that I thought was really beautiful, how people would walk and greet each other, even if they were six feet apart, how they would talk to each other.

about apocalyptic movies and stories, it's never the thing that’s killing everybody that people are really scared of, it's about surviving it and having to deal with other humans and the lengths they’ll go to to live another day.

So it's beautiful when you see that kind of community building, especially when people can choose to be good or bad. It's really easy for people to choose the bad, and I hope that in all the moments that we've had through this year and a half, most people have chosen the good. I hope that's something that continues to happen.

You can find Ziada Fana’s playlists on Spotify under DjxFana and her photography @ziadafana on Instagram and her website.

Of course, there was the ugly side of that, but the beautiful parts stood out more. And when we talk

Issue 14 • 38

visual art

Image details:

Title of Artwork : Lullaby for Haiti: Equi-Libre

Medium: Cyanotype and acrylic on paper Dimension: 24 x 24 inches Year created: 2019 Photo credit: Pascal Giacomini

39 • June 2017

Equi-L

BY FRANCESCA LALANNE

Francesca Lalanne’s Equi-Libre is part of a series called Lullaby for Haiti. Lullaby for Haiti is driven by the hope for Haiti to get rest following countless years of social and political unrest, which Lalanne's family fled. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the people of Haiti continue to grapple with social and political upheaval and natural disasters, and many have left their home country in pursuit of better lives.

Equi-Libre conveys hope for that which is better than the seemingly endless current state of being. It is a song, a lullaby, a call for healing.

Lalanne shares “the art piece also calls for female leadership as represented by the feminine figure doing the heavy lifting.” This speaks to her belief that societies that are heavy on patriarchal rule are not balanced. The art work, as a result, also strives for visual balance as represented by the cube and the strings. These elements symbolize that which feminine leadership might manifest. In Lalanne’s words, “a stronger feminine presence will naturally bring about more loving and caring outcomes in the lives of Haitian people.”

-Libre

Issue 14 • 40

fiction

Their Excellency Misster Igram Kevynn HONFO First Openly Non-Binary President of The Republic of Benin

2051 Inaugural Speech

BY IGRAM KÉVYNN HONFO

41 • February 2022

Madam Secretary General of the United Nations Presidents of the East and West African Union, Mr. President of the National Assembly, MissTer President of the Constitutional Court, Ladies of the Constitutional Institutions, Madam Grand Chancellor of the National Order of Benin, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Government and the Diplomatic Corps Honourable Deputies and members of the Institutions of the Republic, Distinguished guests, partners and international organizations,

Photos by Dah Photography

Dear compatriots, At this solemn moment, as I take office as President of the Republic, I would like to express my deepest pride that the presidential election was held in a peaceful atmosphere, with regularity Issue 14 • 42

fiction

and transparency. I would also like to salute all the Beninese people who believed in me and elected me to lead this country. By doing so, you made me the first person in Africa - neither Mr. nor Mrs. but MissTer - openly non-binary, to have reached the highest level of responsibilities of a country.

I would also like to congratulate you for your generous spirit, your open-mindedness, and for your desire to see our country, Benin, grow. I am committed to bringing sustainable development to this country for the good of all by exercising the power bestowed upon me with dignity and simplicity. Certainly, the task is immense, but it is not impossible if the actions to be undertaken are based on a clear vision as well as the skills and assets we have. I take this opportunity to acknowledge feminists and honor the memory of women as well as all those courageous, brave and inspiring mothers who sacrifice their lives to see their children succeed.

Dear compatriots, I will carry out my duties as President of the Republic with humility and selflessness. I will work every day so that my mandate can be an instrument of justice, peace, equity and inclusion for men, women, non-binary and trans* people by implementing major institutional political reforms. To achieve this, I intend to re-establish the rule of law that respects democratic principles and individual freedoms, and effectively ensures the protection of people and property.

43 • February 2022

fiction

new hope and new challenges

Photos by Dah Photography

I will make our democracy a true instrument of international cooperation, integration and influence. I will work to ensure and preserve freedom of the press as well as equitable access for all, without any distinction, to public media. I will ensure the protection of private initiatives and the private sector as main tools for development. I will work to reduce and then eradicate precariousness by ensuring the protection of the marginalized and destitute, as well as access to water and energy as inalienable rights for all and factors of development.

I will give priority to the restructuring of the health system in order to provide our citizens with more effective health coverage. Every citizen, without

Issue 14 • 44

fiction

distinction, will have the right to consultations and primary care upon presentation of their national ID in all national health centers. There will also be health services adapted to sexual minorities and disabled people. Retirement homes will be available in each city to ensure the well-being and protection of the elderly with permanent access to family visits.

Thanks to various scientific and medical advances, HIV and AIDS are now a distant memory.

However, since 2047, we have been losing loved ones and relatives with the advent of the global epidemic of Ibuzina, a virus that has been thriving due to global warming and that has been silently making victims. In order to face this scourge and reduce the mortality rate, each citizen will have to go to the Benin National Laboratory of their department for a complete health check-up every 6 months.

Trans* people are very close to my heart, which is why the State will fully cover costs of the transition process, from hormone therapy to surgery, including medical consultations, name and administrative gender change. I will personally see to it that this project is completed and sustained well after my term in office.

45 • February 2022

The Higher Institute of Science, Technology and Medical Research of Benin, established in several African countries, will ensure the training of the best national and international high school graduates. I strongly believe that our continent is full of young people committed to a great and changed Africa. Therefore, I will work to rebuild the national education system to ensure its adequacy with the ambitions of our country.

Our children need to know the history of Benin, the foundations, the various social movements and even the inspirations that have brought us to this point. I will therefore personally see to the revision of school guides and textbooks, to the establishment of an exemplary teaching pedagogy as well as a class schedule from 7 am to 3 pm.

In this regard, the restructuring of the National Education Council and the creation of a free knowledge and innovation zone will be the main levers of government action in this sector. "Fongbe", the first national language spoken in Benin, will be taught in primary school to enable Beninese citizens to speak and write their national language well. Vodoun will be taught starting from primary school and will be a special course, a subject of evaluation of the learners. Indeed, Vodoun is one of the few spiritual spaces that do not differentiate between sexual orientations and gender identities.

Far from being an unhealthy practice, it will serve national unity. It is important that we show the positive aspects of our culture and promote Vodoun as an African and Beninese cultural practice, both at home and abroad.

fiction

I will also work for tourism to become a real tool for wealth and job creation. The National Fashion Museum will be installed in AbomeyCalavi. Attire from the country's most important personalities will be displayed and several national and international fashion shows will be held there.

Young aspiring models as well as fashion designers will be able to draw inspiration from these outfits.

A LGBTQ+ Pride Museum will also be set up in Parakou. Soon, Benin will have a textile industry with talented designers who will produce “made in Benin” fabrics and clothes. People will no longer be required to dress in suits for formal wear. The Benin School of Art will welcome artists of all kinds and will grant scholarships to anyone wishing to perfect their skills. A committee of professionals will be responsible for the valorization and promotion of Beninese music.

The construction of a large stadium in Bohicon for the Olympic Games and the renovation of roads are also a priority in my action plan.

I am committed to promoting an independent, accessible and efficient justice system for all, in our cities and countryside, as well as revitalizing and modernizing the public administration for the benefit of competent young people. Beninese must be able to move freely and securely.

Our local currency, the Akwê, will be produced in Djougou and will be used for all our transactions.

The development of a country also depends on

cleanliness. We will therefore make sure that no garbage is left lying around. Controls will be carried out and the slightest deviation will be sanctioned by a fine.

Our country will be able to rise to the rank of regional agricultural power with a large production capacity in the agricultural, livestock and fishing sectors. In terms of security, intelligence services will support the public security and national defense forces to ensure the protection of the population.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear compatriots, Great prospects await ahead of my upcoming mandate and I am committed to transforming these plans into concrete actions for the development of Benin, for the well-being and fulfillment of our people.

I am committed to our country, to new hope and new challenges.

Long live the Republic! Long live Benin!

Thank you.

Issue 14 • 46

poetry

47 • June 2017

tomorrow

BY MALIX CAMPBELL

Today, I am a child different from others I represent shame and fear for mom and dad I have to be careful about what I do and what I say Today, I can’t go to certain places because my friends will be there I must resign myself to misery Because I was born in a body that wasn’t mine Today, At night, I cry myself to sleep, and start my mornings with tears Because for me, every day is a challenge Night and day, I have to face the world Tomorrow, I will be the pillar of my mom and dad I will be the pride of my siblings I will be someone my friends can rely on I will be a blessing for my country because I fought

Illustration by Rosie Olang

Tomorrow, I will be the one who fought in spite of mockery and humiliation I will be the one who took risks even when my life was at stake I will leave, go far away so as not to see their faces covered in shame Tomorrow, I will make a difference, for myself and for all of us I will be praised by all I will be proud; proud of you and proud of us.

Issue 14 • 48

essay

Dolly Ma Brigitta: Queer babydoll mythography in Trinidad and Tobago carnival

BY AMANDA T. MCINTYRE PHOTOS BY KWAME BOATSWAIN, KELLY-ANN BOBB AND CYNTHIA BETANCOURT 49 • June 2017

I

am a Black, queer femme Caribbean woman navigating the challenges of working in the traditionally male dominated and traditionally heteronormative arena of Carnival and therefore I contrive for my performances to have clear queer feminist solidarity in work that subverts the continued systemic oppression of marginalized populations in the Caribbean. I have been working in Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival for just over 10 years, beginning in 2011. In these years, I utilized the Baby Doll masquerade for my art practice, creating narratives that explore communal and individual memories, myths, folklore, oral histories and new narratives. The Baby Doll is a traditional Carnival masquerade in which the performer carries a doll child and identifies male spectators as being the father of the child while scandalously demanding financial support. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries this masquerade was performed mainly by men in parody performances meant to ridicule single mothers for having children outside of marriage and for not knowing the paternity of their children. In 2020, I created the Dolly Ma persona as an embodiment of my work in advocacy and activism. In 2021, I split the performance to accommodate two characters, Dolly Ma and Dolly Ma Brigitta. With these two, I use the plural Dolly Mas1 or Dolly Mas2 to describe the work. In this essay, I will discuss Dolly Ma Brigitta (2021).

1 2

Dolly Ma Brigitta is a cross-temporal masquerade performed through photography, film, and theatre.

The timeline begins with Brigette Delamar and Cynthia Betancourt in late 19th century Trinidad experimenting with Vodou in the Lapeyrouse cemetery. In one of their attempts, they summon

Dolly Ma (singular), Dolly Mas (plural) Dolly Mas, a contemporary Baby Doll masquerade that builds on the tra ditional Baby Doll masquerade

Issue 14 • 50

essay

the goddess Maman Brigitte (a lwa who operates as an intermediary between the living and the dead and, the guardian of cemeteries) who opens a portal and guides them through it and allows them passage to other periods, operating mainly between the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Several times in these travels they are separated. They experience spatial and temporal displacement when relocated in other places and times. The experience of the portal is described sometimes as sailing in the ocean, falling overboard, swimming against the tide, drowning and washing up on another shore to live another life. At other times it is like climbing to the top of a tree and being lifted up and away by a great wind then dropping violently then floating gently like a feather to the ground. A complication of passage through the portal is that there is uncertainty of the physical form of the traveller emerging on the other side. The passage changes the traveller. On the other side, the traveller may be a different gender. Dolly Ma may be a jumbie bird, a black rooster, she may be a woman, a man, a young person, an old person, a doll. In this work, gender is not related to physicality but is instead

treated as an embodied performance, in solidarity with transgender politics.

This story is about the journey of a woman across time and space as she searches for her lost lover. In their travels, they sometimes meet. In one location, a child is created from the union. The doll child is a shape-shifting entity; a familiar spirit and a critical item in Dolly Ma Brigitta’s Vodou. My exploration of Vodou was inspired by my mentor and friend Allan Vaughan who has for years represented Vodou lwas through a utilization of the Moko Jumbie masquerade. He has designed

51 • February 2022

essay

This work engages nuanced public and private discourses on gender, sex and sexuality in the caribbean costumes and performances of Baron Samedi, Mama Brigitte, Baron Cemitere and Baron LaKwa for his band Moko Somokow. This prize winning and critically acclaimed work greatly influenced me in 2020 when Alan invited me to perform with Moko Somokow.

This concept builds on my For Cynthia reading installation and photography series in 2017 that was shown at the inaugural Pride Arts Festival in Trinidad and Tobago. It comprised a reading table, stool, suitcase, and a handwritten journal with roses that dried as the exhibition time passed.

Patrons were invited to sit at the table and read my journal. The For Cynthia photographs were ephemera from a romantic relationship between two women. It addresses how such a relationship is affected by distance and how love changes over time. I repurposed and extended the For Cynthia concept for the Dolly Ma Brigitta work. Cynthia is Dolly Ma’s left behind lover who had taken the photographs. Brigette Delamar/ Dolly Ma Briggita is searching for Cynthia. This is a love story and centuries old grief. Dolly Ma Brigitta is a Black femme queer feminist intervention that reflects on the Caribbean’s past, comments on

Issue 14 • 52

essay

that day danced at Once Upon A Fete, an exhibition

by Bruce Cayonne.

its present socio-political conflicts, and imagines Caribbean futures focusing on the possibilities of Carnival as a platform for social intervention and social justice. The story is unambigously queer and in conversation with the work of other artists. In 2021, I invited Nyugen Smith for the first collaboration. We are working on a traditional Mas film installation that intersects feminist and diasporic themes to advocate for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in an artful illustration of possible meanings of separation, home and citizenship. It is the working through of aestehtic subjecthood in performances that engage an inter-generational Caribbean feminist ethos that began formalising into a social movement in the 1980s and in which I now contribute as an advocate and activist. And in which Dolly Ma and Dolly Ma Brigitta also participate. In 2021, Dolly Ma Brigitta joined the Women’s March that took place on Carnival Monday in a performance entitled Monday Mourning: Cortege. Then later 53 • February 2022

This performance challenges the construct of the traditional masquerade and offers suggestions for its development, with consideration of contemporary socio-political movements in the Caribbean. It was important for me to resolve two conflicts I found in the traditional masquerade, the begging for money and the search for a man. Dolly Ma is not looking for a father for the child but for her partner who may be presented as a man, a woman or a spirit. This mas explores fluidity of gender, sex and sexuality.

Additionally, it works through the complexities of the possible meaning of home, displacement, embodiment and dislocation. I wanted a persona who was triumphant, a vindication through mas, not just for myself but for women everywhere and in all times. The traditional masquerade is a problematic heteronormative construct that relies on stereotypes of Black family life. The father’s abandonment and disinterest in taking care of the child that he has to be shamed publicly. To resolve these conflicts in my concept, I suspended the idea of the father, decentering the male focus of the traditional performance of the masquerade and constructing a queer relationship that includes gender transitions and secure family life. The work addresses the psycho-social problems in the traditional performance that have been to a large extent unchallenged or uncritically reflected.

essay

This work confronts static images of Black women in Victorian and Edwardian Caribbean ephemera and challenges this stasis with a complex story that is not limited by or to the social restrictions of those periods and that is captured by multiple photographic and cinematographic lenses. The work also engages nuanced public and private discourses on gender, sex and sexuality in the Caribbean. In this work, the global diaspora discourses as well as the phenomena of migrations

and displacement are used to develop themes and discussions of geo-political movement. This is illustrated in the resourceful partnership between Brigette Delamar and Cynthia Betancourt that survives distance and changing times, that produces a child and supports a family and challenges erasure. It is also the development of an original narrative and the placement of aesthetic codes within photography and film installations shared in-person and through virtual platforms.

Issue 14 • 54

in conversation

Miss

Diva

An artistic, cultural and political space for the trans* community in Togo

A CONVERSATION WITH KYKY DA’SILVEIRA INTERVIEW BY CLAIRE BA PHOTOS BY YTV PHOTOGRAPHY

55 • June 2017

Q-zine had the privilege to speak with Kyky Da’Silveira, the first winner of Miss Diva, a prestigious trans* beauty pageant in Togo. By welcoming us into her world, Kyky not only shares her experience of a space that is as cultural as it is political, but she also invites us to imagine a world in which the cultural and artistic expression of the LGBTQIA+ communities of Africa and the diaspora is free and celebrated.

What should we know about Kyky Da’Silveira ?

My name is Kyky, I am a Togolese human rights activist. I am the founder of Big Mama, an association that works for change in areas such as the criminalization of homosexual behavior and gender non-conformity, arbitrary arrests, discrimination, etc. We also fight against the non-recognition of transgender people, violence, restrictions on the right to freedom of expression and association, family rejection and stigmatization within communities.

In 2010, I participated in Miss Diva, the first trans beauty pageant in Togo and I became the very first winner of this prestigious event in the community.

Since then, I have become a mentor for Miss Diva and for each edition, I support contestants during their preparation. I am also the artistic director of this event.

Issue 14 • 56

in conversation

The first time I attended a fashion show, I was 6 or 7 years old. I remember the models, the lights, the excitement. So I can't even imagine the atmosphere of the first edition of Miss Diva. How would you describe the atmosphere, the emotions that were present?

Beautiful! The first edition was truly special. The atmosphere backstage was rather serious but on stage there was a lot of emotion. We finally had a space of our own. That evening was both a beautiful show for spectators and an important challenge for the 14 contestants who came from all over the west African region. The contestants were beautiful, each more so than the one before her.

Stylists, hairdressers, poets, dancers, technicians, all were present to play their part. Costumes, music, choreography, contemporary dance, we had everything! The various performances were a tribute to cultural diversity, unity and inclusion of all communities. It was truly a night of pride!

How does one prepare for an event like Miss Diva?

There was excitement until the very last second.

Once the call for contestants was launched, the organization spent months running around so the

57 • February 2022

competition could take place. We had to invent, readapt and above all, never give up. There were catwalk classes taught by the brilliant Gerard (may he rest in peace) who taught contestants how to strut and practice all sorts of poses. Quite an art!

There were girls who had never walked in heels.

We had to master choreographies, memorize speeches, and be ready for the general knowledge quiz. Rehearsal was intense [laughs]. Each contestant was graded on her punctuality, her etiquette, her spirit of comradeship and the way she carried herself. All of this was important because the young woman who would be elected would represent the entire community.

The organization Espoir Vie Togo would let us use its premises for rehearsal which could last for hours. And I don't need to tell you how difficult it was for the organizers to gather funds and find a space that would accept hosting such an event. It was a real challenge.

What motivated the organization of this event? Who is behind it?

I would say that commitment, a desire to advocate for the social recognition of a group stigmatized by society were part of the motivations. It was a way to reach political objectives but it was also very symbolic. It was a way to build a cultural space far from prejudices and hostility; an affirmation of our identities; a space for self-esteem.

At the origin of this space is the organization Men's which was headed at the time by a young ambitious and talented activist named Gerard who unfortunately left us too early. I’d like to take this opportunity to pay him tribute. I am sure he is proud of the work that we, activists of his generation, have been able to accomplish.

Issue 14 • 58

in conversation

What impressed you the most during this experience?

The announcement of the results! Minutes before I was crowned, just as the president of the jury was about to announce me as the winner, the whole audience was chanting my number and the stage was quickly invaded by audience members who hoisted me up [laughs]. I will always remember this.

I gained a lot of maturity thanks to this experience.

You meet so many people, people of all ages, people for whom I had become a role model. It was a valuable life experience. I can see how I have improved in certain aspects of my life and I also have a lot more self-confidence. This title definitely strengthened my activism.

How has Miss Diva influenced the creation of similar artistic and cultural spaces in the LGBTQIA+ community in Togo?

It is true that there are other similar cultural spaces in Togo, within the gay community for example.

I can cite as examples fashion design, cooking, hair styling, and many other contests that are held within the community but these events are on a smaller scale. I think that to date, Miss Diva is the most anticipated and followed event in the community. I can't say if the other spaces that have emerged since then have been influenced by Miss Diva exclusively, but they do exist, and thankfully so! The creation of queer cultural spaces like this

59 • February 2022

Let's talk about the future then. What are the perspectives for Miss Diva?

What dreams and ambitions do you have for this event?

One of my personal ambitions for Miss Diva is that this contest be broadcast on TV one day and that it be acknowledged as any other artistic and cultural event in Togo. And why not give it a panAfrican dimension?! My biggest dream would be that it becomes an annual event that brings together members of the community from all over Africa; that the contest takes place in a different country year after year. That would really be great!

Of course, the current social context doesn't allow for this yet and there is a lot of work to do before we can get to that level. But in the meantime, I'm holding onto this dream.

A last word for our readers? is important because it brings together differences, opens people up to a plurality of identities, all the while contributing to the social and artistic recognition of members of our community. In order to acknowledge diversity within a society, we must first be willing to see and hear it, and we are determined to continue to make our voices heard. In 11 years, we are already at the 4th edition of Miss Diva and we can only hope that it will continue to grow.

Beloved, despite the pain, let’s not give up. Let us be strong. We are beautiful people, let’s not let anyone make us believe otherwise. Let’s not isolate ourselves. Let’s embrace our differences despite the glances; despite those who, without any legitimacy, do not accept who we are. And to homophobes, know that love always conquers!

Issue 14 • 60

poetry

i

hear

you

BY EMMA ONEKEKOU

Isee your love,

I hear you I hear your questions I hear your longing for freedom and love I hear your craving for liberation I see you I see you trying to break invisible chains I see fear slowing you down I see the fear of being exposed I see the fear of being punished, the fear of a punishment invented for you Human, like me, I hear you, I see you And if you see and hear me too, come.

You will never be alone again.

I hear you.

I hear your need for affirmation I hear your need for visibility I hear your desire for expression.

61 • February 2022

I am normal

I see you I see your actions Seemingly insignificant And yet the foundation of something powerful.

I see your gestures, Under a table, in the darkness of a room.

I see your love, The one you forbid yourself to live.

I see you, in total denial In search of a solution Human, like me I hear you, I see you And if you see and hear me too, come.

You will never be alone again.

I hear you I hear that little voice inside you: “I accept myself ” “I am normal” I hear a heart beating with love for a fellow human being.

I see you I see a skirt making room for pants I see two people of the same sex holding hands in the street

I see smiles.

Human, like me, I hear you, I see you And if you see and hear me too, come.

You will never be alone again.

Through your smile, I hear you, I see you Through your gestures, I hear you, I see you Through your expression, I hear you, I see you Through your words, I hear you, I see you.

Through hate and fear, I hear you, I see you Through silence, I hear you, I see you Through anger and rage, I hear you, I see you Through all of this violence, I hear you, I see you.

Human, like me, Woman, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, non-binary, I hear you, I see you.

And if you see and hear me too, come.

You will never be alone again.

We are a beautiful and powerful community Our rainbow flag is a living testimony.

Issue 14 • 62

fiction

Moongirls:

The Magic of A New Age and New Gods WRITER & CREATOR: AKOSUA HANSON ILLUSTRATION BY ANIMAXFYB STUDIOS

Excerpts from "Down the Rabbit Hole" , chapter 4, season 1 on the Moongirls series.

This excerpt is an African fantasy and juju retelling of the story of Noah's arch, reimagining and re-inventing new queer herstories. This retelling reimagines tomorrow by rewriting the stories of yesterday.

Moongirls is a queer African graphic novel series that explores philosophy, African spirituality, and the graphic novel medium to address African issues today, dream new ways of being and to document these revolutionary times of change.

To learn more about Moongirls and read the graphic novel series, visit their website https://moongirls.

live/frontpage/

63 • February 2022

Issue 14 • 64

fiction

65 • June 2017

fiction

Issue 14 • 66

in conversation

The Nameless Collective: INTERVIEW BY Q-ZINE PHOTOS BY WACYL KHA

67 • June 2017

Fostering queer artistic and cultural expression in Burkina Faso

If you were asked to name African LGBTQIA+ visual productions, you would surely be able to come up with a few. But what about productions from Francophone Africa specifically?

This would quickly prove to be much more difficult. Not impossible, but difficult nonetheless. Q-zine had the privilege of speaking with Les Sans-Nom (The Nameless), a young collective based in Burkina Faso that contributes to building a “tomorrow” where African LGBTQIA+ visual and artistic productions, particularly from Francophone Africa, are no longer so scarce.

Could you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Emma Onekekou. I have two countries: the one that connects me to my umbilical cord, Côte d’Ivoire, and my country of heart, Burkina Faso. I currently reside in Burkina Faso where I followed love and coincidentally fell in love with the country. I identify as a cisgender lesbian woman. I must admit that lately, I have a lot of trouble putting the term cisgender in front of woman to talk about myself because for me, we

are women, period! I also like to specify that I'm a lesbian because for me it's political. My pronouns are she/her. I am an author, screenwriter and LBTQI+ activist. I joined the collective because I wanted to put my artistic knowledge to use for the benefit of the community, and because for me, art is a powerful tool for expression and community building.

I am Francky Belany, a Nigerian-Burkinabè of Chadian origin. I currently live in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). My pronouns are "they/them" but I am neither male nor female, and I’m both at the same time. These pronouns are authentic for me because they are neutral and not masculine. I am still in search of myself.

Issue 14 • 68

in conversation

I wanted to use my knowledge to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights. By playing a character, directing, singing, dancing, and writing, I want to leave a mark that will positively impact the world’s view of our community.

I am Wacyl Kha, a French-Algerian living in Burkina Faso. Ideally, I use the pronouns “they/ them”, but more often the masculine for simplicity.

I am a stage designer, and also an illustrator. In terms of video, I am involved in production, camera, editing, as well as animation. This collective is somewhat of a dream for me, to be able to reconcile art and activism, to make creations that can really have an impact, and above all, that it is about the community! And I am part of those who are here to remind the world that there aren’t just gays and lesbians. There are other letters in LGBTQI+.

69 • June 2017

How did you start Les Sans-Nom? The idea came with Francky and Wacyl Kha who lived together and had many projects together, including a writing residency on feminism and a play called Poisson Braisé about a lesbian couple.

These are subjects that are often difficult to address here in Ouagadougou. So, they thought about how setting up a collective, no matter how small, would make them stronger. The idea was that this collective would be a way of making our demands heard in terms of LGBTQI+ and other minorities’ rights on the continent. After several back-and-forths, we shared the idea with Emma who immediately accepted to join. There is a fourth member, but she would like to remain anonymous.

in conversation

Les Sans-Nom is French for “The Nameless”. How did you come up with this rather unique name?

Who are the artists that make up your collective and how can other artists join?

We realized that very few people, even within the community, dared to say words like "lesbian" [or] "homosexual". But these words are not insults, they are identities. By refusing to pronounce them, to name ourselves, it’s ourselves that we are losing.

We decided to twist this situation to our advantage by becoming spokespersons for the nameless, theleft-out, “those-who-don't-count”. Because we are here, and we intend to claim our place.

At the moment, the collective is small. It is composed of a scriptwriter and LBTQI+ activist; another scriptwriter who is also an actor and stage director; as well as a video artist, illustrator, and technician. In general, we collaborate with people first to see if we have the same approach. The only mandatory condition to be a full member of the collective is to be part of the community.

but these words are not insults, they are identities

How did you get the idea to use art as a tool for advocacy?

We are artists first and foremost. But we believe that art must serve a cause. So, it seemed natural for us to defend our own, to give visibility to our stories, and if possible, to make others realize that we exist here too, not only in Europe or America.

Issue 14 • 70

in conversation

We believe that art has two purposes: to soothe hearts and to raise awareness. Throughout the world and through ages, art has been used as a tool to communicate ideas and raise awareness. So it was natural for us to combine the two.

Can you tell us about some of your productions or current projects?

Our first production is Poisson Braisé, a powerful and poetic play about an African couple composed of two women who face social pressure [because of their relationship]. We also collaborated with other women on an exhibition titled Elles s'engagent debout (Standing Up for Themselves). Additionally, we conduct creative workshops with members of the community and organize screenings of African LGBTQI+ films. And each one of us has prior and/or parallel experience in short films production, comics, books, etc.

Currently, we are working on Inbri, a film written

by Emma Onekekou and co-directed by the three of us. There is a lot more to come, but we won't spoil the surprise. Stay tuned!

71 • February 2022

in conversation

How do you envision the future of the collective?

For us, the future is about continuing to use our know-how in service to the community, about working to develop the artistic skills of community members. Our community is full of so much talent! So our job will be to create a framework of expression for all these artists so that they can emerge. We will continue to look for funding to make as many productions as possible and why not, [even] open a LGBTQI+ cultural center. People need to get together for cultural events, to express themselves, even though society wants to silence us. We hope to help create a new environment for community members to be themselves. We already see the influence we are having on other associations here in Ouaga. Lastly, we hope to instill a new vision for activism and how to address our community.

Issue 14 • 72

poetry

73 • February 2022

just imagine tomorrow

Photo by Ruth Lu

BY RUTH LU

The promise of a new day, Another loan from life, The compatibility of opposing souls, The possibility of starting again and again The bliss of jumping into the void, The excitement of trying again, The opportunity to say I love you The privilege of taking the plunge, The strength to get up, To imagine tomorrow is to concur.

Tomorrow, Another day to be bold.

Issue 14 • 74

fiction

75 • February 2022

In My

World

Illustration by Rosie Olang

BY EMMA ONEKEKOU

In my world, we wonder, what about yours?

In my world we dream, what about yours?

In my world, time has stopped, what about yours? Will it ever?

If not, I hope so.

It will give you time to reshape it, to reinvent it.

You’ll be able to shape it as you wish To paint it any colors you want To write it differently To think it differently Let your words give it the meaning or direction you want.

Let no one stop you.

Issue 14 • 76

fiction

Nature, for which we, humans, were none but elements, had decided to let another part of herself live and had put us on pause. We were for the first time forced to stop, to reflect, to rethink the world, our life, our place in the chain of life.

I was listening to a podcast. It was a beautiful day.

The sun was wearing its finest beams. Around me, Nature was inviting herself into the spaces that we could no longer occupy. From my balcony, I could see Nature without humans. Flourishing.

Beautiful. Animals free to roam. Birds of all kinds nesting wherever they wanted. I was in this paused world, trying to re-imagine it, to imagine an Africa after COVID-19.

I thought of the Ziniaré park where those malnourished animals lived; where lions had become so frail that they could have been mistaken for domestic cats. I thought of those trees, natural habitats of other living beings, that were cut down without remorse; to a part of humanity that was rejected, humiliated and discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation, a group of people that yet offered us the most beautiful of all flags, the rainbow.

It was painful to stay locked up, to walk around in circles all day, to be deprived of sun, of fresh air, of the beauty of spaces. The desire to see an exhibition, a show, a concert, to buy books in a bookstore, was present, but impossible to realize.

77 • February 2022

In my world, we wonder, what about yours?

In my world we dream, what about yours?

In my world, time has stopped, what about yours? Will it ever?

If not, I hope so.

It will give you time to reshape it, to reinvent it.

You’ll be able to shape it as you wish To paint it any colors you want To write it differently To think it differently Let your words give it the meaning or direction you want.

Let no one stop you.

Nature was breathing, showing herself to us without pollution, taking a much-deserved bath. The world had not stopped. In this chain, it’s us, humans, who had to stop to rethink the treatment we inflicted on Nature, ourselves and each other. Nature had shown us that we were not indispensable.

After all this, I will let my cat free. I will commit myself to ecology. I will be more respectful of Nature and of life. I will invite love into my life.

And yes, on this continent where nothing seemed

fiction

to go right, we, lesbians managed to love each other.

I loved a woman to whom I had never revealed my feelings. My Soyata. As soon as this ends... Before I commit myself to saving animals, the planet, global warming, and raising awareness about the respect of differences, I will love you first. I will merge with you. I will draw from you my strength and the energy necessary to rewrite this world.

I took a deep breath of fresh air. I couldn't remember what I was listening to. I just knew that Nature needed to sustain other living beings in the chain of life. She was pushing us to think.

In my world, we wonder, what about yours?

In my world we dream, what about yours?

In my world, time has stopped, what about yours? Will it ever?

If not, I hope so.

It will give you time to reshape it, to reinvent it.

You’ll be able to shape it as you wish To paint it any colors you want To write it differently To think it differently Let your words give it the meaning or direction you want.

Let no one stop you.

Issue 14 • 78

visual art fiction

79 • February 2022

Night

Bird IMAGE AND TEXT BY WACYL KHA

Oiseau de Nuit (Night Bird) represents a strong woman proudly wearing her war paint.

She is one of those who dominate the night and transform your desires; one of those who could be seen as being of “ill-repute” because they fully embrace their life. But her future is bright. Oiseau de Nuit represents the hope that women will rise up and wear nothing but beauty and pride.

Issue 14 • 80

Q-ZINE.ORG

81 • February 2022