Tumi, South Africa

Laia Abril, On Rape, 2022

Narrator: I was born during apartheid, in a violent society created by the state. As a lesbian, at the age of 16, I had to learn to live on my own because we lost our mother. My stepfather − who was a pastor − chased me out of the house because of my sexual identity. For the next four years I was homeless and had to rely on the support of my friends. In 2009 I was abducted on my way home. I was hit by my perpetrator with a bottle, repeatedly beaten up and raped. I became pregnant after the attack, but then I lost it. Sometimes I wished I was dead. These are common attacks on lesbians in South Africa, where men use physical and sexual violence “to teach you a lesson on how to be a real woman”. Even today my rapist has not been arrested, and I fear for my life every day. I always wonder if I will make it safely to work. If I will make it home safely. Football became an outlet for relieving my fears. The Chosen Few soccer team became my family − a community of lesbians who share similar life experiences. When we run onto the soccer field, I feel free to be who I am. Recently my close friend was raped and murdered on her way home. As a survivor living in the township, it is really hard to deal with this trauma, it still feels like it happened yesterday.