Queer African activism celebrated in new publication

Taboom Media and GALA Queer Archive have launched the second volume in their Queer Activism in Africa anthology series.

In Courage to Share, 28 more human rights defenders from 17 countries across the continent present their origin stories and activist journeys.

These intimate testimonies of strength and vulnerability, available in both English and French, document and elevate this collective fight for LGBTQI+ equality.

Queer and ally artists bring each story to life with original illustrations that depict the hardships and triumphs of this collective movement. The result is a powerful anthology of resistance, resilience, and recognition.

“Being queer in Africa is challenging. The difficulties highlighted in these stories are a testament to the resilience and strength of the authors. They reveal activism born from a need for personal change, and a desire to channel pain and anger into improving things for the next generation who will walk in our shoes,” writes author, journalist and activist Welcome Mandla Lishivha in the introduction.

“Even amid unlawful arrests, mental breakdowns, anxiety attacks, and violence, queer people have hopes and dreams. We hope for safety and equality and dream of prosperity and love,” says Lishivha.

Like its May 2021 predecessor Hopes and Dreams That Sound Like Yours, Courage to Share emerged from a new Media Advocacy for LGBTQI+ Equality workshop Taboom Media hosted in February 2022 with activists from 20+ countries.

Courage to Share‘s exploration of queer African activism can be downloaded free in its entirety from the Gala Queer Archives website.

Taboom and GALA will be highlighting three new stories from the publication every Wednesday over the coming weeks on their social media.