Dear Africa,

It’s not so often that I get to run my mind’s musings by you. This was worse when you were a slim black leather volume on a green plastic table in a quiet part of Port Harcourt. Now you are the world. You are the minds of countless dreamers, lovers, activists, writers and travellers that are quizzed and dare to quiz. What is this quiz, this mystery? Not knowing, not sharing, not seeing, not hearing and as such, neither bearing nor understanding.

Often, I think, prejudice is nourished not by hate but by distance. Of course, distance permits us perspective and some objectivity. But it is often to be blamed for skewed and blurry vision. More so, it is often difficult to understand that which is not engaged with. However, we do not all have the audacity or opportunity to engage even if we wanted to.

So we set out to bring the picture closer. The mysteries of wearing queer ‘shoes’ in Africa as Africans. The taste and textures of the throbbing and pangs . Let’s talk. Let’s write.  Just us. Let’s study and listen so that seeing would be much clearer. Let’s walk, engage in no particular order but let’s resolve to attend to every chapter there is before we are done. The chapters on love and living, the places, scars, secrets , strengths, failures and victories, fears, faiths and realities of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and non-binary selves.

Let’s go all out, thinking and musing aloud.

Occasionally, there shall be continental and global calls to you for essays, letters, photos, videos, music, memories and visions on the subject of sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity in Africa. We would love to know how it is and what it feels like to be how you are, where you are.  Different, frightened, soft, firm, naughty and beautiful.

With this, we at the Centre for Human Rights launch the SOGIE Diary blog. Let it be all it dreams and dares to be, for you, for us.

Excited,

Nnanna