April RoundUp
Black Death
While we express our relief over the news that the murderer of George Floyd has been found guilty on three counts of murder, a most unusal outcome in the murder of Black people by police. However as Kandace Montogmery of Black Visions, Minniapolis rightly states, we need to think about what justice really is. Is it sentencing someone to prison for x amount of years? How does this on its own address the systemic racism within the US police and court structures that is needed. It doesnt. On the contrary it lets the justice system remain as is; anti-Black, anti-POC, anti-native peoples, anti-queer and transbodies, anti-poor.
As the trial was taking place, we mourn the murder of five more unarmed Black people shot by the police, Adam Toledo, 13 years old, March 29th, Daunte Wright, April 11th, Matthew Williams, 12th April, Andrew Brown, April 21st,, Ma’Khia Bryant, 20th April. How many of these officers will be found guilty?
In addition to death at the hands of the police we mourn the death of two more Black Trans women killed within two weeks of each other in Charlotte North Carolina. Jaida Peterson 29 and Remy Fennel 28, were the fourteenth and fifthteen trans people murdered this year and two of eight Black trans women murdered this year. Black bodies, queer bodies, Native bodies, POC bodies remain disposable, easily murdered, easily cast aside and the one or two exceptions does not equate justice. To support a fundraising campaign for Charlotte based Black Trans women please donate through Charlotte Pride or Equality NC.
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The assault against Ghana’s LGBTQ community
In late February the LGBTQ+Rights in Ghana community center was raided by security forces after a sustained homophobic hate campaign by traditional leaders, religious institutions and politicians. The government put out the usual homo/transphobic statement that we are now all to familiar with from African governments: [For historical documentation see Black Looks]
“So the issue of the criminality of LGBT is non-negotiable and our cultural practices also frown on it and these are two strong stands on the matter and this is what I stand for.”
Following Sarfo’s statement, the Minister of Information-designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah went a step further by suggesting Ghana enacts laws to criminalise support for LGBTQ+ activities or the legalisation of homosexuality. Nkrumah said such laws will merge with the current ones that block same-sex unions in the country.
For more on this story see this excellent piece by Anima Adjepong on the institutionalized represssion of Queer and Transgender Rights in Ghana.
Queer Nigerian YouTubers
An uplifting story from young LGBTQIA+ Nigerians posting on YouTube channels, and Twitter. The response, with a few exceptions, from Nigeria has again been the usual homophobic, misogynous comments that we have come to expect. For someone who has lived in the homophobic and misogynous world of Nigerian social media since 2005 the coming out by the young queer Nigerians is to be celebrated. Their courage and refusal to hide in closets of despair and negativity is uplifting and provides a level of hope not previously experienced.
Inspite of the very real dangers of being out and identified in public, the YouTubers have ammassed huge followings such as 13,000 subscribers for Amara the Lesbian. The topics covered range from coming out to family, everyday braiding with beads, girlfriend troubles. Beautiful stories. Another faviourate of mine is “For Fags Sake” by Victor Emmanuel,
Welcome to For fags sake! Here, you have a safe space to be a faggot in Nigeria. All members of the LGBTQ community are welcome. I make videos on queer issues while being fabulous. Don’t bother being homophobic, I’ve heard all you have to say and honestly, I don’t care!.
The latest video is on “Gay Deliverance” in which they push back against the idea that homosexuality is a choice that can be washed away with the hands of a pastor.
Free Ashley Diamond
The Emergency Relief Fund is calling on Georgia governor, Brian Kemp, to release trans woman survivior, Ashley Diamond who is being held in a men’s prison in Georgia.
HOLAA
Lastly a new video series, “Queering Belonging” by Tiffany Kagure Mugo (co-founder and curator of Hub of Loving Action in Africa (HOLAA!)).
The series speaks to work that disrupts overly simplified and romantic conceptualizations of belonging and community in African contexts. In this series Bimbola Akinbola, Xavier Livermon, Keguro Macharia, and Tiffany Mugo, consider how community, family, and kin are being redefined and reimagined on the African continent and in the diaspora.
I love the series as it speaks to the everyday challenges we as queer identified people have to negotiate from relationships, to intimacies, to just trying to figure out ones sexuality especially when you don’t know any other queer people. The episode by Kenyan scholar and blogger, Keguro Marcharia is my favourate. He asks “How do we think across difference and how do we think towards freedom?” He asks that we get comfortable and have a drink nearby as he wonders around from words to words and if we get bored he suggests we look at flowers or anything that has an everyday beauty.
