Citizenship in friction: becoming “Zega” in Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article, I focus on the concept of zega as theorised by queer Ethiopians for whom the promises of citizenship are far from available and whose national belonging is unrecognised in a political order that takes ethnicity as its main ground for citizenship. In its official iteration, the Amharic word zega means a citizen and as such it is a constitutionally recognised category. Ironically, zega is also a codeword some members of Ethiopian queer communities use. Based on how queer Ethiopians deploy zega, I highlight the ways in which they push the limits of citizenship that otherwise understands only the language of ethnicity with its undercurrent heteronormativity. I reflect on how queer Ethiopians persistently rub against mono-cultural Ethiopia to imagine other possibilities of belonging. I am interested in these practices of belonging by those whose citizenship and the entitlements that come with it are contested by hegemonic forces. Drawing on Keguro Macharia’s articulation of frottage as (among others) rubbing, I explore what frictions of zega as queer with zega as a normative category of the citizen might reveal about different forms and ways of belonging. The article is based on research done with queer Ethiopians living in Ethiopia and abroad. I take my cues from the debates, conversations, reflections and observations in both online and offline spaces.