I love reading DIVA; all the other columnists are fabulous and I’m really feeling the topics being raised and discussed but I sometimes wonder how many people read my column or whether they just roll their eyes and think, “Gosh, how many times is she going to keep on talking about being a black queer woman?”
PHOTOS AJAMU (PROFILE), ROXENE ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY (MAIN)
Well, the answer is: as much as I like or need to. Often, when the stories of black women are told, we are seen as “angry” or “aggressive”. Our skin-tone, rich in melanin, is not embraced or celebrated, unless we’re being fetishised, in which case we are considered “exotic”. Our hips, curves, full lips and gorgeous afro hair are often frowned upon and, in some cases, young black girls are sent home from school because of their natural hair.