Raba, Naledi Bianca2021-12-062021-12-062021https://hdl.handle.net/10539/32219A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for degree of Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology (by Coursework and Research Report), 2021South Africa is well-known for its constitution that is inclusive of the rights of all individuals, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Despite the existence of a progressive constitution, there is still a high prevalence of institutionalised homophobia and discrimination. Consequently, there is a clear disconnect between government policies and the realities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and other gender non-conforming (LGBTIQA+) individuals. As microcosms of wider society, tertiary education institutions have become a great concern regarding the experiences of LGBTIQA+ students. Whilst these students share queer identities, their experiences may be both racialised and gendered owing to the stratified society that South Africa is. This study was conducted to investigate the lived experiences of black lesbian and bisexual female students. The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of black lesbian and bisexual female students at a South African urban based public university. Six participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. The participants were black, female students who self- identified as lesbian, bisexual or queer. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The researcher conducted all the interviews in English. The data was audio recorded and analysed thematically. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from the Non-Medical Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of the Witwatersrand. The findings of this study revealed that students experienced homophobia and discrimination at the university. Forms of discrimination included intrusive questioning, verbal remarks from peers and lecturers, as well as an attempted sexual assault. Furthermore, a heightened fear of discrimination from the masculine-presenting students was reported. The Humanities Faculty was described as more open and accepting of LGBTIQA+ students. There were more negative than positive experiences revealed regarding student residences. Despite the negative experiences at the university, positive experiences were also reported. Two student societies aimed at creating inclusive and supportive spaces for LGBTIQA+ students were noted. These student societies were generally described in this present study as safe spaces that allowed for free expression of sexual orientation and gender identity. Concerns regarding policy implementation and commitment from university management were raised. Lastly, it was found that intersectionality of race, gender, class and sexual orientation influenced the experiences of students in this present studyenThesis