QUEER + AUGUST 2020 EDITION
Contents
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3 Editors’ note 4 A history of transgender representation 6 K Dollahz says black trans women need representation the most
20
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24 Phumlani shares his story
14 Sexuality and Gender are not the same thing
26 Queer+ books to read right now
8 The importance of correct pronouns
18 King Olwee: ‘Looking different has allowed me to stand out!’
28 Queer+ shows to stream right now
12 Queer TikTokers
20 PrEP education
30 LGBTQIA+ stories
Editors’ note WELCOME to Queer+ digital magazine. For our first issue, we took a very conscious decision to tackle gender in all its glorious shades and hues. These shades and hues can often be very complex for many, so this edition, as will be in the editions to come, we aim to educate everyone, entertain and highlight the shakers and movers of the community. We are living in a time where gender has a keypoint both within and outside of the LGBTQIA+ community. The conversations around gender continue to change so we hope that you walk away with a better understanding of gender as a social construct and see how those who are outside of the gender binary have been able to live and thrive. In this edition we also tackle sex education and look at PrEP, the drug that so many people have heard of yet still know very little about. We also highlight some of TikTok’s favourite LGBTQIA+ content creators and there’s an international interview you don’t want to miss. This is a magazine of queer people for everyone and we hope to move the needle forward towards social change.
bo Joyce a r a K m ia L
otboom Jamal Gro
@_KingKarabo
@JamalDeanG
EDITORS Liam Karabo Joyce & Jamal Grootboom
Designer Sandhip Sing
Executive Editor: Lifestyle Nelandri Narianan
Brought to you by ANA Publishing
Full Disclosure ... transgender representation JAMAL GROOTBOOM DISCLOSURE is a documentary like none before it and gives a look into the history of transgender representation in media throughout American history. For many people, including those in the LGBTQIA+ community, it exposes how badly transgender people have been represented in media, documenting the journey from far back in history to where we are now. For the inaugural edition of the Queer+ Magazine we decided to focus on gender and all its hues and shades. As such, we sat down with the director and executive producer of Disclosure, Sam Feder (whose pronouns are he/him and they/them) over a Google Hangouts session, where we talked about how the idea for Disclosure came about, how Laverne Cox came on board and what the future holds for trans
LAVERNE COX
representation. Speaking about what sparked the idea for Disclosure he said: “So there are actually two documentaries that changed my relationship with the media. “The first one was called Ethnic Notions and that came out in 1987 and it is made by a black queer film-maker named Marlon Riggs. “And he’s well known for his experimental work which I was familiar with, but when I saw Ethnic Notions it really started to change my relationship with the media. “And there’s also this film called The Celluloid Closet that came out in 1995. So Ethnic Notions was about the representation of black people in film and television in Hollywood. And The Celluloid Closet was about the representation of gay and lesbian people in Hollywood. And both of those films showed me how telling these stories actually tells the history of America. Right, and marginalised communities are
always isolated to their own history but all you do is shift the lens and see the history of our country... But I did want to see what that history would look like for trans people in terms of what that representation looked like, what the evolution of that representation looked like and how far back it went.” When we look at how trans people have been depicted in the media it has been quite horrific with gross stereotypes specifically of trans women being perpetuated in film and television. Talking about why it’s taken so long for proper trans representation in the media Feder said, “A large part is the echo chamber phenomenon right, that 80% of Americans say they never met or to their knowledge they’ve met a trans person. People don’t think we’re real. When you look at the history you see the lack of creative imagination on behalf of storytellers. In Hollywood creative imagination is really limited about what’s commodifiable. When you look at representation in Hollywood, and for better or for worse trans people have not been deemed commodifiable until recently.” One of the trans trailblazers in modern media is Orange Is The New Black star, Laverne Cox. Not only is she one of the stars in the documentary but she’s also an executive producer. Speaking about how Cox got involved with the project Feder said he at least wanted to interview her as it had been a dream of
his, and hoped that once the film gained momentum he would reach out to her since they have mutual friends. “But I was deep in research two years in, in 2017 and I was invited to present my research at a daylong summit at OUT Fest which is a queer film festival here in Los Angeles. I prepared a 20-minute presentation and I get up at the podium and look around and scan the room. Then I suddenly land on this beautiful woman with long flowing hair and huge reflective sunglasses. And she’s sitting right in front of my producer.” During his presentation, Cox was nodding along being very engaged in the presentation which he was very happy about. Following this, she came up to him and said that she always wanted to make a film like this and asked how you can get involved. They met up a week later and after a four-hour lunch meeting Cox came on as an executive producer. After the film debuted on Netflix, it became a big topic of conversation on social media since it opened many people’s eyes to the history of trans representation over the years. Talking about how cisgender heterosexual people can unlearn toxic stereotypes that have been perpetrated by the media he says that he hopes that they have started to unlearn these stereotypes of trans people that they’ve internalised through media. “For me, allyship is about action. So folks who (see) the film and they feel moved and changed and they want to be a better friend and ally...I’m excited to see what they do with that. What is the action they take with that? That’s what I hope happens.” Feder also tried as much as possible to have trans people both in front and behind the camera and where he couldn’t find someone he set up a training/mentorship situation. Talking about this he said this is the thing he’s the proudest of – the mentorship programme,
SAM FEDER
where any trans person could apply without experience and would be pared with a cisgender person who was willing to teach them in their said interest in the film industry who wanted to make a change. “The fact that a small indie film could do that ... the larger studio projects have no excuse. And I’m really proud we could do that”. And while all this forward movement has made a difference with regards to trans representation and it might appear that more room is being made for trans people in the media. Feder said that it might seem especially to queer people more room is being made, however, “it’s so, so, so so, so hard to get that tiny bit of room. So I don’t see it as more room, we are still scratching and clawing our way into these conversations and then have to fight every bit of the way. And I knew it was an important
story being told... so it was really frustrating to raise the money. And similarly, it was hard to get it distributed, it wasn’t easy. We made this deal with Netflix a month before it came out.” And while they were shopping the film around, distribution companies would say things such as “we already have a trans film” or “we already have a film like this”. He continued: “They were saying things like this, that’s why I say we still have a long way to go before we have more room. “We are now at the point where at least you don’t have to explain that trans is a thing. At least they kind of know what you’re referring to when you say trans. “So at least we have a conversation started in the room.”
● Disclosure is available on Netflix
K Dollahz says black trans women need representation the most JAMAL GROOTBOOM ONE of South Africa’s pioneer DJs, Kalo “K Dollahz” Canterbury, is a popular fixture on the local entertainment scene. From playing overseas to local music festivals such as Afropunk and Rocking the Daisies. There’s never a dull moment when K Dollahz is spinning the deck. Furthermore, he’s also the first openly transgender man to get local notoriety having been featured recently in GQ South Africa’s music issue. We chatted to him about his experience in the entertainment industry as a trans man. Speaking about his experience as a trans man in the entertainment he said that it’s been interesting with many ups and downs since he started before coming out as transgender. “People had already kind of started to get to know me and then coming out, as a performer are the people who know me and book me still going to accept me? I think, at first, I’m a very confident person even though I had insecurity about it I had to push past it. And it was challenging at first to wrap your own head around being trans and coming to terms with your identity and you’re doing it in front of people watching, so it really was a ‘fake it till you make it’ kind of thing. Eventually, I figured out who were the right people to work with based on the relationships I built.” A couple of years ago K Dollahz spoke out about a bad experience at a music festival where he was misgendered, and talking about why he thinks cisgender people misgender trans and non-binary people he said it’s because “they’re f*****g idiots”.
“It’s like seriously internalised homophobia, it’s internalised transphobia. People like to perform. The say queer like to perform, but cis(het) people like to perform way more than us. This toxic thing that some cis(het) people have, which is like a really deep hatred for themselves or hatred for the fact that they feel they cannot be themselves or perform their gender. And I honestly think it’s that internalised hate coming out. It’s a hate for someone actually being themselves and who has the confidence to be themselves.” When it comes to respecting people and their pronouns the use of them/they pronouns has become a hot topic with celebrities such as Sam Smith and Indya Moore being some of the most prominent figures to identify as non-binary and have said their pronouns as they/ them. Speaking about the importance of using correct pronouns the DJ said it’s about respect and that “the end of the day everyone on a human level, everyone on Earth values respect and the most amount respect you can offer someone you do not know is just getting their pronouns right and not misgendering them”. Over the last couple of years, transwomen have been at the forefront of queer representation in media. Pose has become one of the most talked-about shows with a lead cast of predominately black/ POC trans women. However, on the flip side, we’ve seen many trans men getting the same level of attention. Talking about why this
INDYA MOORE INDYA MOORE
might be Kalo said it is because “trans men are problematic AF”. He added: “At the end of the day, trans women... when you look at the queer community and you look at who are the most marginalised, at the bottom of the food chain is specifically black trans women. And that why we need a lot of representation, it’s because they need protection. People need to be aware of their issues and they need to be represented and fought for. And at the end of the day, they started the queer movement to fight for rights and we need to return the favour. First and foremost, we represent them in our community.” Furthermore, he said that trans men, for the most part, have a lot of male privilege and it’s something that needs to be addressed and they dissociate with their transness suffering from internalised misogyny as result. Which is something that needs to be addressed within the queer community. Talking about one of his career highlights, he said it was when he was starting out and had the opportunity to travel with Dope Saint Jude to Austria to play a show. And while he loves his job there is a difference when it comes to playing straight clubs/events compared to queer ones. “There’s definitely a different feeling when playing in a queer space. There is a sense of community, there’s a different energy, the dancing is certainly better. And there’s a kind of support you get from the queer community you don’t get somewhere else.” Speaking about how more queer people will feel comfortable in the local entertainment industry he said it’s not with queer people as they exist between the realm of confidence and talent. However, “the cis(het) world is yet to accept us and there are queer people and women who will talk about the boys club. And there needs to be a queer club where we are the promoters, we are the people that are at the top of the food chain and we need to find a way to challenge that club and we need to do it as a collective”.
K Dollahz
DR NYX MCLEAN
The importance of
correct pronouns DR NYX MCLEAN IMAGINE for a moment that your closest friend has told you that they are transgender – they’re either a transman, a transwoman or a nonbinary person. This means that if they were a woman “before”, they’re now transitioning to “become” a man; or if a man “before”, now a woman; or if either, now somewhere in between
or completely outside of gender. It’s difficult to write of “before” because often transgender people have felt uncomfortable for a long time in the gender they have been presenting to the world, and sometimes the telling someone that they are another gender or no gender, is one of the last steps in becoming a “new” gender.
How do you go about being a supportive and respectful friend and support them? One way is to respect their identity, the one they have opened up and shared with you. If they tell you that their name is now something else, please use that name when referring to them. Their old name, if they no longer want to use it, is now dead to them – it is often called a “deadname”. The next step is getting their pronouns right. If they’re transitioning from man to woman, then you use she, her, hers. If they’re transitioning from woman to man, then you use he, him, his. If they’re non-binary, genderqueer, genderfluid or agender, then you may need to ask for a little more guidance. Some who are outside of the binary use they, them, theirs. Others use a variety of pronouns available, it depends on what they’re comfortable with. It’s a little odd trying to think about gender pronouns when you’ve been taught not to consider them at all, to rather roll them off your tongue based on who or what you think is a man or a woman in this world. A world intent on gendering almost everything. People, animals, clothing, cars, any object really. For some, being asked to use the pronouns that match someone’s gender – the gender they feel and express in the world – feels uncomfortable when we’ve been taught all of our lives that boys look and behave a certain way, and girls look and behave another. How do you then make sense of those bodies that are moving from one gender to another? Bodies that don’t quite yet match the cut-out we’ve been told to look for to successfully identify men and women? Let alone those who are not moving towards any end of the gender spectrum, because they’re constantly in movement, such as genderfluid or they are outside of the binary, such as non-binary and agender.
Picture: MATTEUS BERNARDES Pexels
How do we get those pronouns right? It’s quite simple, even if it is uncomfortable. You start by acknowledging why it is important to get pronouns right, then you think about getting them right and, last, you consider some of the tricky situations or negotiations that may have to happen around pronouns. Why is it important to get pronouns right? It affirms the identity of the person you’re engaging with. Someone who may have recently told you that they’re a transgender person, be it a transman, transwoman or a genderqueer/non-binary person. This has been a difficult step for them, they’ve had to find it in themselves to acknowledge their identity and how they feel, then they’ve had to find the courage to tell those closest to them – all the while moving through a world that isn’t always supportive of transgender people. In getting their pronouns right, especially after the difficulty in getting to the point where they’ve trusted you with who they are and how they would like to be referred to, you bring much needed relief to their emotional and psychological wellbeing. It is stressful, frustrating and sometimes agonising being a transgender person. When your friends, your partner, parents, colleagues acknowledge your gender identity, and make the effort to use the correct pronouns for you, correct themselves when they get it wrong, and correct other people, it affirms your identity. It gives you the courage to keep moving forward and living your life as your most authentic self. For instance, I’ve been using gender-neutral pronouns for more than six years. There hasn’t been a day where I haven’t been
misgendered or had the wrong pronoun used when being referred to. There have been days when I’ve wondered what the point of it all is, asking that my identity be respected, feeling as if I’m rocking the boat or asking too much of people. But then a friend, my partner, a colleague, a student or a stranger will refer to me with the correct pronoun, or will ask me what my pronouns are and, in that moment, I feel damn good about myself in this world. I feel acknowledged, respected and seen. Something that all people, not only transgender people, long for – an acknowledgement of their existence, a respecting of their humanity. How to get this right? Ask. Ask the person in front of you what their pronoun is. It sounds simple enough, but it can feel odd or uncomfortable when you’ve spent most of your life not thinking about pronouns. In some of my social spaces, we’ve made it quite common to introduce ourselves to new people by asking for their name and their pronoun, and then introducing ourselves with our names and pronouns. It makes the person feel comfortable to ask to be referred to as themselves. Maybe think about if you were a transgender person, and how you’d like to be treated and referred to by the correct pronoun. Consider the sweet relief they may feel when hearing you ask: “What is your pronoun?” Here they may feel that there is a space for them, that someone cares enough to ask them what would make them feel comfortable. Even if the person isn’t transgender, it may be nice to be given the option – for once – to decide how they are referred to. If you are unsure, ask.
Some things to consider IT MAY not always be easy to use the correct pronouns for someone. This may be because you’re unsure or because some spaces need you to be a little more careful. For instance, some people may not yet be using the pronouns that match their gender identity with everyone around them. This may be because of concerns around safety, comfort or being ready to tell people that they are transgender. Let the person lead you, ask them if a new space is comfortable and if you can use their pronouns in that space. Consider adopting gender neutral pronouns when talking to all people, especially if you don’t know their gender identity – it’ll help make it feel less weird when it is used in referring to one person (except in the case of when someone has worked very hard to express the gender they are, and using a gendered pronoun would affirm their identity). The importance of using the correct pronoun comes down to a simple thing: using the correct pronoun for a person lets them know they are safe with you, that you respect them and that they are seen. It may be uncomfortable for you at first but, if you ask respectfully, listen carefully, and allow yourself to be guided by someone else’s needs, you’ll find that getting pronouns right isn’t that difficult. McLean is a caffeine-fuelled queer academic who researches LGBTIAQ identities and social movements.
Picture: BRIANNA SWANK Pexels
@stelluhb Followers: 608K Stella captures the ups and downs of high school life in this account out of Hawaii. She puts trans girl teen life on display with videos about issues like not using tampons like her friends.
Queer TikTokers LIAM KARABO JOYCE YOU have heard of queer YouTubers and queer Instagrammers, there are even queer tweeps (Twitter users) but now there’s a whole new set of online content creators that you need to know about (and follow, obviously): queer TikTokers.
TikTok has become a major player for fantastic LGBTQI content on the internet and the creators deserve some props.
@naerunnels Followers: 166.1K This 18-year-old medical student makes TikToks about being a girl and being mistaken for a boy and as black person being mistaken for a white person.
@matte_jacobs Followers: 2K Gender non-conforming Matte is to South Africa what Skye Leighton on Netflix’s The Politician is to Santa Barbara residents. Matte has striking features and is meant for Vogue pages. Matte has and some pretty good dance moves too.
@yazdemand Followers: 227.3K Yaz is a 17-year-old trans girl who uses app-wide trends to be herself. She makes TikToks about her trans identity, unsupportive family, and aspiring modelling career – always with a dash of humour.
@daylan_fabiano Followers: 46.7K Capetonian Daylan has a knack for uploading some of the best transformation videos on TikTok. The make-up enthusiast can go from boy to girl within seconds and looks good while doing it.
Sexuality and gender are not the same thing IT’S VERY likely that at some point of your life, you’ve seen your Facebook or Twitter timeline and news sources referring to the LGBT, LGBTIAQ or LGBTIAQQAP+ community. South African academic Dr Nyx McLean, who’s pronouns are they/them, wrote a piece for the Cape Argus where they gave a deeper explanation on this. In the article “What does LGBTIAQ+ stand for?” McLean explained that the LGBTIAQ+ letters represent not only sexual orientation or identity but gender identity. “Sexual orientation or identity is about who you’re attracted to and how you act on this desire. Gender identity is about how you identify or do not identify with regards to your gender. Gender identity has expanded beyond the binary of man and woman and includes non-binary, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, agender, just to name a few,” they said. Sexuality, much like gender, exists on a spectrum. The Kinsey Scale was arguably the first commonly known metric to acknowledge the complexities of sexual identity. According to the Kinsey Institute website, doctors Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy and Clyde Martin developed the Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale – known as “The Kinsey Scale”. “First published in Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948), the scale accounted for research findings that showed people did not fit into exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories.” However, The Kinsey Scale does not address all possible sexual identities, and society itself has moved to the point where it acknowledges that sexuality is very individualistic and it is up to the individuals themselves to determine what sexuality they identify as. There are predominant sexualities people use, but just because they are predominant, doesn’t mean they are the only ones.
Picture: DEAN SHIM Pexels
JAMAL GROOTBOOM AND THEOLIN TEMBO
Dr Nyx McLean gives us succinct definitions of these labels:
LESBIAN: Self-identified womxn* (Womxn is the alternative word for women to include transgender women) loving womxn. They have romantic, sexual or emotional relationships with womxn of the same gender.
GAY: Self-identified men loving men. They have romantic, sexual or emotional relationships with men of the same gender.
BISEXUAL: Someone who loves people of any gender. With the inclusion or social recognition that there is more than one gender; this sexual orientation is also called pansexual.
Asexual: Someone is asexual if they do not experience any sexual desire, attraction or feelings for another person. This does not mean that they cannot have romantic or platonic relationships but that these relationships are not founded on sexual desire but rather on feelings and human connection. Asexual people are often faced with an onslaught of advice from wellmeaning people about how they haven’t met the right person or that they may be a different sexual orientation to how they’re being read. But what this does is disrespect an asexual person’s identity. Trust a person to know what or who they do or do not desire.
Queer: Queer is often used as a catch-all for the LGBTIAQ community. Queer is an identity in and of itself. It can mean not fitting into any particular label or sexual identity that exists (so not being straight, gay or bisexual); it is an identity outside the norms that does not fit into the options that are available.
Picture: CHRISTIAN BUEHNER Unsplash
“Other letters you may encounter, such as with the longer version of LGBTIAQQAP+ include these identities: questioning, allies, pansexual and + for everyone else who does not identify as heterosexual, cisgender or with any of the options available. “It is important that we recognise that some of these words are adopted from the West or the Global North (United States of America and Europe primarily). Local experiences of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation may be different,” Dr McLean explains. When it comes to gender, if you’re a Baby Boomer, Generation X or a Millennial, for the vast majority of your life the gender spectrum has existed in two binaries. Either you’re a man or a woman. Identifying with the gender you were assigned at birth. And we existed with these binary concepts of gender even though people who deviate from the gender norms have been around in society since the dawn of time. Specifically in reference to transgender people who have been present throughout history. According to Professor Stephen Whittle, founder of Press for Change, in The Guardian with regards trans terminology, the word “transvestite” was birthed in 1910 from German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld. Followed by “transexual” in 1949 and “transgender” being coined in 1971. One of the big catalysts for the public discourse regarding gender identity in recent years was with Caitlyn Jenner’s public transition. And since then with regards to gender society has expanded on the idea of gender identity moving away from viewing it as only fixed points but rather on a spectrum, with new terms and identifier being coined and used. This includes gender identity, gender expression, being gender fluid, gender non-conforming and being non-binary. Gender identity is a person’s individual internal experience of gender. Meaning their sense of being on the gender spectrum which can be the same as the one they’re assigned at birth, different or neither. Gender expression is how people show or publicly display their gender. Gender fluidity is when you move between the binary gender spectrum and may want to express them interchangeably between traditionally masculine and feminine. RuPaul’s Drag Race star Courtney Act is a good example of someone who is gender
fluid and exists within both their masculine identity as Shane Jenek and their feminine identity as Courtney Act. Gender non-conforming people are those who express themselves outside the gender roles associated with their gender identity but may or may not identify as transgender. Non-binary people are those who exist outside the gender binary and are neither a man or a woman and use whichever pronoun they feel comfortable with (he/ she/them). Non-binary also is underneath the trans umbrella but it may or may not identify as transgender. Meaning the difference between sexuality and gender is that sexuality is who you are attracted to while gender is who you are. And they aren’t interchangeable and don’t go together like a package deal.
Picture: COTTONBRO Pexels
King Olwee: ‘Looking different has allowed me to stand out!’ JAMAL GROOTBOOM
MANY of you know Olwethu “King Olwee” Mlotshwa as the DJ who hits the decks with fire dances moves during many of the recent virtual parties during the lockdown period. However, the SA Film and Television Awards winning director wears many hats in the entertainment industry including the director of some of Mzansi’s most popular reality shows including Being Bonang, Somizi and Mohale: The Union and now Life With Kelly Khumalo. Beyond being an amazing DJ on the decks and being behind the camera for some of Mzansi’s most popular reality shows, he’s also a beacon of light for many LGBTQI+ people in South Africa. Being an openly gay man who presents himself out of the masculine binary. Slaying the game with inches of braids, Cardi B-style nails and having his face beat for the gods. However, like many queer people in the workforce, being authentically yourself comes with obstacles. Talking about this, King Olwee is open about the hassles he faces on set. “In film and television, I haven’t had bad experiences. It’s just stereotyping here and there. You get to the set and people think you’re the make-up artist or the hairdresser. So that stereotyping has been quite annoying.” He further goes on to explain that many times instead of people being outright homophobic, they would use microaggressive tactics such as a cameraman going to a producer instead of him to raise an issue. However, the people he generally works with and know him respect his authority on set and the problems come in when new people are introduced. In the entertainment industry, especially behind the scenes, many queer people are involved in various roles.
Many of these queer people who work in front or behind the scenes also are able to express themselves how they see fit. Speaking about why it’s important for him to be himself he says: “It’s important because it then tells other queer people that anything is possible.” Furthermore, he emphasised that he wears what he feels like, what he wants, “I never thought of it in a political way.” He continued: “I do it because this is how I look. This is what feels most natural to me.” Speaking about his DJing career, King Olwee said that his looks have become an extension of his brand and when he appears without his braids or nails they’ll ask “where are your nails? Or where is your hair?” And it’s made it easier for him to stand out. “Because there are a lot of excellent people in the entertainment industry who are not as visible because it’s not as fascinating. “There are people who do absolutely great work but they’re not necessarily a feminine gay man which such an outrageous look happening. “Looking different has allowed me to stand out!” And while every industry has its up and downs he’s been fortunate enough to have not had any major drawback, and opportunities have found their way to him. But there have still been times where people mistaking his role, especially in the DJing space. “I still go to gigs and people think I’m the manager because again, they think that gays can only make the star and not be the star. And they ask me, ‘Which artist are you with today?’ No, I’m here to play.” Recently Olwee played a fire set during the virtual PJ Party with DJ Zinhle where he played some club classics that still get you jiving on the dance floor. And during
Picture: SHARON MCCUTCHEON pexels
his set people were having a good time enjoying the throwback jams and he was giving them a show. Weaving in some of the popular amapiano dance moves he mentions that someone in the comments “for a lack of anything bad to say, ‘this DJ is busy doing (ama)piano moves to house music’”. “There are always people who are trying to make you look bad... and they find ways to be homophobic without being directly homophobic.” Talking about queer representation in the media and the entertainment industry as a whole locally he said, “I think in terms of representation we’re doing well, but I feel like the representation comes with conditions.” “And I feel like the entertainment industry doesn’t believe in LGBTQIA+ people enough... They want you to first be a success before they give you a chance. You see that in terms of Somizi getting the shows. Somizi
wouldn’t be getting those shows if he had 100k followers.” Furthermore, explaining how Moshe Ndiki and Lasizwe had to build a large fan base first and be co-signed by a recognised entity before they were given more opportunities. “Anyone who is LGBTQIA+ needs to work a lot harder to be recognised even though they are talented.” He continued: “Whereas if you look at the general new talent. They’re never anything if you look at anyone playing a cis(gender)heterosexual role. They don’t need to be anything. People believe in their story.” Speaking about the future with regards to the normalisation of people expressing their gender in whichever way they like, the SA Film and Television Awards winning director said it creates a world that is limitless and the best place to be is gender-queer and non-binary. And the future is going to be far more open and will see people as people.
PrEP education LIAM KARABO JOYCE WE LIVE in a world where access to information is at the touch of a few buttons. Where word of mouth is still an effective form of communication and where social media educates on days trolls aren’t spewing hate. So why then do so many people not know what PrEP is? Across the world, stereotypes and stigmas are something members of the LGBTQIA community face almost every day. Couple that with the stigma around HIV and Aids, despite the medical advances made, and you have just one of the answers. With that said, as per the editor’s note, at Queer+ we aim to educate readers. With the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, here is the 411 on PrEP – who should take it, why, how and where you can access it.
Picture: MARCELO CHAGAS Pexels
IS IT SAFE?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an HIV prevention strategy where HIV-negative individuals take antiHIV medications before coming into contact with HIV to reduce their risk of becoming infected. The medications work to prevent HIV from establishing infection inside the body. PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection through sex for gay and bisexual men, transgender women and heterosexual men and women, as well as among people who inject drugs. The Bangkok Tenofovir Study demonstrated that PrEP works for people who inject drugs. It does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STI) or pregnancy. It is not a cure for HIV.
PrEP can cause side effects like nausea in some people, but these generally subside over time. No serious side effects have been observed, and these side effects aren’t lifethreatening. If you are taking PrEP, tell your healthcare provider about any side effects that are severe or do not go away.
IS IT A VACCINE? NO. PrEP does not work the same way as a vaccine. A vaccine teaches your body to fight off infection for several years. For PrEP, you take a pill every day by mouth. If you take PrEP daily, the presence of the medicine in your bloodstream can often stop HIV from taking hold and spreading in your body. If you do not take PrEP every day, there may not be enough medicine in your bloodstream to block the virus.
Picture: CHRISTIAN BUEHNER Unsplash
WHAT IS PREP?
TRANSGENDER I’m transgender, will PrEP interfere with my hormone therapy? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more studies are needed on this topic. However, there are no known drug conflicts or interactions between the medicines used in PrEP and hormone therapy. There is no known scientific reason why the drugs cannot be taken at the same time. If you are worried that PrEP will affect your hormone therapy, ask your health-care provider to check your hormone levels. People who use PrEP should see their health-care provider every 3 months for follow up, HIV tests, and to have their prescriptions refilled. This visit could be combined with your hormone therapy appointments.
CONDOMS If I take PrEP, can I stop using condoms when I have sex? No, you should not stop using condoms because you are taking PrEP. It doesn’t give you any protection against other STDs, such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia. If used the right way, every time you have sex, condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV and some STDs you can get through body fluids, like gonorrhoea and chlamydia. However, they provide less protection against STDs spread through skin-to-skin contact, like human papillomavirus or HPV (genital warts), genital herpes, and syphilis.
DURATION
DOSAGE
How long do I have to take PrEP before it is effective? When taken every day, PrEP is safe and highly effective in preventing HIV. PrEP reaches maximum protection from HIV for receptive anal sex at about 7 days of daily use. For receptive vaginal sex and injection drug use, PrEP reaches maximum protection at about 21 days of daily use. No data are yet available about how long it takes to reach maximum protection for insertive anal or insertive vaginal sex.
How long do I need to take PrEP? You must take PrEP daily for it to work. However, there are several reasons people stop taking PrEP. For example, if your risk of getting HIV infection becomes low because of changes in your life, you may want to stop taking PrEP. If you find you don’t want to take a pill every day or often forget to take your pills, other ways of protecting yourself from HIV infection may work better for you. If you have side effects from the medicine that are interfering with your life, or if blood tests show that your body is reacting to PrEP in unsafe ways, your provider may stop prescribing PrEP for you. You should always discuss this question with your healthcare provider.
WHO’S IT FOR?
DATA How effective is PrEP? Truvada for PrEP provides 92% to 99% reduction in HIV risk for HIVnegative individuals who take the pills every day as directed. If a daily dose is missed, the level of HIV protection may decrease. It only works if you take it. People who use PrEP correctly and consistently have higher levels of protection against HIV. According to data analysis from the iPrEx study that found PrEP to be effective: For people who take 7 PrEP pills per week, their estimated level of protection is 99%. For people who take 4 PrEP pills per week, their estimated level of protection is 96%. For people who take 2 PrEP pills per week, their estimated level of protection is 76%.
Can you start PrEP after you have been exposed to HIV? PrEP is only for people who are at risk of getting HIV. But PEP (postexposure prophylaxis) is an option for someone who thinks they’ve recently been exposed to HIV during sex or through injection drug use. PEP means taking antiretroviral medicines after a potential exposure to HIV to prevent getting the virus. PEP must be started within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV. If you’re prescribed PEP, you’ll need to take it once or twice daily for 28 days.
Access to PrEP Use the following link to find a PrEP provider in your city or province - https://www. myprep.co.za/locations
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Phumlani shares his story
SEX health advocate Phumlani Kango, who has chronicled his decision to start taking PrEP on social media, shared his story with us. The 30-year-old gay man, who is from the Eastern Cape, is an advocate with a sharp interest in advancing key population’s rights to access to health care. He is an ambassador for the #WarmOnPrEP campaign by Pop Inn, which is a project by the Aurum Institute.
About three years ago I started PrEP – this is my story NOVEMBER 2017 was when I decided to visit the Health4Men clinic in Greenpoint, Cape Town, to get on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and this was by far the best decision I had made for myself. I made this decision following a lousy experience where I was potentially exposed to HIV after someone removed a condom without my knowledge (stealthing) and I had to get on PrEP, which was a very horrible experience. Making the decision was easy and informed as I had spoken to a counsellor beforehand. I got my first month of pills and they treated me well even though I had heard a lot of stories about the side effects of being on the pill. I didn’t experience anything and my first month went by with no issues. I started reading up more on others’ experiences online and saw that people in South Africa weren’t really clued up on it. This is what influenced my decision to be open about my journey. It will be three years in November since I started being on PrEP and I do not regret my decision. Being on PrEP has changed my perspective and views on HIV. Many of us grew up in the era where HIV was stigmatised, it still is, but not as much as it was in the early 2000s. I now know that people who are HIV+ can have an undetectable viral load meaning they cannot transmit the virus to others if they adhere to the treatment regime well. PrEP is also stigmatised, but I have not been deterred by the people who say that PrEP encourages us to have unprotected sex and is an excuse for us to be whores. I am prioritising my sexual health, even if I do decide to have unprotected sex with my partner because I make
informed decisions about my sexual health. My family and friends have been very supportive of my journey and advocacy, to the point where many of them have now considered getting on PrEP. The three years on PrEP has not been easy because with any medication, there are times where you forget to take it. However, I’ve been disciplined enough to carry on when I have fallen off the wagon. People fear not being consistent but now there are other ways in which you can take PrEP instead of taking it daily. There is the 2-1-1 method for people who know when they have sex where they can take two pills 24 hours before, then another one after 24 hours and a last one after 48 hours. I prefer daily as I have multiple partners, until I settle down (cross fingers that happens), and it’s been easier for me taking it daily
because I am a spontaneous person. I live a colourful life, as my good friend Olwee always describes himself as “I am one big festival”. I am the same. There is advancement in the study of PrEP as we have now also heard that there will be a onemonth PrEP injection at some point in the future, even an IUD. Which is why it has been my goal to educate people on PrEP and bring awareness to it. Some people are opposed to taking pills, so these options will be great. These advancements will help us tremendously when you consider the infection rate among MSM (men who have sex with men)in South Africa is around 27%. We also have one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world. Destigmatising PrEP is important which is why I share my journey because I want people to know the truth. | Twitter: @phumlani_PrEP
Queer+ books to read right now LIAM KARABO JOYCE AMERICAN novelist George Raymond Martin once said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” Martin was spot on. From reading, I have gone to faraway fantasy lands, countries my passport has no record of entering. I have encountered fascinating characters who have shaped my outlook on many aspects of life. I have even gone inside a Bali prison, thanks to Kathryn Bonella’s Snowing in Bali. And all from the comfort of my home. That’s the beauty of reading. It takes you on a journey, opens you up to new ideas and worlds, all while learning something. It is for this very reason we will be suggesting LGBTQI+ stories from around the world in every edition.
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HERE ARE OUR MUST-READS THIS MONTH THE HAIRDRESSER OF
Harare by Tendai Huchu
THEY CALLED ME QUEER
Kim Windvogel and Kelly-Eve Koopman
They Called Me Queer is a wonderful collection of essays written by Africans who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual. South Africa has become known for its tolerance towards the LGBTQIA+ community. It is one of the most inclusive societies on the continent when it relates to LGBTQIA+ rights. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, unlike in other countries. Same-sex relationships are recognised, and the protection of LGBTQIA+ rights is based on Section 9 of the Constitution, which forbids discrimination on the basis of sex, gender or sexual orientation, and applies to government and private parties. The Constitutional Court has stated that the section must also be interpreted as prohibiting discrimination against transgender people. These protections have been reinforced by the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court and various statutes enacted by Parliament. And the Alteration of Sex Description and Sex Status Act allows people to apply to have their sex status altered in the population registry, and consequently to receive identity documents and passports indicating their gender identity. However, we live in a devastatingly segregated and unequal society. This collection of stories is a testimony to the community and its struggles, but also to its triumphs and the joys.
Set in Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare, the story begins by following a hairdresser named Vimbai, who works at the best salon in town, owned by Mrs Khumalo. She is known to have an attitude and for doing what she wants, which often results in people not liking her very much. This comes to a halt when there is a new hairdresser in the salon, Dumisani, and he is incredibly talented. Although it’s not his intention, he makes Vimbai look bad with her entitled attitude. However, he is a kind man and is very nice to her. He soon becomes the manager, and in a gesture of goodwill, she invites him to live with her. She is strapped for cash and needs extra financial help. The pair become good friends, and Vimbai finds out that Dumisani was estranged from his family because of his sexuality, and they consider Vimbai a “cure” to his “condition”. They welcome him back, thinking he is straight again. She does not understand the concept of gay or straight until she reads his diary and finds out that Dumisani is attracted to men. She reacts badly and is rather bigoted towards him. This is revealed to be because she has reluctantly fallen in love with him. The book has a number of twists and turns, high-profile politicians, violence and laughter. I relished this – a must-read.
Queer+ shows to stream right now With representation now more important than it has ever been, here are two fantastic productions to catch that have LGBTQIA+ themes. LIAM KARABO JOYCE
THE POLITICIAN Netflix
RAFIKI
Showmax
Rafiki (Swahili for “friend”) is a 2018 Kenyan drama directed by Wanuri Kahiu. It is the story of romance that grows between two young women, Kena and Ziki, amid family and political pressures around LGBT rights in Kenya. The film had its international premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. It was the first Kenyan film to be screened at the festival. Kena helps her father John Mwaura run a small convenience store in Nairobi as he campaigns for a local election. Kena lives with her mother, who isn’t really on speaking terms with John. She starts flirting with Ziki, a neighbourhood girl with colourful hair, who also happens to be the daughter of Peter Okemi, John’s political rival. Kena and Ziki have a number of romantic dates, and quickly become very close, but there are tensions about displaying their affection in public because homosexuality is illegal in Kenya. Things get complicated for them and their families. Samantha Mugatsia stars as Kena and Sheila Munyiva as Ziki.
The Politician is an American comedydrama series created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. The trio also serves as executive producers with Alexis Martin Woodall, Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow. The series centres on Payton Hobart (Platt), a wealthy native of Santa Barbara. Each season revolves around a different political race his character is involved in. The first season is set at the fictional Saint Sebastian High School in Santa Barbara, California. Hobart, who has dreamed of being elected president of the US since childhood, is running for student body president against River Barkley. Hobart, under the direction of his friends McAfee Westbrook, James Sullivan and Alice Charles, chooses Infinity Jackson, a cancer patient and victim of Munchausen by Proxy disorder, to be his vice-president. Meanwhile, Barkley, under the direction of his girlfriend Astrid Sloan, chooses Skye Leighton, a gender-non-conforming black classmate to be his vice-president. The second season is set in New York City and Albany, New York. Hobart, now a student at New York University, is running for a seat in the New York State Senate against incumbent Majority leader Dede Standish. Hobart, under the direction of his former classmate Jackson, runs an ecocentric campaign. Standish, under the direction of her conniving campaign manager Hadassah Gold, runs a more conservative one. Meanwhile, Hobart’s mother, Georgina Hobart, is running for governor of California.
BANDILE 27-YEAR-OLD Bandile Sibaya, who is a virtual customer service associate and student from Durban, shared his experiences as a gay man. How old were you when you knew you were a part of the LGBTQI community? I’ve always known that I was different from most kids. I knew from a young age that I was not into girls. The first time I fully understood my sexuality and what it means was when I was in the 9th grade at age 14. What was the response from your family and friends? Friends have always been supportive of my sexuality from a time when I was unaware of my sexuality. My family, much like that of every other first-born black gay man, was at first apprehensive and not accepting. It took them two years after me coming out to fully accept and understand what it means to be queer. I am blessed to have people who love and support me. Were you scared to let others know about your sexuality and/or gender identity? I wouldn’t say I was scared, but I was hesitant to reveal my sexuality when I was younger. Can you tell us about the first time you experienced homophobia/transphobia/biphobia or queerphobia? It was in primary school. At the time I perceived it as just bullying. I was called derogatory names because of the way I walked and the way I spoke.
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LGBTQIA+ stories In every edition of Queer+, we will be sharing stories of members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their experiences in South Africa and the world.
What was it like being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in the area you lived in? I grew up in an area that was very open-minded, and few (if any) people were homophobic. What is it currently like for you? It’s much the same, members of the LGBTQIA+ community that are lesbian, bisexual and gay are more well-received in the community. How would you describe your overall experience as part of the LGBTQI community? Good and bad. We’re fortunate to have a Constitution that protects us as queer people. There’s always going to be the occasional bigotry and hatred. I’ve experienced situations that made me fear for my life simply because of my sexuality. I’ve also experienced situations that have brought me immense joy because of my sexuality.
ROMAN ROMAN Johaness is a 23-year-old Cape Town resident who works in retail. What is your gender identity and sexuality ? When I first came out I had identified myself as a gay man for many years, but of course, I had a feminine side to me, and later in life, I would identify as gender-fluid because I was still finding myself as a person. Then last year, I found who I really am, and I am a proud trans woman and I’m enjoying my journey thus far. How old were you when you knew you were part of the LGBTQI+ community? I always knew from a young age that I was different. I never wanted to do the norm and I just never knew what it’s called. But later on, I started to put the pieces together and it started making sense to me. I would always wonder “why am I so different?” and why I never showed interest in the things the boys would do, but more interest in the girl things. Growing up, it was hard for me because I came from a Christian background and I was adopted. So I had to deal with trying not to be myself because my parents are pastors and what would people say and at the same time trying to figure out why I was adopted as a child. What was the response like from your family and friends? When I came out to my parents, it wasn’t the best experience because I was told that this isn’t right and it’s a sin and I have a demon in me. I was so lucky and grateful that I had friends I could speak to. My friends are still open-minded and love me the way I am. Of course, I was kicked out of my parents’ house when I started to work because they never approved of my life and who I was. Tell us about the first time you experienced homophobia/transphobia/biphobia or queerphobia? I have always experienced homophobia in my life, from my mom to people in the street. What was it like being part of the LGBTQI community in the area you lived in? I haven’t experienced anything weird besides people calling me names or trying to make funny gestures when seeing me. I am happy with where I live now and I am enjoying my new journey as a transwoman and having people around me that support me.
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