Bisexuality in Democratic South Africa: Experiences of Women in Johannesburg

Abstract

The field of gender and sexuality studies has been growing in academic institutions since the 1970’s. One of the reasons for its growth is that women across the globe are challenging conservative ideas and norms on how they should engage in romance, sexuality and heteronormativity which has implications for broader society. There has also been an increase in LGBTQI+ rights globally including in parts of the world where historically these identities were viewed as illegal and foreign to the indigenous people. In recent years though, there has also been a growing anti-gender backlash across the globe that has resulted in hard-won legal rights being reversed, or new legislation being imposed that is homophobic and transphobic. When it comes to research on sexuality, studies on bisexuality, however, and specifically research stemming from Global South contexts, is limited. This research contributes to the field of sexuality studies by looking at how bisexual women construct and express their sexuality, looking at multiple factors such as race, class, age and space in the city of Johannesburg. Using qualitative methods of life-history and in-depth interviews conducted during the six years of the PhD, this study shows how each of these factors shapes and influence an individual’s sexuality in a democracy where LGBTQI+ rights exist but are inadequately materialised. Drawing on feminist and queer theory, the study delves into how bisexuality is expressed and performed by women living in Johannesburg, and how challenges in claiming their sexuality exist outside but also within LGBTQI+ spaces. The study shows how queer women continue to carve out public and private spaces for themselves amid high levels of violence against women. Lastly, the research shows the continued regulation of women’s sexuality through heteronormativity in public and private spaces, and what this says about how women living on the African continent claim their sexuality in different wa