This piece is written in very broad and generalised terms, and is in no way an in-depth discussion on the state of masculinities in Africa. It is not intended as a piece of rigorous academic exploration, nor of substantive social commentary. I write this as an opinion piece, largely to help me to contextualise for myself my explorations of gay male fetish sexuality in South Africa, the area of research for my PhD, and in the context of my ongoing attempts to contextualise my own personal experiences both in my personal life and in the environments of social theory and change.

Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) launched the media campaign "Let us live in Peace".

Sexual Minorities Uganda is the coalition of several lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex, what you would call hermaphrodites (or LGBTI) organistaions in Uganda.  The member organisations of
SMUG are Freedom and Roam Uganda, Spectrum Uganda, Integirity Uganda, and Ice Breakers Uganda. 

The chairperson of SMUG, Victor Juliet Musaka, is a member of the Gender DynamiX Management Committee.

Recently I was asked by some friends to house-sit their flat and look after their cats while they were away. Obviously I received the key to their flat. It is the “normal” thing to do - giving the key of your house to the person looking after it. That key also gave me the privilege to knowledge of their private lives. So, actually it also translates into trust.

Giving someone the key to your house takes a lot of trust. You are trusting that the person will not snoop in your private belongings and trusting that what the person will obviously find out about you through their very presence in your home will remain confidential. And someone with the key to your house will find out things about you. For example, the fact that you like Colgate and your partner likes Aquafresh.

When we speak of gender based violence in a South African context, we usually refer to all types of prejudice experienced by women, lesbians, effimanate men or any person who is confronted violently by mainstream society's perception of gender and sexual orientation. Within this sphere we are usually not thinking outside of that box, even as LGBTI sector.

We need to also discuss a very silenced part of “our movement” and that is the transgender and intersex people who are part of our constituencies.

Linda Mabuza spoke from his heart, shared with the participants his life story and the challenges he is faced with.

He was born intersex and was raised by his parents as a little girl. Soon in his life he realized that he rather wanted to identify as male, even not knowing the terminology and what the whole process would entail he started to pursue a male life. He played soccer and wear the same uniform to school as the other boys.

He needed to leave school early to look after his disabled uncle. Later in life he approached the medical clinic in the rural area where he lives. After six unsuccessful surgery attempts he is left unsatisfied with the results and struggle daily with this. The clinic also never supplied any hormones and he is not having any hormone producing gonads.