On Thursday, January 7th, I spoke at the Bureau of General Services-Queer Division in NYC. The topic of my discussion was Simon Nkoli, the first Black gay activist to come out in the country and one of the most central figures in ensuring LGBTQ people protected in the new constitution post-Apartheid.

His legacy was one of gentle anger. This idea might seem contradictory, but to me gentle anger is a way of defiantly confronting the exclusion of LGBTQ people in a society and, as importantly, emphasizing open communication, pleasure and affirmation as tools of movement building. Gentle anger critically refuses the idea that LGBTQ people aren’t essential to a democratic society.

Simon may have died in 1998 from AIDS-related complications, but his legacy endures to 2016. I hope that we can take the time to understand how previous movements of emotional protest can re-envision the activist and creative work we’re doing today.

Here’s the talk for those who are interested! Stay tuned for the slides, which will be uploaded shortly after the best format for them is found:

Please visit this link to see all of the related slides from the event.