Panel discusses local author’s book ‘Here comes the Gay King’ at State Theatre

On the stage were human rights defender, filmmaker, investigative journalist, and author of Sipho’s Pink Dress, Tshegofatso Magolego; the Access Chapter 2 programme manager, human rights activist, and counsellor, Jay Matlou; as well as traditional healer, educator and academic, Motheo Steven Mkhize. “The panel delved deeper into themes that Here Comes the Gay King explores.

The discussions were interactive, thus allowing members of the audience an opportunity to pose questions to the panel or contribute to discussions. “The panel unpacked themes of intersectional identities and the role that religion, culture, and the law should play in affirming sexual minorities, including the relevance of African spirituality and value systems in the midst of modernisation,” said Mokwena.

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Here Comes the Gay King tells the story of a gay man named Peace Maake who is cohabiting with his boyfriend in Tshwane. His family instructs him to inherit his late brother’s young widow. When Peace comes out to his family as gay, all hell breaks loose. Despite the fact that Peace’s ancestors chose him in all his gayness before he was born to one day become the king of his village,  Peace’s mother and uncle stop at nothing to ensure they “heal” him of homosexuality through conversion therapy.

Lest his mother’s image in the church takes a knock for having a gay son and the Maake kingdom becomes a gaydom. The novel, set in the second half of 2020, pits Afrocentric values against the effects of colonialism and asserts homosexuality has always been part of Africa’s diversity. “With writing this novel, I wanted to reflect the gay community back to itself and challenge heterosexual people’s views on homosexuality by demystifying myths heterosexual people believe about homosexuality.

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“I go in hard in the hope that parents who struggle to accept their homosexual children can understand us better,” said Mokwena. The State Theatre’s artistic director, Aubrey Sekhabi, said in the history of the State Theatre hosting conversations with authors, this is the very first time that a gay novel was at the center of discussions. “

As the home of the arts, we were excited to host this conversation, especially since June is Pride Month. “We are happy that for the very first time, we have embraced an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation about homosexuality in a safe space thanks to Here Comes the Gay King,” said Sekhabi.