A sociological exploration of the need for safe spaces for lesbian and gay students on a South African university campus

Abstract

A sociological exploration of the need for safe spaces for lesbian and gay students on a South African university campus', Transformation in Higher Education 4(0), a77.

What literary studies can offer sexuality education: Pre-service teachers’ responses to an animated film

“…The invisibilisation (Francis & Kuhl 2020) of nonheteronormative sexualities in schools -in what Francis and Kuhl (2020:11) conclude is 'pedagogically oppressive'contributes to an implicitly heteronormative worldview. The importance of visibility in challenging this heteronormativity cannot be overstated (Francis 2019a;Tshilongo & Rothmann 2019). As Clarke (2013) explains in relation to a school-based infusion of LGBTI literature:…”

“…What is striking about the students' responses to this particular visual text is that, despite the very high levels of homophobia in South African society (Other Foundation 2015), none of the students enrolled in the module in 2020 and 2021 (n = 356) articulated explicitly homophobic views in their essays about this film. This is fascinating, given the prevalence of homophobia in society, including among university students (Brown 2018;Brown, Maseko & Sedibe 2020;Tshilongo & Rothmann 2019). In this article, I discuss how the analytical methodology of close reading offered by literary studies, which emphasises a narrow focus on the text itself, coupled with a carefully crafted assignment question, can result in essays that reflect meaningfully Background: Given the high levels of homophobia that exist in South Africa, including in its schools and universities, it is imperative that university lecturers develop integrated and transdisciplinary curriculums to educate pre-service teachers about sexuality and to empower them to incorporate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI)-inclusive resources into their own classrooms.…”

“A Gay Agenda”: Troubling Compulsory Heterosexuality in a South African University Classroom

“…Scholars in South Africa concerned with gender and sexuality diversity in higher education have provided evidence of high levels of homophobia and heteronormativity (Jagessar and Msibi 2015; Munyuki and Vincent 2017; Reygan 2018; Shefer 2018; Tshilongo and Rothmann 2019). Drawing on a sample of 11 lesbian, gay, and bisexual students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Jagesar and Msibi’s (2015:63) findings reveal “an ingrained culture of sustained tolerance for homophobia” driven mostly by a culture of institutionalized heterosexism in higher education.…”

“…Cultures of compulsory heterosexuality are rife in South African society (Human Rights Watch 2011; Human Sciences Research Council 2016; Louw 2005), and this article contributes to efforts to create educational environments that foster and encourage discussion on sexuality and gender diversity. At the same time, it is not that heteronormative-related abuse and violence are reduced to communities and society more generally but that universities themselves are also sites of marginalization and exclusion (Jagessar and Msibi 2015; Munyuki and Vincent 2017; Tshilongo and Rothmann 2019). The discourses and practices that circulate within the university space are part of the broader society, and the discourses or lack thereof in the university classroom undoubtedly reinforce heteronormative ideologies, cultures, and social norms.…”