A new queer anthology, titled ‘Hopes and Dreams That Sound Like Yours,’ a compilation of stories of Queer Activism in Sub-Saharan Africa is now available for free download. The anthology, published by Taboom Media and GALA Queer Archive, was launched on 17 May, 2021 — The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
“In Hopes and Dreams, 20 human rights defenders from Sub-Saharan Africa share their activist journeys and reveal what inspires their fight for LGBTIQ equality,” Mamba Online reports. “Some are deeply personal stories of self-discovery and acceptance. Others chart the challenges LGBTIQ rights groups face in discriminatory environments. All carry messages of hope and dreams for a better tomorrow. Queer and ally artists bring each story to life with original illustrations that depict the joys and struggles of our collective movement. The result is a beautiful archive and powerful anthology of resilience.”
“So proud to have been a workshop trainer on this project, working with some incredible queer activists across the continent. What a joy to be teammates with [Bella] and Taboom media. Please do check out the anthology,” Journalist and poet, Wana Udobang, who worked alongside the activists on the project tweeted.
So proud to have been a workshop trainer on this project, working with some incredible queer activists across the continent. What a joy to be teammates with @BelMataz and Taboom media. Please do check out the anthology. https://t.co/sYHLDcHLHz
— Wana Udobang (@MissWanaWana) May 18, 2021
The anthology compiles contributions of more than 40 people and emerged from a LGBTIQ Equality media advocacy workshop hosted by Taboom Media in January with activists from Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The anthology is available for free download. Click here to download.
“The authors of the stories in Hopes and Dreams depict their queer African experiences as more nuanced and diverse than what we’re used to consuming in the media. Each story shows how something beautiful and inspiring has emerged from difficult backgrounds filled with loss, isolation and identity-based violence. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, whatever your background, we invite you to find yourself in these stories, and within queer history itself,” the Gala Queer Archive page reads.
