It should be pride all year long 🏳️🌈 !!! In recent conversations I have been having about being queer in Africa, I felt compelled to share my ‘Queer Story’.
When I was 9, I kissed my first girl!
While the boys followed me around, I followed her around!
When I was 10, I told my childhood bestie that I think I like girls and not boys. She told me that I was a sinner and she couldn’t be friends with me anymore!
When I was 11, I told my church circle of friends that I liked one of them. They laughed and told me not to tell people that. Regardless, they accepted me for me.
When I was 12, I liked my first boy. And my mom caught me on the phone conversing romantically with a girl and decided to put me into counseling to be “cured” of this illness.
When I was 14, I came out to a few people in Junior High, and it spread like wildfire. People called me a ‘bisexual bitch‘ and wanted to beat me up, but some accepted me. I chopped my hair into a pixie and started to wear ties. Oh, I was rebellious and like to challenge the status quo! My mom called me a dyke!
When I was a teen, between 14-16 I had secret girlfriends mainly because they were closeted.
When I was 15, my mom wouldn’t let me go to my friend’s birthday party because it would all be girls. It was a whole discussion with the birthday girl’s mom!
I never have, and never will compromise myself for the comfortability of others. I march to the beat of my own drum, always have and always will!
-Molly Hite
At nearly 17 I had my first public girlfriend. I was ridiculed but my close friends did accept me.
Here I am at 30, living in a different country on a different continent, feeling like I have to hide not knowing how to proceed. Will I be ridiculed like I was in high school? Will I be arrested? How do I educate people? How do I teach tolerance and acceptance?
Very encouraging
Indeed, we need more courageous folk to write the queer narrative in Africa.