Rape For Who I Am

Although South Africa became the first nation to ensure full civil rights based on sexual orientation in its post-apartheid era constitution, hostile attitudes towards same-sex coupling are still prevalent throughout the country. Lovinsa Kavuma, a Uganda-born British filmmaker, helmed this compelling short documentary about four young lesbians—Keba, Bathini, Mary, and Buhle—in the Johannesburg area who were targeted and raped (homosexuality is still viewed as a grievous taboo throughout sub-Sahara Africa, and prejudice continues even within major urban settings—especially against lesbians who refuse to accept traditional gender roles). Unable to secure protection from the increasingly corrupt and inefficient police and viewed as outcasts within their own communities, the four women bear both the emotional and physical scars of the attacks (as well as the threat of exposure to the HIV virus), yet they refuse to accept the mantle of victims or martyrs, and are ready to fight back against their attackers, the warped judicial system, and the homophobia of their communities. Rape For Who I Am is a riveting portrait of the fight for safety and respect among a group who still see no end to discrimination. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)