with eyes open

By Musa Ngubane (BtM Reporter)

June 2, 2006: EYES WIDE OPEN is a follow-up pull force comic book that was recently published by the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa (GALA), after an enormous success of its play, Coming Out Again, last September.

Set in a South African semi-rural context, the comic expounds how important a circle of friends could be, especially when tackling issues such as HIV/ Aids among homosexuals.

Nthabiseng is the protagonist in the comic who spends a lot of her respite at the popular Fabulous Flora’s Hair Salon – owned by an HIV positive woman who’s gay – Flora. The hair salon is obviously gay-friendly, and many lesbians and gays always find themselves at home there. These people could sit and talk at length about condoms and relationships, also talk about dating disabled people.

Coming from a rural background to the city of Jozi, Nthabiseng starts to learn a lot about being a lesbian and the dangers of engaging in unprotected sex.

The eleven-page long comic book is intended for people to start talking about issues of HIV/ Aids especially among homosexuals.

GALA aims to encourage schools to embrace the book as part of sex education curriculum at some stage.

EYES WIDE OPEN is already being distributed to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersexual (LGBTI) organisations through out Africa.