Despite what western society seems to believe, transgender and non-binary people have existed for centuries in communities all over the world. Looking at the history of transgender and non-binary people in non-western communities not only highlights the fact that gender non-conformance is far from a modern issue, but also underlines the often-erased identities of transgender […]
When I think back to myself as a child, I remember a confident, audacious and direct little girl. I had no issues calling out my elders, singing my own praises or being center-stage in front of a large audience. When I compare that to who I am now- someone who feels self-conscious promoting their work […]
We’ve all been there. You landed the job you wanted or finally got recognition for something you’re good at and deserving of and suddenly nasty, self-doubting thoughts creep in. Many of us have managed to stay alive, raise children, pass exams, have gotten degrees and awards but still feel like imposters or unconsciously try to […]
Recently, I had the honour and the delightful experience to speak with Kandace Siobhan Walker, award winning-writer, filmmaker, and a recent recipient of AZ Mag’s Creative Fund. Kandace is funny, honest, insightful, and inspiring. Our interview touches on themes of creativity, inspiration, artistic practice, and craft, winning awards and her new short film Cleaning Ladies. […]
My friends make fun of me because I refuse to get take-out, I am my mother’s daughter and I’m always wary of where I eat and conscious of where I order my food – it is a trait that has been instilled in me from a very young age. So when the pandemic started it […]
It’s no secret how society within the West Indies perpetuates a tight-lipped, conservatively religious mindset, a culture that has not significantly changed since the days of British rule in the 60s. Unchanged and outdated laws on abortion and LGBTQ rights are merely a reflection of the societies, reluctance or even fear of adopting a more […]
I can explain to cisgender white men (who are largely responsible for implementing and maintaining the social rules of sexism and racism) that I am not a woman. I can explain that gender is a nuanced and complex spectrum on which I personally sit somewhere outside of female, but somewhere that also isn’t male. I […]
The Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, signed by former president, Goodluck Jonathan in 2013 was a horrible time for queer people in Nigeria. I remember feeling so defeated the day I heard the news. Everything felt hopeless and I felt obligated to perform compulsory heterosexuality before I officially came out to myself and met other amazing […]
Ironically, this article starts with a celebrity news hook. In February, rapper and poet Noname explained her refusal to feature on the soundtrack of the film ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’, about activist and Black Panther Party leader, Fred Hampton. Pointing out that the film missed out on Hampton’s anti-imperialist politics, as well as the […]
Last weekend, a group of drunk, white men passed me on the quiet end of a road in Shoreditch. “Afro head,” one of them shouted as we passed each other. My first thought was fury. A disproportionate, unadulterated rage and an urge to jump at him, pulling his own hair from his scalp in a […]
