Now, I don’t mean to attack the public broadcaster here, so please don’t misconstrue the point of this episode.

However, there was this period between 2004 and 2009 when it seemed like the commissioning editors there were suddenly made aware that queer people exist in this country and because of their mandate to reflect our society in all its divergent cultures and identities, there was an obvious gap in terms of the representation of queer people on its platforms.

So, June 2004 Yizo Yizo 3 gave us Thiza and Thabang fell in love in varsity. You may remember Thiza had previously been in a romantic relationship with high school sweetheart Hazel.

In December 2006, just after the newly passed law that made same-sex marriage legal in SA, Steve Stethakis and Luke got hitched.

Weeks later, Society (also on SABC 1) gave us lesbian romance between Beth and Thuli

Then they set tongues wagging when they introduced us to China, Bokang, and Hector- who were in a complex love triangle. It was the first series to deal with the controversial topic of black gay men living on the DL - that is keeping their gay identity separate from the rest of their lives - for fear of excommunication among other worries.

If that was controversial because of its homoerotic content, the country’s favourite prime time show at the time, Generations rattled cages further when Senzo and Jason fell in love and went on to get married.

I should mention that in 2008, eTV also gave us the brief story of Stone and Thula on Rhythm City - where the former loathed himself for kissing another man and even turned to physically abusing Thula, before hopelessly turning to the church to seek deliverance.

It would take a few years before InterSEXions had Two-Step and Sizwe, and Zabalaza on Mzansi Magic had Victoria and Mapule, among others.

I reached out to Emmanuel Castis, who played Steve Stethakis on Isidingo, and Sechaba Morojele, the creator of After 9 to talk about these two pioneering projects and how it impacted their respective careers.

Enjoy!

HOW TO REACH ME:

Email: andile.1987@gmail.com

Twitter: @vida15

Instagram: @phuckyoairbrush

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