Constructing the autobiographical self, collective identity and spiritual spaces in South African queer autobiography

Barrington M Marais,Cheryl Stobie

doi:10.4102/lit.v35i1.1081

Abstract

This article examines four recent collections of South African queer autobiographies. These are: Hijab: Unveiling queer Muslim lives, Yes I am! Writing by South African gay men,Reclaiming the L-word: Sappho’s daughters out in Africa and Trans: Transgender life stories from South Africa. Selected narratives from each collection have been analysed in order to exhibit the relational nature of autobiographical self-construction through an exploration of how it is specifically constructed in spiritual or religious spaces. The ubuntu theology of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is analysed as it intersects with representations of spirituality and religion in the texts. This article seeks to highlight the socio-political value of the texts and their functioning as important tools in the struggle for equality in which the queer minority currently find themselves.

Highlights

The rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are currently at the forefront of debate across South African cultural and political landscapes
The Civil Union Act (Republic of South Africa 2006) allows that individuals of the same sex may enter into legally recognised civil partnerships, and this piece of legislation places South Africa far ahead of a number of countries in terms of gender- and sexuality-based rights
Various news sources, including Mamba Online (2012a), have reported that the House of Traditional Leaders of South Africa has called for the removal from the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, chapter 2, section 9 (Republic of South Africa 1996) of the provision for the protection of rights based on sexuality

Summary

Introduction

The rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are currently at the forefront of debate across South African cultural and political landscapes. Battle (1997:64) emphasises the fact that ubuntu theology acknowledges the interconnectedness of human life through the individual’s connection with a supreme God, humanity becomes connected through oneness with God. in religious and spiritual spaces where Western models of identity may neglect the relative importance of the relationality of experience, an ubuntuist perspective is a reminder that there is a shared identity in all individuals, despite the fact that human beings exist separately in many ways.

Results

Conclusion