Although the situation for queer Muslims in South Africa is not life-threatening, judgment is something Mogamat Benjamin has lived with for most of his life. MGGodEdition
Bearded and dressed in a thawb and kufiah, Mogamat Benjamin is, in appearance at least, much like any other Muslim man. His eye-catching walking stick, covered in tiny, shiny blue-and-pink flowers, however, hints at something different — the time when, competing in drag beauty pageants, he was better known under his stage name, Kafunta.
“We were always three. There was Freddy, whose name was Debbie Reynolds; Saan, who was Sharon Tate and became Mandy. And of course myself, Kafunta. We were always wonderful, wonderful, wonderful together.” “It was difficult,” he says. “They would always call us names like ‘moffie’ or ‘tahoera’, which basically means you’re not a real woman.”
“When we went out to a party, then we would drag. My favourite outfit was always hotpants and a lovely wedge heel. And if I wore a dress, I always wore minis, because I had lovely legs.” “Islam is very great to me. I would never forsake Islam. Not for anything. You see, some people portray that Islam doesn’t like gays. No. If you lived in District Six — all those people were living with gays around them. And they weren’t anti, because Islam is a complete way of life. And it does not bar gays from being what they are. It’s just that gays must know their place in a mosque. We can’t come in make-up or in a dress. It’s the same as with a church.
And although these matching colours might serve as an unwitting testament to his newfound sense of belonging, feeling at home with his sexuality and religious beliefs has been a life-long struggle. Born into a conservative Muslim family, his coming out “about 10, 15 years ago” shocked his family. Mohammed says that although reconciling his faith with his sexuality was difficult, turning his back on Islam was something he never considered.
“Ooh, daai Hollywood voice! Sy’s ’n regte diva, ne? [Oh, that Hollywood voice! She’s a real diva, hey?],” someone remarks.
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