Details

Subject(s)

• Gay youth—South Africa—Biography [Browse]
• Gay youth—South Africa—Interviews [Browse]
• Gay teenagers—South Africa—Biography [Browse]
• Gay teenagers—South Africa—Interviews [Browse]
• Gay people—Identity—Exhibitions [Browse]

Series

Archives of Sexuality and Gender: International Perspectives on LGBTQ Activism and Culture. [More in this series]

Summary note

Many young South Africans identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or intersexed (LGBTI) feel isolated and disempowered by the lack of access to realistic, positive information on the range of orientation choices available to them. In order to help address this GALA undertook an oral history project on the experiences of LGBT youth. 26 people were interviewed for this project, and these interviews form the heart of this collection (series A). There are also many photographs that accompany these interviews (series B). Out of this material GALA and New Africa Books published Balancing Act: South African Gay and Lesbian Youth Speak Out in 2005, a book that shares stories of gay and lesbian youth in South Africa, while promoting respect and tolerance in schools. The book was written to be used in schools, and contains teaching notes relating to the area of Life Orientation. Series B includes a copy of 'Balancing Act' as well as media coverage it received and some production-related material. The book was launched on 11 June 2005 at Constitution Hill around Youth Day celebrations. Justice Edwin Cameron spoke at the launch which was attended by at least 250 people. The heart of this collection consists of interviews with 26 LGBT youth as part of a GALA oral history project (series A). GALA published a book (Series B) out of this material called Balancing Act: South African Gay and Lesbian Youth Speak Out (2005). The following year, Balancing Act became an exhibition in collaboration with the Apartheid Museum (Series C). The collection contains interview transcripts, photographs of participants, as well as project files on the book publication, such as correspondence around publishing and launch event organisation. Copies of the book are also included, as well as digital files of the exhibition panels.

Notes

• Date range of documents: 2003-2006.
• Reproduction of the originals from Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA).
• Includes the following subcollections: 'Balancing ACT': EXHIBITION, 2006 -- 'Balancing ACT': PUBLICATION, 2005 -- 'Balancing Act': Workshops, 2005-2006 -- Additional material -- Oral history projects, 2003.

Other title(s)

Balancing act

OCLC

1164130951

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