Image courtesy of HASHTAGWHATNEXT
In collaboration with Bare Foundation, Hashtagwhatnext is inviting members of Africa’s visual arts community to donate work for sale at the hashtagwhatnext fundraiser to be held at Lang De Moun Mon in Observatory, Johannesburg on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
Delovie Kwagala, founder of Hashtagwhatnext, says:
“It is a moment to demonstrate that everyone, no matter their gender, nationality, race, creed or sexual orientation, has a right to privacy, dignity, and—more than anything—a right to exist and to express themselves freely. It is not up to any government or human being to decide whether or not who we are is a sin or crime, nor is it up to them to decide whether we live or die based on their beliefs or perception of culture.”
This fundraiser is being held in solidarity with Uganda’s queer community, in response to the country’s adoption of legislation aimed at criminalising homosexuality. With a lot of queer Ugandan lives now in danger, the goal of this art fundraiser is to assist as many queer people as possible with evacuation, expenses for legal migration purposes, and housing, among other things.
Kwagala continues:
“As artists ourselves, we’ve reached out to our immediate community—specifically visual artists—to donate work that will be up for sale at the fundraiser. Our call found favour with several renowned, established and emerging talents from South Africa, Nigeria and Uganda who are allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The fundraising artists include Athi-Patra Ruga (South Africa), Lady Skollie (South Africa), Seth Pimentel (South Africa), P$DNT Honey (South Africa), Stephen Tayo (Nigeria), Yagazi Emezi (Nigeria) and Delovie Kwagala (Uganda).
Alongside the fundraiser, there will also be a panel discussion which will bring together voices from Uganda, South Africa and the broader queer community to shed light on the situation in Uganda and to bring it to the public’s attention through continued dialogue and engagement.
The fundraiser’s proceeds will go into Bare Foundation’s transitional housing and skills development programs for homeless LGBTQIA+ youth. The proceeds will help LGBTQA+ people and organizations in Uganda who are facing an unprecedented threat to their existence as a result of the passage of a new anti-gay law. The initiative will be used as an emergency response to the crisis in Uganda.
The Bare Stories Foundation was established by Kgosi Motsoane and activist Treyvone Moosa in 2017 as a social inclusion project to develop secure homes for in-crisis youth. The group has organised 12 seminars and engagements with queer communities across South Africa to understand the diverse grassroots needs of LGBTQ people. Bare has operated a grassroots safe housing program for LGBTQ people who are in need of assistance.
