Invisible - Stories from Kenya’s Queer Community

There is absolutely nothing to compare this poignant compilation of experiences of gay Kenyans on bookshelves with anywhere. Regardless of the extent of the reader’s exposure to ‘queer’ people, this is an extremely touching read. Through his selection of stories, Kevin Mwachiro, sheds light on the seemingly obvious but largely overlooked humanity of gay
people.

Social rhetoric and culture tend to stereotype in a blanket fashion the quintessential traits of people who have alternative sexual preferences. Not in these tales. As the title of the book suggests, they are rendered invisible by the paucity of stories within reach, that highlight their voices and the tales they have to tell.

These human experiences of people from different professions, religions, backgrounds and parts of the country, are extremely easy to relate to. The book portrays people who are regular human beings with ordinary woes and fears. The anxiety of jittery high school crushes, awkward teenage angst, nervous first kisses, lusty fumbling in the dark and lovers holding hands. The personalities of each of the writers are engaging in their different styles and they speak with varying degrees of seriousness, humor and demeanor and from a variety of life perspectives. As with life, in Invisible there are no two stories that are alike.

One recurrent theme that resonates throughout the narrations though, is the pain of coming out to their families. Their struggles underline their bravery, loneliness and resilience in the face of prejudice. The most fundamental message the book conveys is the normalness of those who are labelled abnormal. Kevin Mwachiro succeeds in capturing snippets of the lives of gay people who are heroes in their own right. These are people who decide to live their truth, because they have no choice but to.

“Invisible, Stories from Kenya’s Queer community” edited by Kevin Mwachiro, is the most popular book ever published by the Goethe Institut, Nairobi. Get your copy either at the Goethe Institut or Text Book Centre for KES. 750 only.

By Amal Mohamed