Hopes and Dreams That Sound Like Yours | A new queer anthology

A new anthology titled Hopes and Dreams That Sound Like Yours: Stories of Queer Activism in Sub-Saharan Africa has been released for download – and it’s free!

Published by Taboom Media and GALA Queer Archive, the book was launched on 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

In Hopes and Dreams, 20 human rights defenders from Sub-Saharan Africa share their activist journeys and reveal what inspires their fight for LGBTIQ equality.

Some are deeply personal stories of self-discovery and acceptance. Others chart the challenges LGBTIQ rights groups face in discriminatory environments. All carry messages of hope and dreams for a better tomorrow.

Queer and ally artists bring each story to life with original illustrations that depict the joys and struggles of our collective movement. The result is a beautiful archive and powerful anthology of resilience.

More than 40 people contributed to Hopes and Dreams and its accompanying videos over three short months.

The project emerged from a Media Advocacy for LGBTIQ Equality workshop Taboom Media hosted in January with activists from Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Hopes and Dreams was made possible through the generous support from the Arcus Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Sigrid Rousing Trust and the Norwegian Students’ and Academics’ International Assistance Fund.

You can download the queer anthology for free on the Gala website here.