Unveiling Identities

Every member of the LGBTQ+ community has faced unique challenges when exploring their sexual identity, but for those in Southern African states, finding acceptance is often extremely difficult. Of the 61 United Nations member states that criminalize same-sex relations, more than half are African states. Influenced by different notions of culture, tradition and/or religion, the continued discrimination faced by the community has created an absence of research on Southern African narratives, until now.

Unveiling Identities bridges the gap between academic discourse and the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, carefully researched and presented by scholars from across disciplines. The result is a startlingly honest account of the obstacles LGBTQ+ individuals must navigate in this specific geographic and cultural context. With chapters ranging from the legal landscape, the intersection of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the continued impact of activism and advocacy, editors Patsika, Naidoo, and Mutekwe curate a vivid exploration of the reasoning behind views of homosexuality amongst the African populous, driven by rigorous research.

This collective narrative is much needed in reducing the difference in focus on Southern Africa and the Global South more broadly in this space. The chapters offer a fresh perspective on the subject, but also a positive message of potential for the future. For those interested in African sexuality studies, Unveiling Identities is a title fuelled by enduring hope.

Tinovimba Patsika is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

Kammila Naidoo is a Professor of Sociology publishing in the areas of gender relations, family, violence against women, poverty, and inequality. She is also the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Johannesburg.

Paddington Mutekwe is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.