Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T18:03:51.868Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Meanings of Homosexuality, Same-Sex Sexuality, and Africanness in Two South African Townships: An Evidence-Based Approach for Rethinking Same-Sex Prejudice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2013

Veronica Sigamoney  and
Marc Epprecht
Veronica Sigamoney
Affiliation:
Veronica Sigamoney is a Ph.D. candidate in social anthropology at Witwatersrand University, South Africa. She has worked as a social researcher for a number of years and has led and participated in various research projects, including research on gender, sexuality, and discursive constructions of sex and HIV/AIDS. E-mail: vsigamoney@gmail.com
Marc Epprecht
Affiliation:
Marc Epprecht is a historian and professor in the Department of Global Development Studies, Queen’s University, Canada. He is the author of numerous studies of gender and sexuality in African history, including Sexuality and Social Justice in Africa (forthcoming 2013). E-mail: epprecht@queensu.ca
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract:

The assertion “homosexuality is un-African” is widely viewed as an expression of homophobia. However, without knowledge of what homosexuality and “Africanness” mean in a given context, any understanding of how to shift the prejudices associated with this assertion remains limited. Research conducted in 2010 with police, high school learners (students), and a sample of more than one thousand residents from two urban townships in South Africa contributes to this understanding. This article draws on data from the research to explore the significance of cultural translation when considering what constitutes same-sex prejudice and how it may relate to notions of authenticity or “real Africanness.” While the research provides evidence of same-sex prejudice, there is also evidence of qualified acceptance of same-sex sexuality and of efforts to combat prejudice. Opportunities for change are discussed with reference to the data.

Résumé:

L’affirmation “l’homosexualité n’est pas africaine” est largement perçue comme une expression homophobe. Cependant, sans connaissance de ce que l’homosexualité et “l’africanité” veulent dire dans un contexte défini, toute tentative de faire évoluer les préjudices associés à cette assertion reste limitée. Les résultats d’une étude menée en 2010 auprès de la police, de lycéens et d’un échantillon de plus de mille résidents provenant de deux bidonvilles urbains en Afrique du sud contribuent à cette perspective. Cet article mobilise des données provenant de l’étude pour explorer l’importance de leur traduction au niveau culturel concernant ce qui constitue un préjudice contre l’homosexualité et comment cela peut être lié à des notions d’authenticité ou d’ “africanité réelle.” Bien que l’étude fournisse des preuves concernant l’existence de préjudices contre l’homosexualité, il y a aussi des preuves montrant de la tolérance avérée envers l’homosexualité et des efforts pour combattre les préjudices existants. Les possibilités de progrès sont évaluées avec des références aux données de l’étude.

Keywords

homophobiahomosexualitygenderidentityAfricanness
Type
ASR FORUM: HOMOPHOBIC AFRICA?
Information
African Studies Review , Volume 56 , Issue 2 , September 2013 , pp. 83 - 107
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aarmo, Margrete. 1999. “How Homosexuality Became ‘Un-African’: The Case of Zimbabwe.” In Same-Sex Relations and Female Desires: Transgender Practices across Cultures, edited by Blackwood, Evelyn and Wieringa, Saskia, 255‒80. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Beyrer, Chris, et al. 2011. The Global HIV Epidemics among Men Who Have Sex with Men. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekine, Sokari, and Abbas, Hakima, eds. 2013. Queer African Reader. Dakar: Pambazuka Press.Google Scholar
Epprecht, Marc. 1998. “The ‘Unsaying’ of Indigenous Homosexualities in Zimbabwe: Mapping a Blindspot in an African Masculinity.” Journal of Southern African Studies 24 (4): 631‒51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Epprecht, Marc.. 2006. Hungochani: The History of a Dissident Sexuality in Southern Africa. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.Google Scholar
Epprecht, Marc.. 2008. Heterosexual Africa? The History of an Idea from the Age of Exploration to the Age of AIDS. Scottsville, S.A.: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press.Google Scholar
Epprecht, Marc.. 2012. “Advancing the Right to Sexual Orientation and “Erotic Justice” in Africa through Public Health Strategies.” African Affairs 111/443: 223–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaudio, Rudolf. 2009. Allah Made Us: Sexual Outlaws in an Islamic African City. Hoboken N.J.: Wiley-Blackwell.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Germond, P., and Gruchy, Steve de, eds. 1997. Aliens in the Household of God: Homosexuality and Christian Faith in South Africa. Claremont, S.A.: David Philip Publishers.Google Scholar
Gevisser, Mark, and Cameron, Edwin, eds. 1994. Defiant Desire: Gay and Lesbian Lives in South Africa. Johannesburg: Ravan Press.Google Scholar
Hoad, Neville. 2007. African Intimacies: Race, Homosexuality and Globalization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.Google Scholar
Holmes, Rachel. 1994. “White Rapists Make Coloureds (and Homosexuals): The Winnie Mandela Trial and the Politics of Race And Sexuality.” In Defiant Desire: Gay and Lesbian Lives in South Africa, edited by Gevisser, Mark and Cameron, Edwin, 284‒94. Johannesburg: Raven Press.Google Scholar
Jewkes, Rachel, et al. 2008. Understanding Men’s Health and Use of Violence: Interface of Rape and HIV In South Africa. Cape Town: Medical Research Council.Google Scholar
Leap, William L. 2004. “Language, Belonging, and (Homo)sexual Citizenship in Cape Town, South Africa.” In Speaking in Queer Tongues: Globalisation and Gay Language, edited by Leap, William and Boellstorff, Tom, 134‒62. Champaign: University of Illinois Press.Google Scholar
Long, Scott. 2003. More Than a Name: State-Sponsored Homophobia and Its Consequences in Southern Africa. New York: Human Rights Watch.Google Scholar
Mama, Amina. 1995. Beyond the Masks: Race, Gender, and Subjectivity. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Massad, Joseph. 2002. “Re-Orienting Desire: The Gay International and the Arab World.” Public Culture 14 (2): 361‒85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLean, Hugh, and Ngcobo, Linda. 1994. “Abangibhamayo Bathi Ngimnandi (Those Who Fuck Me Say I’m Tasty): Gay Sexuality in Reef Township.” In Defiant Desire, edited by Gevisser, Mark and Cameron, Edwin, 158‒85. Johannesburg: Raven Press.Google Scholar
Morgan, Ruth, and Wieringa, Saskia, eds. 2005. Tommy Boys, Lesbian Men and Ancestral Wives: Female Same-Sex Practices in Africa. Johannesburg: Jacana.Google Scholar
Msibi, Thabo. 2011. “The Lies We Have Been Told: On (Homo) Sexuality in Africa.” Africa Today 51 (8): 54‒77.Google Scholar
Murray, Stephen O., and Roscoe, Will, eds. 1998. Boy-Wives and Female Husbands. New York: St. Martin’s Press.Google Scholar
Nel, Juan A. 2005. “Hate Crimes: A New Category of Vulnerable Victims for a New South Africa.” In Victimology in South Africa, edited by Davis, Linda and Snyman, Rika, 240-56. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.Google Scholar
Nel, Juan A., and Judge, Melanie. 2008. “Exploring Homophobic Victimization in Gauteng, South Africa: Issues, Impacts and Responses.” Acta Criminologica 21 (3): 19‒36.Google Scholar
Nguyen, Vinh-Kim. 2010. The Republic of Therapy: Triage and Sovereignty in West Africa’s Time of AIDS. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.Google Scholar
Niehaus, Isak. 2005. “Masculine Domination in Sexual Violence: Interpreting Accounts of Rape in the South African Lowveld.” In Men Behaving Differently, edited by Reid, Graeme and Walker, Liz, 65‒88. Cape Town: Double Storey Books.Google Scholar
Nkabinde, Nkunzi Zandile. 2008. Black Bull, Ancestors and Me: My Life as a Lesbian Sangoma. Auckland Park, S.A.: Fanele.Google Scholar
Plano Clark, Vicki, and Creswell, John, eds. 2008. The Mixed Methods Reader. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar
Puar, Jasbir K. 2008. “Homonationalism and Biopower.” In Out of Place: Interrogating Silences in Queerness/Raciality, edited by Kuntsman, Adi and Miyake, Esperanza, 13‒70. London: Raw Nerve Books.Google Scholar
Petros, George, et al. 2006. “HIV/AIDS and ‘Othering’ in South Africa: The Blame Goes On.” Culture, Health and Sexuality 8 (1): 67‒77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, Benjamin, and Reddy, Vasu. 2008. “Pride and Prejudice: Public Attitudes towards Homosexuality.” HSRC Review 6 (4): 9‒11.Google Scholar
Sigamoney, Veronica L. 2011a. “Perceptions of Homosexuality and Identity in Two South African Townships: Findings from Police.” Research Report. Social Surveys and The Atlantic Philanthropies, South Africa.Google Scholar
Sigamoney, Veronica L.. 2011b. “Perceptions of Homosexuality and Identity in Two South African Townships: Findings from High School Learners.” Research Report. Social Surveys and The Atlantic Philanthropies, South Africa.Google Scholar
Sigamoney, Veronica L. 2011c. “Perceptions of Homosexuality and Identity in Two South African Townships: Findings from a Household Survey.” Research Report. Social Surveys and The Atlantic Philanthropies, South Africa.Google Scholar
Tamale, Sylvia. 2005. “Eroticism, Sensuality and “Women’s Secrets” among the Baganda: A Critical Analysis.” Feminist Africa 5: 9‒36.Google Scholar
Tamale, Sylvia.. ed. 2011. African Sexualities: A Reader. Cape Town: Pambazuka Press.Google Scholar
Tamale, Sylvia.. 2011. “Researching and Theorizing Sexualities in Africa.” In African Sexualities: A Reader, edited by Tamale, Sylvia, 11‒36. Cape Town: Pambazuka Press.Google Scholar