The rise of the bears

Mambaonline | 2 September 2015 I’m usually a reluctant and late follower of fashion trends. I remember thinking the cardigan would never catch on again, and I held on to my silver sneakers for much longer than was acceptable. I can never predict, despite six years among the hipsters of Cape Town, what the next bigContinue reading “The rise of the bears”

Congrats! It’s a fur baby

Mambaonline | 27 July 2015 I have disliked dogs, quite intensely, for most of my life. They smell. They have no sense of personal space. Their movements are startling, confusing and sometimes scary. They feel no shame about their bodily functions. While I don’t really feel any compulsion to have a cat in my space either,Continue reading “Congrats! It’s a fur baby”

Biphobia – the final frontier

Mambaonline | 20 January 2014 My grandfather always used to joke that being bi doubled your chances of a date on a Friday night. (Woody Allen said it first, I later discovered.) Actually, what I think it might do is halve your chances. It seems to me that hating on bisexuals is one of the lastContinue reading “Biphobia – the final frontier”

In defence of bottoms

Mambaonline | 16 October 2013 There comes a time in every coming out story when the mother, mischievous and cocky with wine, finally plucks up the courage to ask the question that’s been wriggling to get out since she first clapped eyes on the first boyfriend. The question that is simultaneously endearing in its naiveté andContinue reading “In defence of bottoms”

Camp, butch, and the quest for authenticity

Mambaonline | 11 October 2013 When I came out, neither of my brothers seemed surprised. They hadn’t expected it, they said, but it made sense and explained all kinds of things. I found that strange, because no one in my family is the kind of rugby-watching macho oke that our medievally patriarchal nation holds up asContinue reading “Camp, butch, and the quest for authenticity”

Love in the time of change

Mambaonline | 28 February 2013 Fate has an unhealthy predilection for making us eat our words. Like a toddler trying to assert his authority over his younger brother, Fate has to prove that he knows best and what he says goes. Especially if it’s against your wishes. The world is full of married people who sworeContinue reading “Love in the time of change”