Lez Ka-lour!
Text and artwork by Kawira Mwirichia
AFRA-Kenya
AFRA-Kenya is a LBQ women’s art organization that is based in Nairobi, and its name is actually an acronym for “Artists For Recognition and Acceptance – Kenya. It was started in November, 2008, by a group of women who realized that the conversation being had then around sexual health and rights in Kenya focussed almost exclusively on the men’s interests, and that the LBQ women’s welfare wasn’t really getting the attention it needed. So AFRA-Kenya was basically formed as a space for LBQ women to meet, grow, heal, and express themselves. Thus the focus of its activism and dialogue tends to be the sustained flourishing of the LBQ woman as an individual, and I feel that it’s from this focus that the colouring book “Lez Ka-lour!” was birthed.
About “Lez Ka-lour!”
To enjoying our sex.
Our selves
And our lives.
Unreservedly.
AFRA-Kenya was planning to hold an art auction as an exciting fundraiser this past Halloween (which it did) and a bunch of us were brainstorming about what to have up for sale. The colouring book idea came up as a fun, easy-to-produce, cost-effective item that our audience would love to have – and use – to affirm and celebrate their sexuality. The first ten copies of the book were sold at the auction with all the proceeds from the sales going to AFRA-Kenya. The people in attendance just absolutely LOVED it and I’ve been selling copies ever since. I’ve even set up a CreateSpace e-store (https://www.createspace.com/5912383) where people can now buy the book from wherever they may be in this world. You can also find the book on Amazon, and just recently Venus Envy Halifax (in Canada) let me know that they’ll be stocking copies of the book as well!
Future plans
I feel that both I and AFRA-Kenya are just getting started and that there will be so much more amazing work coming from us, for us. We are already looking at putting together another book on erotica, and we’re also working on a project called “To Revolutionary Type Love”. The project is already underway and seeks to celebrate queer love and individuals and – consequently – instil a deeper, more unshakeable sense of love and pride in the queer community starting here in Kenya.
