• ELIXHER
• On December 6, 2013

Man Gets 22 Years For Raping Black Lesbian In South Africa

A South African court sentenced a man to 22 years in prison on [Tuesday, November 26] for the 2010 torture and rape of a black lesbian from a township outside Cape Town. The sentencing of Andile Ngcoza for brutalizing Millicent Gaika over the course of five hours in the Gugalethu township was heralded by a leading activist as a sign that the justice system is getting more serious about crimes targeting black lesbians. Black lesbians are frequently targeted for what is sometimes called “corrective rape” — sexual assault under the pretense that it will “cure” lesbians of same-sex attraction.

Continue reading on Buzzfeed.

Public Displays of Affection: The Politics of Being Queer In Front Of Other Humans

“Kissing my girlfriend in Flatbush, Brooklyn could double as an act of love and as a political act of changing the culture,” reflects Courtney Baxter in her piece “Queer in Public.” She explains, “By living out the personal is political mantra, we transform from invisible to visible and provide hope for our queer sisters and brothers in less tolerant nooks of the world”. When we are affectionate in public, we assert that our identities are, in fact, valid. We engage in a form of community uplift that demonstrates that our relationships are not shameful…

For a while, I unconsciously had subscribed to the notion that queer PDA was acceptable as long as it was “respectable” and fit the standards of a hetero-patriarchal moral compass (i.e- between two people and in moderation). I really had to challenge the respectability politics I had unknowingly invested in by recognizing that my PDA and the PDA I observe should not quietly settle for tolerance from the rest of the world, but rather demand acceptance. PDA and PDP [public displays of promiscuity] are the ways that we declare the streets a space to be reclaimed. The streets connect us humans to one another, and by locking lips on street corners, we remind the world that we have right to be connected to society regardless of the activity or the number of people participating in said activity. We translate our acts of affection as quotidian experiences instead of pathological shame. Our public displays of affection have the power to move us from the periphery to the center of society by showing that our love, lust, and everything in between are legitimate and do not need to be hidden.

More on Autostraddle.

How to Come Out to Your Kids

Not unlike the experience of many children, the first discovery of my mother’s active sex life completely freaked me out. I remember the day I witnessed her having sex like it was yesterday. I was 8, and my parents had been divorced for two years, separated for three. I was unaware that my mom was seeing anyone romantically, so that made the discovery even more shocking. I had awakened from my sleep to go to the bathroom, but before I left the room, I heard what sounded like moans. We had a set of mirrors on the wall that I could look into and see into the living room. My eyes widened and I gasped, audibly, as I gazed upon my mom, naked in all of her glory and in an intimate position… with another woman.

Continue reading over at EBONY.

‘Lucky’ Gives a Rare Glimpse Into the Life of a Homeless Mom

Representations of queer women of color in film are still hard to come by, particularly one as intimate and jarring as “Lucky.” In this first-ever documentary from journalist Laura Checkoway, you meet Lucky Torres—a fierce Puerto Rican lesbian mom from the South Bronx. Life isn’t easy for Torres, who came up in the system, bouncing around foster homes until she ran away and wound up homeless. She has two children—a daughter who was taken from her at age 14, and a young son who stays with her as she travels between homeless shelters and transitional housing. Her struggles to survive have wounded her, and she approaches life with serious attitude and even rage at times.

More on Colorlines.