“The sky is the limit. So I just hope, one day, I will reach my destiny:” hope, uncertainty, and disillusionment among LGBTQ + migrants in South Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACT This qualitative study utilized arts-based methods to explore how LGBTQ + migrants in South Africa reconcile their expectations with their post-migration realities. Twenty-six pictures, created by LGBTQ + migrants (ages 19-39), were analyzed with their accompanying narratives to document participants’ experiences. Thematic and narrative analyses starting with the sensitizing concepts of hope, uncertainty, and disillusionment yielded three themes: (a) Yearning for freedom and acceptance before and after migration; (b) Dealing with uncertainty, disillusionment, and the grim realities of being an LGBTQ + migrant; and (c) Retaining hope for the future amid pain and struggle. Feeling isolated, participants yearned for societal acceptance and freedom to be themselves. This motivated their migration, but once in South Africa, they faced many social-structural challenges and developed feelings of disillusionment. Still, several retained hope, imagining safety and freedom not as an unreachable destination but as a future yet to come. Research and practice implications are discussed.