An exploratory survey of the lived experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual South Africans of Indian descent: towards intersectional insights

Abstract

Despite a substantial body of research on Indian sub-culture in South Africa, few studies have explored its intersection with sexual and gender diversity. Similarly, despite growing research on the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in South Africa, there are few studies exploring its intersection with local Indian sub-groups. This article presents the results of the first national exploratory survey of the psychosocial experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender South Africans of Indian descent. A qualitative, online survey was conducted between June 2017 and July 2020. Participants were invited through a mix of purposive and snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics present a demographic profile of who responded to the survey and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data ( n = 73; aged 18–60). Most participants were gay males, lesbian women, and bisexual men and women, mostly from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng province. Participants’ religious affiliations were mostly Hindu, Muslim, or Christian. Majority reported a postgraduate education and full-time employment. Four psychosocial themes are discussed: Conforming to conservative cultural norms; navigating a double life; troubled inclusion within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities; and the possibilities of hope and acceptance. Findings point to a need for an intersectional understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identity among South Africans of Indian descent, to deepen psychosocial theorization and empirical work on sexual and gender diversity within this historically excluded sub-group.