'So I decided not to invade straight black men's space': exploring heteronormative spaces on campus

Abstract

Challenging heteronormative spaces has been identified as one of the key difficulties facing the issue of destabilisation of deeply entrenched gendered and sexual practices and spaces within institutional contexts. In a university context, that includes a hegemonic masculine student residence culture; this may be even more challenging and disrupting to how one mediates social and academic space. Challenging includes awareness of how one may be able to challenge, as well as moments when one is not able to challenge. Strategies of resistance may be adopted that further reinforce gay male students' participation in academic space. Through qualitative analysis of a group of gay male students living in residence at a South African university, we explore these students' movement through different spaces on campus within the residences. Using performative theory and the concept of hegemonic masculinity, the findings highlight sexuality's intersection with other identities both in the experience of and resistance to victimisation.

Studying sexuality: LGBTI experiences in institutions of higher education in Southern Africa

“…Male residents seem to be hot spots for homophobia in some South African universities (Graziano 2004). Evidently, 12 years later this remains unchanged and in their article Kiguwa and Langa (2017), describe how research participants negotiate this environment whilst making attempts to challenge it. Three of these articles reflect on lesbian identities and experiences (Prado-Castro and Graham 2017; Naidu and Mutambara 2017;…”

Learning How Language is Used in Higher Education to Strategically Marginalise Female, Queer, and Gender Non-Conforming People: An Autoethnographic Account

“…The article examines the systemic and structural manner in which the university space can be a site of coloniality that not only marginalises but also exploits female and queer people. It departs from the observation that, while significant research has been carried out on gender (Barnes, 2007;Bennet, 2002;Gaidzanwa, 2000;Mama, 2003;Ndhlovu & Masuku, 2004;Okeke, 2003;Otunga & Ojwang, 2003;Pereira, 2007;Zindi, 1994) and sexuality (Francis & Msibi, 2011;Kiguwa & Langa, 2017;Msibi, 2009Msibi, , 2013 in African universities, there is a paucity of reflective literature on heterosexual men's experiences of gender and sexuality in these spaces-in what Msibi (2013, p. 1) called the "the silencing of queer issues in higher education." While they dealt with coloniality as a system implicit in epistemic injustices, scholars (Almeida & Kumalo, 2018;Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013;Mpofu, 2013) barely accounted for how it informs the gender and sexuality-based oppressions that take place in the university as a result of the hierarchisation that coloniality enforces.…”

“…Msibi (2009) posited that apart from being a gendered environment, the university in Africa is also hostile towards non-heterosexual identities. Recent research conducted in South Africa has shown that university residences remain one of the most homophobic spaces, deeply entrenched in heteronormative cultures that exclude queer students (Jagessar & Msibi, 2015;Kiguwa & Langa, 2017). Bennet (2002) suggested that the higher education environment in Africa is a site for the performance of heterosexuality as a major route into resources, stability, identity, and citizenship.…”

“…While they dealt with coloniality as a system implicit in epistemic injustices, scholars (Almeida & Kumalo, 2018;Ndlovu-Gatsheni, 2013;Mpofu, 2013) barely accounted for how it informs the gender and sexuality-based oppressions that take place in the university as a result of the hierarchisation that coloniality enforces. Meanwhile, those scholars who deal with gender and sexuality relations in the university (Barnes, 2007;Bennet, 2002;Francis & Msibi, 2011;Gaidzanwa, 2000;Kiguwa & Langa, 2017;Mama, 2003;Msibi, 2009Msibi, , 2013Ndhlovu & Masuku, 2004;Okeke, 2003;Otunga & Ojwang, 2003;Pereira, 2007 ;Zindi, 1994) lack an autoethnographic voice from the men who are agents of gender and sexuality-based discrimination.…”

Higher Education Pathways

“…Overall, the studies suggest that campus communities (including student residences) are not places where LGBTI students feel fully safe or comfortable: 'Most of the research findings … [in this issue] indicate that the institutions of higher education in SADC are still heteronormative and LGBTI staff and students are marginalized, prejudiced and discriminated against' (Nduna, Mthombeni, Mavhandu-Mudzusi, & Mogotsi, 2017, p. 1; see also Munyuki & Vincent, 2017). LGBTI students at an unnamed rural university reported regular threats of violence and theft (Mavhandu-Mudzusi & Sandy, 2017); black gay men living in all-male residences at Wits reported institutionalised homophobia in student residence house committees (Kiguwa & Langa, 2017). Lesch, Brits, and Naidu (2017) show how same-sex couples have to monitor their behaviour on campus, knowing precisely which parts of campus are gay-friendly and which are not, and are nervous to publicly display affection for fear of backlash or of causing offence.…”