In the urban and digital landscapes of Dar es Salaam, self-identified gay and bisexual men construct and negotiate identities through language, desire, and social interaction. This project investigates their stories—embedded in both words and lived worlds (wor[l]ds)—highlighting how everyday linguistic practices shape experiences of self, intimacy, and belonging. Combining ethnographic fieldwork and digital research on dating apps, it traces the dynamic interplay between youth language, queerness, and performativity. By foregrounding storytelling and semantic fluidity of words, the project offers a fresh perspective on Lavender Linguistics within the Swahili context, advancing inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches to African Queer Studies.

Vincenzo Straface, PhD Candidate in African Studies at the University of Naples "L'Orientale" and Visiting PhD at the University of Vienna. Their research explores (homo)sexuality and desire in Tanzanian Swahili contexts through a socio-ethnolinguistic lens. Among various research interests, key areas include literature, storytelling, dating apps, disobedience, lavender linguistics, and the decolonization of African epistemologies and narratives.

Chair: Martina Kopf