Jordan Chanetsa

Jordan Chanetsa (born c. 1997) is a Zimbabwean human rights activist and artist. A trans woman, she was the founded of the Harare Queer Collective, an org

Jordan Chanetsa
Born1997 (age 28–29)
Harare, Zimbabwe
Alma materNational School of the Arts
OccupationsHuman rights activist
Artist
OrganizationHarare Queer Collective
Known forAdvocacy for LGBTQ people in Zimbabwe

Jordan Chanetsa (born c. 1997) is a Zimbabwean human rights activist and artist. A trans woman, she was the founded of the Harare Queer Collective, an organisation promoting the establishment of safe spaces for LGBTQ people in Zimbabwe.

Biography

Chanetsa was born in Bulawayo, Matabeleland, and raised in Harare. Her parents, who were both of mixed ancestry, were ministers at a megachurch; her father was also a radio host.[1][2][3] Chanetsa attended the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she was first exposed to ballroom culture.[1][3]

Chanetsa came out as gay at the age of 14, for which she experienced bullying and harassment, including from some members of her own family. She later realised she was transgender, and came out as a trans woman on Facebook. Chanetsa struggled to find legal work due to her gender identity differing from what was recorded on her official documents; she frequently wrote about her experiences as a transgender person on Facebook, and by 2017 had started to gain popularity on social media.[1][2][3] Through this, she began working for a sexual and reproductive rights group, though she left after experiencing discrimination and transphobia.[2] Chanetsa organised a campaign called "16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence", for which she received an award from the Dutch embassy in Harare.[1][4][5]

Chanetsa participated in Women Deliver's Young Leaders Programme in recognition of her work promoting gender equality, LGBTQ rights and sexual health.[4][6]

Chanetsa was critical of established LGBTQ organisations in Zimbabwe, which she felt were led by older activists who were unwilling to consider the different struggles and experiences of younger LGBTQ people in the country; she also felt that international aid was often earmarked for sexual health and HIV prevention as opposed to the emotional and social wellbeing of LGBTQ people. In 2019, Chanetsa founded the Harare Queer Collective (HQC), with the aim of establishing safe places across the city where it would be safe for LGBTQ people to meet and socialise. The HQC has held events including balls and open mic nights.[1][2][7] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the HQC raised US$15,000 to support with relief efforts.[2]

Following her popularity on social media, Chanetsa began to appear more frequently on Zimbabwean television and radio, where she frequently commented on the experiences of LGBTQ people living in Zimbabwe, such as commenting on politics for Transcending the Ballot Box on Bustop TV.[1][3][4][8][9] In 2020, her own show, The Naked Truth, which focused on gender, sexuality and health, premiered; she also began hosting a podcast, Her Hour.[1][5]

Between June and October 2022, Chanetsa was the artist in residence at the Akademie der Künste der Welt in Cologne, Germany.[1][2][4] In this role, she organised the Migration Kiki Ball at the Kulturbunker Köln, which looked at the experiences of non-white immigrants in Germany.[1][10] In 2022, Chanetsa released a short film, A Trance, consisting of a collage of images and sounds; she also featured in the documentary Transgender in MugabeLand.[8][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Venker, Thomas (21 September 2022). "„I am someone that loves to be seen – so it´s only right for me to want for other people to be seen too."". Kaput. Archived from the original on 17 December 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "ARTISTS TO KNOW: JORDAN CHANETSA". SHEER Worldwide. Retrieved 13 June 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b c d Teeman, Tim (12 June 2020). "These inspiring young LGBTQ activists—from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Colombia, Australia, and the U.S.—are fighting for equality in their countries, even if it puts their lives in peril". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 16 January 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d "Jordan Chanetsa »Southern Africa to the World 1« (with Mandhla Ndubiwa)". ON Cologne. 2022. Archived from the original on 17 January 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  5. ^ a b Muntingwende, Adonis (2020). "The Naked Truth: Zimbabwe's sex edutainment TV show launches". Spike Media. Retrieved 13 June 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Zimbabweans among Women Deliver's 2020 Class of Young Leaders [list inside]". Three Men on a Boat. 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  7. ^ Madzika, Tafadzwa (18 March 2022). "Incubator Hub's "She Glows" Women's Day Special Concert: A Review". Greedy South. Archived from the original on 6 February 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  8. ^ a b "A Trance". Internationales Frauen Film Fest. 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Transcending the Ballot Box: Bustop TV raises voices of Zimbabwe's LGBTIQ Community". Bustop TV. 20 February 2024. Archived from the original on 10 April 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  10. ^ "The Migration Kiki Ball gehosted von Jordan Chanetsa und Shapes & Shades". Akademie der Künste der Welt (in German). 23 September 2022. Archived from the original on 15 February 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  11. ^ "Transgender in MugabeLand". Akademie der Künste der Welt. 17 August 2022. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2026.

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