Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

We’re Here, We’re Queer…but Are We in Schools? Lessons Learned from a Multicountry Project Across Eastern and Southern Africa

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Queer Social Movements and Outreach Work in Schools

Part of the book series: Queer Studies and Education ((QSTED))

  • 563 Accesses

Abstract

Queer civil society organizations (CSOs) in Southern Africa have been excluded from engaging in school-based advocacy as a result of systemic homophobia and transphobia in society broadly and in the education sector but this situation has begun to change in recent years. An example of this work is a Participatory Action Research informed partnership between researchers and CSOs in ten countries across Eastern and Southern Africa. The “School’s Out” project focused on the capacitation of CSOs to engage in sexual and reproductive health work in schools with a focus on sexual and gender diversity. Thematic findings emerging from the project data point to the need for multi-stakeholder dialogue and convening around issues of sexual and gender diversity in schooling; greater focus on education policy by LGBTI CSOs; sensitizing educators to issues of diversity; direct engagement with the determining role of cultural norms in relation to gender and sexuality; and greater understanding of the education sector as a whole.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • African Development Bank—African Development Fund. (2006). Multi-sector country gender profile agriculture and rural development. Zambia: ONAR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, J., & Reddy, V. (2015). ‘African positionings’: South African relationships with continental questions of LGBTI justice and rights. Agenda, 29(1), 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2015.1015829.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhana, D. (2012). Understanding and addressing homophobia in schools: A view from teachers. South African Journal of Education, 32, 307–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhana, D. (2014). ‘Managing’ the rights of gays and lesbians: Reflections from some South African secondary schools. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 9(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1746197913497663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Botswana. (1964). Penal Code, Section 164. Gaborone: Government of Botswana.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, A. (2017). ‘Sometimes people kill you emotionally’: Policing inclusion, experiences of self-identified homosexual youth in secondary schools in Namibia. African Identities, 15(3), 339–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725843.2017.1319751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butler, A., Alpaslan, A., Allen, J. G., & Astbury, G. (2003). Gay and lesbian youth experiences of homophobia in South African secondary education. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education, 1(2), 3–28. https://doi.org/10.1300/J367v01n02_02.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R. (2007). From PRA to PLA and pluralism: Practice and Theory (IDS Working Paper 286). Brighton: IDS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho, S., Crenshaw, K. W., & McCall, L. (2013). Toward a field of intersectionality studies: Theory, applications, and praxis. Signs, 38, 785–810.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crenshaw, K. W. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43, 1241–1299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currier, A. (2012). The aftermath of decolonization: Gender and sexual dissidence in postindependence Namibia. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 37(2), 441–467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DePalma, R. (2011). Choosing to lose our gender expertise: Queering sex/gender in school settings. Sex Education, 13(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2011.634145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DePalma, R., & Atkinson, E. (2009). Interrogating heteronormativity in primary schools: The work of the no outsiders project. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • DePalma, R., & Atkinson, E. (2010). The nature of institutional heteronormativity in primary schools and practice-based responses. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(8), 1669–1676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.06.018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DePalma, R., & Francis, D. (2014a). Silence, nostalgia, violence, poverty …: What does ‘culture’ mean for South African sexuality educators? Culture, Health and Sexuality, 16(5), 547–561. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2014.891050.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DePalma, R., & Francis, D. (2014b). South African life orientation teachers: (Not) teaching about sexuality diversity. Journal of Homosexuality, 61(12), 1687–1711. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2014.951256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Wet, C. (2007). School violence in Lesotho: The perceptions, experiences and observations of a group of learners. South African Journal of Education, 27, 673–689.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dudgeon, P., Scrine, C., Cox, A., & Walker, R. (2017). Facilitating empowerment and self-determination through participatory action research: Findings from the National Empowerment Project. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917699515.

  • Dunne, M. (2007). Gender, sexuality and schooling: Everyday life in junior secondary schools in Botswana and Ghana. International Journal of Educational Development, 27(5), 499–511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2006.10.009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, V., & High, S. (2004). Something more to tell you: Gay, lesbian or bisexual young people’s experiences of secondary schooling. British Educational Research Journal, 30(2), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.2307/1502221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epprecht, M. (2013). Sexuality and social justice in Africa: Rethinking homophobia and forging resistance (African arguments). London and New York: Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, D., & Johnson, R. (1998). Schooling sexualities. Buckingham: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, D., O’Flynn, S., & Telford, D. (2003). Silenced sexualities in schools and universities. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairclough, N. (2013). Critical discourse analysis and critical policy studies. Critical Policy Studies, 7(2), 177–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/19460171.2013.798239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferfolja, T. (2007). Schooling cultures: Institutionalizing heteronormativity and heterosexism. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 11(2), 147–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110500296596.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D. (2012). Teacher positioning on the teaching of sexual diversity in South African schools. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 14(6), 597–611. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2012.674558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D. (2013). ‘You know the homophobic stuff is not in me, like us, it’s out there’. Using participatory theatre to challenge heterosexism and heteronormativity in a South African school. South African Journal of Education, 33(4), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D. (2017a). Troubling the teaching and learning of gender and sexuality diversity in South African education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D. (2017b). Homophobia and sexuality diversity in South African schools: A review. Journal of LGBT Youth. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2017.1326868.

  • Francis, D. (2017c). ‘I think we had one or two of those, but they weren’t really’: Teacher and learner talk on bisexuality in South African schools. Journal of Bisexuality, 17(2), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2017.1326998.

  • Francis, D. (2019a). ‘Keeping it straight’ what do South African queer youth say they need from sexuality education? Journal of Youth Studies, 22(6), 772–790.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D. (2019b, October 18). ‘Oh my word; for us African gays it’s another story.’ Revealing the intersections between race, same sex-sexuality and schooling in South Africa. Race Ethnicity and Education, 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D., & Brown, A. (2017). ‘To correct, punish and praise’. LRC leaders’ experiences and expressions of non-heterosexuality in Namibian schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2017.1336577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francis, Dennis A., Brown, A., McAllister, J., Mosime, S. T., Thani, G. T. Q., Reygan, F., Dlamini, B., Nogela, L., & Muller, M. (2019). A five country study of gender and sexuality diversity and schooling in Southern Africa. Africa Education Review, 16(1), 19–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D., & DePalma, R. (2015). ‘You need to have some guts to teach’: Teacher preparation and characteristics for the teaching of sexuality and HIV/AIDS education in South African schools. SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, 12(1), 30–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, D., & Reygan, F. (2016). ‘Let’s see if it won’t go away by itself’. LGBT microaggressions among teachers in South Africa. Education as Change, 20(3), 180–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1972). Education for a critical consciousness. New York: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giroux, H. (1980a). Critical theory and rationality in citizenship education. Curriculum Inquiry, 10(4), 329–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giroux, H. (1980b). Gramsci, hegemony, and schooling. Journal of Sociology, 13(3), 215–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin, P., & Ouellet, M. (2003). Historical trends in addressing LGBT issues in schools. Equity and Excellence in Education, 36(2), 106–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoosain Khan, G. (2013). Using drama to (dis)locate queer sexuality. In D. Francis (Ed.), Sexuality, society and pedagogy (pp. 133–147). Stellenbosch: SUN Media.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoosain Khan, G. (2014). Cross-border art and queer incursion: On working with queer youth from southern Africa. Agenda, 28(4), 125–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, R., & Jensen, J. (2007). The school report: The experiences of young gay people in Britain’s schools. London: Stonewall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, K., & Martínez Guzmán, A. (2013). Rethinking concepts in participatory action research and their potential for social transformation: Post-structuralist informed methodological reflections from LGBT and trans-collective projects. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 23(5), 405–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, S. R., Torres, V., & Arminio, J. (2013). Negotiating the complexities of qualitative research in higher education: Fundamental elements and issues. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kidd, R., Boland, J., Motimedi, F., Youngman, C., & Mogapi, S. (2012). Sexual minorities, human rights and HIV/AIDS: A resource manual. Gaborone: BONELA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingdom of Swaziland. (2005). Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland. http://www.cpaafricaregion.org/sites/default/files/attachments/pdfs/swaziland-constitution.pdf.

  • Kingdom of Swaziland. (2010). Swaziland national gender policy. Mbabane: Government Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingdom of Swaziland. (2014). Programme of action. Mbabane: Government Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kosciw, J., Gretak, F., Bartkiewicz, M., Boesen, M., & Palmer, N. (2012). The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools. New York: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kowen, D., & Davis, J. (2006). Opaque young lives: Experiences of lesbian youth. Agenda, 20(67), 80–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2006.9674701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaFont, S., & Hubbard, D. (2007). Unravelling taboos: Gender and sexuality in Namibia. Windhoek: Legal Assistance Centre.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langa, M. (2015). ‘A boy cannot marry another boy’: Adolescent boys’ talk about ‘gay boys’ at school. African Journal of Psychology, 25(4), 313–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorway, R. (2006). Dispelling ‘heterosexual African AIDS’ in Namibia: Same‐sex sexuality in the township of Katutura. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 8(5), 435–449. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691050600844262.

  • Manion, A., & Morgan, R. (2006). The gay and lesbian archives: Documenting same-sexuality in an African context. Agenda, 20(67), 29–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAllister, J. (2012). LGBT activism and traditional values. In T. Sandfort, F. Siminel, K. Mwachiro, & V. Reddy (Eds.), Boldly queer: African perspectives on same-sex sexuality and gender diversity. Hague: HIVOS.

    Google Scholar 

  • McArthur, T. (2015). Homophobic violence in a Northern Cape school: Learners confront the issue. Agenda, 29(3), 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2015.1056587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLaren, P. (2015). Life in schools: An introduction to critical pedagogy in the foundations of education. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Mertens, D. M. (2010). Research and evaluation in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mokobori, P. (2009). Gender and development policy in Lesotho. educationforsustainabledevelopment.org/papers/paper_85.doc. Accessed May 2, 2016.

  • Morojele, P. (2013). Rural teachers’ views: What are gender-based challenges facing free primary education in Lesotho? South African Journal of Education, 33(3), 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Msibi, T. (2012). ‘I’m used to it now’: Experiences of homophobia among queer youth in South African township schools. Gender and Education, 24(5), 515–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2011.645021.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Msibi, T. (2016). Bitter knowledge. In M. N. Rodriguez, J. W. Martino, C. J. Ingrey, & E. Brockenbrough (Eds.), Critical concepts in queer studies and education: An international guide for the twenty-first century (pp. 23–33). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55425-3_4.

  • Nadal, K. L., Issa, M.-A., Leon, J., Meterko, V., Wideman, M., & Wong, Y. (2011). Sexual orientation microaggressions: ‘Death by a thousand cuts’ for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth. Journal of LGBT Youth, 8(3), 234–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2011.584204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nash, J. (2008). Re-thinking intersectionality. Feminist Review, 89, 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OAU (Organization of African Unity). (1990). African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b38c18.html. Accessed July 9, 2015.

  • Potgieter, C. (2006). The imagined future for gays and lesbians in South Africa: Is this it? Agenda, 20(67), 4–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2006.9674692.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Potgieter, C., & Reygan, F. (2012). Lesbian, gay and bisexual citizenship: A case study as represented in a sample of South African life orientation textbooks. Perspectives in Education, 30(4), 39–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rice, C., Harrison, E., & Friedman, M. (2019). Doing justice to intersectionality in research. Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, 19(6), 409–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, V. (2001). Homophobia, human rights and gay and lesbian equality in Africa. Agenda, 16(50), 83–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/10130950.2001.9675997.

  • Reygan, F., & Francis, D. (2015). Emotions and pedagogies of discomfort: Teachers’ responses to sexual and gender diversity in the free state, South Africa. Education as Change, 19(1), 101–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/16823206.2014.943259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reygan, F., & Steyn, M. (2017a). Critical intercultural competences in higher education in South Africa: Power, privilege and the decolonization of education. In D. Deardorff & L. Arasaratnam-Smith (Eds.), Intercultural competence in international higher education: International approaches, assessment and application. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reygan, F., & Steyn, M. (2017b). Diversity in basic education in South Africa: Intersectionality and critical diversity literacy (CDL). Africa Education Review, 14(2), 68–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, E. (2004). ‘A ripple in the pond’: Challenging homophobia in a teacher education course. Education as Change, 8(1), 146–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RSA (Republic of South Africa). (1996a). Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996). https://www.acts.co.za/constitution_of_/index.html.

  • RSA (Republic of South Africa). (1996c). South African Schools Act (No. 84 of 1996). https://www.acts.co.za/south-african-schools-act/index.html.

  • Sigamoney, V., & Epprecht, M. (2013). Meanings of homosexuality, same-sex sexuality, and Africanness in two South African townships: An evidence-based approach for rethinking same-sex prejudice. African Studies Review, 56(2), 83–107. https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2013.43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child). (1989). Your rights under the UNCRC. http://www.unicef.or002E002E002E/pdfs/uncrc.pdf. Accessed July 2, 2015.

  • UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). (2016). Out in the open: Education response to violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Paris: UNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilmot, M., & Naidoo, D. (2014). ‘Keeping things straight’: The representation of sexualities in life orientation textbooks. Sex Education, 14(3), 323–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2014.896252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, C., & Reygan, F. (2015). Safer schools for all: Challenging homophobic bullying. Pretoria: DBE.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human and Social Development (HSD) Programme, Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Pretoria, South Africa

    Finn Reygan

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

    Finn Reygan

  3. Wits Centre for Diversity Studies (WiCDS), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Finn Reygan

Authors
  1. Finn Reygan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Finn Reygan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, Western Cape, South Africa

    Dennis A. Francis

  2. University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland

    Jón Ingvar Kjaran

  3. Gender Studies, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Jukka Lehtonen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Reygan, F. (2020). We’re Here, We’re Queer…but Are We in Schools? Lessons Learned from a Multicountry Project Across Eastern and Southern Africa. In: Francis, D., Kjaran, J., Lehtonen, J. (eds) Queer Social Movements and Outreach Work in Schools. Queer Studies and Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41610-2_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41610-2_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-41609-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-41610-2

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation