Black lesbian women in South Africa: Citizenship and the coloniality of power

Abstract

Current conceptualisations of citizenship in South Africa are embedded in the egalitarian discourse of the Constitution, lauded for its recognition of historically marginalised groups, including sexually and gender diverse people. Within the paradox of progressive legal advancements and the legacy of colonialism and apartheid, we use a decolonial feminist lens to critically engage with the notion of citizenship for black lesbian women in contemporary South Africa. We adopt a social-psychological perspective of citizenship as an active practice, embedded within the dynamic intersections of historical, structural and discursive patterns of power-knowledge relations in everyday life. We draw from five focus group discussions that were part of a study that explored the intersections of identity, power and violence in the lives of black lesbian women in South Africa. Focusing on the enactments of citizenship in public spaces, we contend that black lesbian women’s lived experiences of citizenship point to the enduring manifestations of the coloniality of power, in which the centrality of race underpins the intersections of class, gender and sexuality. We conclude by arguing that current conceptualisations of full citizenship in contemporary South Africa require a reframing that recognises the coloniality of power and the heterogeneity of marginalised and invisibilised subjectivities.

Wakanda Forever

“…Both make use of the body, and of regimes of inclusion and exclusion, normality and deviance, acceptability, policing and power (see Hook, 2012). By the same logic, sexuality and definitions of ablebodiedness are equally relevant to the construction of race (Cruz, 2016;McRuer, 2006;Stephens & Boonzaier, 2020).…”

Feminisms and decolonising psychology: Possibilities and challenges

“…A useful feature of the papers contained in this special issue is the nuance that they bring to the notion of decolonisation. For example, Stephens and Boonzaier (2020) point out that in South Africa, "[w]hile legislative recognition of diverse sexual orientations has created greater visibility of the lesbian population, it has simultaneously increased their vulnerability to discrimination, homophobic acts and hate crimes" (p. 328). Thus, the complexities and paradoxes contained in decolonising activities (of which the slew of progressive post-apartheid legislation provides a cogent example) need to be highlighted and analysed.…”

“…Their concentration on the hijab as a symbol of both modesty and oppression enables a nuanced analysis of the complex interweaving of both colonialist and patriarchal power relations. Stephens and Boonzaier (2020, this issue) home in on black lesbians’ enactments of citizenship in public spaces. The complexities of these enactments enable an analysis of the intersections of gender, race, class and sexuality in understanding the implications of these citizenship practices.…”