‘Oh my word; for us African gays it’s another story.’ revealing the intersections between race, same sex-sexuality and schooling in South Africa

ABSTRACT

In South Africa, the connection between race and sexuality cannot be ignored nor can the link between racism and heterosexism. Arguing that race is a significant aspect of sexual citizenship in South Africa, this article explores the relationship between sexuality, race, and schooling of queer youth and the priorities this relationship holds for schooling. Using in-depth interviews with same-sex attracted school-attending youth, this paper makes two arguments. First, it highlights the criticality of race, racialisation and racism in the lives of queer youth. Second, it highlights how race, racialisation and racism contribute to a normalising view of heterosexuality in some contexts and, in others, contradicts the power of heterosexuality. Recommendations for educators and researchers to attend to the diversity among queer populations as they relate to young peoples’ race and other social identities are made.

KEYWORDS:

• Race
• queer youth
• schooling
• homophobia
• intersectionality
• South Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Julius Malema is the leader of a South African political party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)

1. derogatory Afrikaans term for gay man or boy or a boy or man who is effeminate.

2. Basotho, in this context, refers to people who are identified as part of the Southern Sotho ethnic group who reside in the Free State.

3. You need to go to the mountain, they will fix you.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation [CPRR13082330440, Education Research South Africa 13110857621].