Joyline Maenzanise

Last year, Lupita Nyong’o shared publicly that she had been told at an audition that she was "too dark" for television. This hit close to home.
Like Lupita, I grew up in a predominantly Black community. Still, internalized White supremacy saw—and still sees—us using White standards of beauty to gauge attractiveness. It’s no surprise that several folks, including some celebrities, have opted to lighten their skin, or that the market for bleaching products is forecast to reach a whopping $24 bi...

In July, Zimbabwe’s government published the Marriage Bill, which outlawed marriage equality and aligned the country’s marriage laws to the Constitution.
Though legal recognition of marriage has clear benefits, organizations advocating for the rights of Zimbabwe’s LGBTQ people have a conflicting relationship with this law.
“There are more pressing issues affecting the daily experiences of LGBTQ folks and the various organizations have resolved to devote their immediate attention to those issu...

I had crawled out of the closet and now, I was ready to smash it to smithereens.
I was told by one of my church’s elders that I was possessed by a male demon because I wore pants to church when I was 23 years old. By then, I had already known I was attracted to women. As a teen, I would see women and girls I deemed beautiful but there were some women whose beauty I seemed to admire in a rather intense way.
Unsurprisingly, I didn’t act on those feelings. Queerness was — and still is — deeply f...

At a young age, we are unduly influenced to modify our genitalia so they fit the cultural idea of how a sexually desirable woman ought to look like.
This essay discusses genital mutilation in an explicit manner.
By Joyline Maenzanise
Over the years, we have been having more chats on the bodily autonomy of cis women and other genders assigned female at birth, whose bodies have long been regarded as a mere object for cis men’s gratification. Whether it’s making informed decisions regarding abor...

For Mental Health Awareness Month, HelloGiggles is publishing “The Support You Deserve,” an essay series exploring the different barriers, stigmas, and myths blocking our access to effective mental health care. This particular essay discusses suicidal ideation and sexual abuse. Please read with caution if these subjects trigger you.
When an acquaintance offered to pay for my therapy, I was so grateful for the opportunity to get the help I needed. But, after just three sessions, I had to call ...

“We reject attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our norms, values, traditions and beliefs. We are not gay.” This is what Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert G. Mugabe, said at the 2015 UN General Assembly.
He’s the same leader who’s known for saying people like me are “worse than pigs and dogs.” And let’s be honest. For someone who’s known to be very educated, and he is, comparing us to animals wasn’t quite an intelligent remark. Check out this article published by Pink News ...

Trigger Warning: This article mentions periods of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
The festive season has just ended, and much like last year, I have made sure to spend as little time as possible on social media. I don’t want to be reminded of my aloneness during this time.
Last year, I forced myself to deactivate my Facebook account and every now and then, I would check m...

When a deputy headmaster at one of Zimbabwe’s top schools recently came out as gay, he faced a backlash that revealed a deep-seated homophobia. One Zimbabwean decided to stand up – and out – in support of the LGBTQI+ community in general and GALZ in particular.
In case you missed the story that made international headlines in September 2018, Dr Neal Hovelmeier, a deputy headmaster at one of Zimbabwe’s private schools, came out as gay.
According to the Zimbabwe Constitution of 2013, same-gende...

THE OUSTING of Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe in November 2017 was a cause for jubilation for many people, including members of the LGBT community. The hope and expectation was that the end of Mugabe’s thirty-year dictatorship would usher in a new era with brighter futures for ordinary citizens. Some LGBT folks shared in the euphoria, as their community has long borne the brunt of so much intolerance fueled by our leaders.
A few days into the post-Mugabe era, one of the nation’s leade...

Recently, a pregnant student at Zimbabwe’s National University of Science and Technology was run over by a moving train. In a suicide note left to her family, the 19-year-old wrote that she had decided to end her life after her boyfriend, who revealed that he was married, disowned her pregnancy. This unfortunate incident took place not long after another student from Midlands State University, also a Zimbabwean institution, hung himself. The phenomenon is common across the African continent, ...

Already busy with a novel? You are allowed to continue working on it throughout the month. However, you need to bear in mind that only the words written during November will count.
As you begin this interesting venture, it is inevitable that you will experience a slow-down in your ability to think and produce content for your novel. As much as you will be aware of and striving to meet your deadline (11:59pm on 30 November), your brain will not always allow you to move on to the next level. Th...

Last year was hell. Unemployed, struggling to secure funds for my studies, enduring endless, unsolicited sermons from family members who cared more about my sexuality than they did about my challenges, I found myself sinking deep into depression. My social anxiety and panic attacks peaked. I struggled to leave my room even if it was to step into the bathroom. I couldn’t leave the house without my earphones, even if they were not working. Having something plugged to my ears served as a shield ...

In a possible first for Zimbabwe, a top teacher has gone public regarding his sexual orientation in an attempt to foster a safe space for learners of all sexual orientations.
On 21 September 2018, Dr Neal Hovelmeier, the deputy headmaster at St John’s College, one of the affluent high schools in Zimbabwe, came out to staff and students. In a letter written to the school regarding his bold move, the deputy head says:
“…I have become increasingly aware that a number of former students who gain ...

The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe has partnered with Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe, an LGBTQI+ advocacy rights group, in an anti-homophobia campaign in schools. The campaign aims to address issues of discrimination in learning institutions and educate teachers on LGBTQI+ issues.
Teachers and academic institutions play a vital role in supporting the holistic development of students and learners – and some of those students are members of the LGBTQI+ community.
Constitutionally speaki...