3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Institutional needs of the transgender student community at the University of the Witwatersrand(2017) Mgolombane, Pura; Mgolombane, Pumelele.Transgender students in higher education in South Africa are increasingly coming out. Though this coming out at huge to cost for them in terms of personal safety, alienation. potential harassment, bullying and discrimination, this group of students are insisting that campuses should be inclusive and safe for everyone irrespective of their gender, sexuality and/or sexual orientation. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version]Item Lived experiences of gender identity and expression within the South African transgender community(2017) Ashwal, Jennie E.Experiences of transgender individuals in South Africa have largely remained marginalised and silenced by a discriminatory, gender binary and prescriptive society, in spite of progressive legislation within the constitution. The literature reviewed substantiated such experiences both within and outside of the South African transgender communities, further illuminating the need to deepen the understanding of transgender and gender identity dynamics. Through in depth face-to-face interviews with five self-identified adult transgender participants, the present study documented experiences identified as they navigated their gender identity and expression from dissonance towards gender congruency. The interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis. The results of the qualitative interviews revealed multiple beneficial factors as well as challenges whilst navigating gender congruent identity and expression. As a result, seven overarching themes were identified broadly defined as: (1) gender identity and dissonance; (2) gender expression; (3) challenges to gender congruency; (4) protective factors and coping strategies; (5) ‘coming out’; (6) toward gender congruent expression and (7) activism.Item Responding to hate crimes: identity politics in the context of race and class division among South African LGBTI(2016-03-01) Clayton, Matthew RossThis paper examines race and class schisms among South African LGBTI persons using the lens of hate crimes legislation. While much praise is given to South Africa’s constitutional framework which provides for non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, LGBTI persons still face unacceptably high levels of violence and victimisation. An ongoing trend of violent murders of black lesbian women in particular has mobilised advocacy by LGBTI organisations and other civil society actors to call for hate crimes legislation. This paper takes a critical look at hate crimes legislation and the potential problems of its application in a society with gross inequality and power discrepancies. This critique has as its foundation an acknowledgement that action needs to be taken to address the scourge of violence, while at the same time understanding the intersectionality of oppression and the uneven results achieved by liberal legal reform.