Juggling the intersection of multiple identities in the South African context : Indian lesbians’ experiences of their coming out process

Abstract

Indian lesbians in South Africa, are colonised through race and religion, overpowered by patriarchy and socio-economic circumstance, and forbidden by society to express their sexuality due to the stigma. Sexuality should be seen as fluid, and homosexuality should be understood as a non pathological variation of sexuality (Ventriglio, Kalra & Bhugra, 2018). This study focuses on ascertaining how Indian lesbians experience and navigate their coming out processes in the South African context. This includes investigating the dynamic challenges and choices that Indian lesbians and analysing strategies and resources that participants use to juggle or manage the intersection of multiple identities in the coming out process. We also examine the significance of disclosure processes and the perceived impact on their public, social, and private lives. The use of social constructionism is appropriate for the exploration of Indian lesbians’ coming out process as it describes a development of jointly created understandings. This is important as we examined the construction of identity in amalgamating lesbian, Indian and South African identities. A qualitative research strategy with an emphasis on narrative biographies was employed. Snowball sampling was the most effective method in obtaining five participants for this research study. Participants were chosen according to Race (Indian), Ethnicity/Nationality (South African) Sex (Female), Age (older than 18 years) and sexuality (lesbian). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and university ethical guidelines, online audio and video interviews were conducted and transcribed by the author. Thematic analysis was used to sift through the rich data. Theories have been applied to the themes that emerged to substantiate and clarify the information received. The Cass Model is a popular model that is encountered in many of the academic texts researched for this dissertation. Whilst it is a classic model, it tends to pathologise gay and lesbian identities. In order to provide a more holistic, integrated approach other theories were also discussed. Permitting oneself to exist and have personal preferences, freedoms, choices, and expressions, as opposed to adhering to social regulations that are instituted through norms and laws is difficult. And for a person from multiple marginalised groups, even more so. Thus, if you are born with oppositional social constraints or forces, life may become more difficult for the marginalised individual. Oppressive and inscriptive social narratives may have diminished one's uniqueness or individuality thereby lowering one’s self-esteem, increasing their stress levels, and leaving one with an unconfident and confused identity (Davies & Thate, 2017). The resistance to change in certain cultures reveals a closed system. This closed system allows little information exchange and results in a redundant thinking society that is stifling the growth of people within the system. While progress within communities is stagnant, individuals are trying their best to develop a strong sense of self with the little support they have.

Indiese lesbiërs in Suid-Afrika word gekoloniseer deur ras en godsdiens, oorheers deur patriargie en sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede, en word deur die samelewing verbied om hul seksualiteit uit te druk weens die stigma. Seksualiteit moet as vloeibaar gesien word, en homoseksualiteit moet verstaan word as 'n nie-patologiese variasie van seksualiteit (Ventriglio, Kalra & Bhugra, 2018). Hierdie studie fokus daarop om vas te stel hoe Indiese lesbiërs hul uitkomprosesse in die Suid Afrikaanse konteks ervaar en bestuur. Dit sluit in die ondersoek na die dinamiese uitdagings en keuses wat Indiese lesbiërs het, en die ontleding van strategieë en hulpbronne wat deelnemers gebruik om sin te maak van en die verweefdheid van verskeie identiteite te bestuur tydens die uitkomproses. Ons ondersoek ook die belangrikheid van openbaarmakingsprosesse en die ermeende impak op hul openbare, sosiale en private lewens. Die gebruik van sosiale konstruksionisme is gepas vir die verkenning van Indiese lesbiërs se uitkomproses, aangesien dit 'n ontwikkeling van gesamentlik geskepte begrip beskryf. Dit is belangrik omdat ons die konstruksie van identiteit in die samesmelting van lesbiese, Indiese en Suid-Afrikaanse identiteite ondersoek het. ’n Kwalitatiewe navorsingstrategie is toegepas met narratiewe biografieë. Sneeubalsteekproefneming was die mees effektiewe metode om vyf deelnemers vir hierdie navorsingstudie te bekom. Deelnemers is gekies volgens ras (Indiër), etnisiteit / nasionaliteit (Suid Afrikaanse) geslag (vroulik), ouderdom (ouer as 18 jaar) en seksualiteit (lesbies). As gevolg van die COVID-19-pandemie en universiteitsetiese riglyne is aanlyn-klank- en video onderhoude gevoer en getranskribeer deur die outeur. Tematiese analise is gebruik om die omvangryke data te ondersoek. Teorieë is toegepas op die temas wat na vore gekom het om die inligting wat ontvang is te staaf en te verduidelik. Die Cass-Model is 'n gewilde model wat aangetref word in baie van die akademiese tekste wat vir hierdie proefskrif nagevors is. Alhoewel dit 'n klassieke model is, is dit geneig om gay en lesbiese identiteite te patologiseer. Ten einde 'n meer holistiese, geïntegreerde benadering te bied, is ander teorieë ook bespreek. Om jouself te laat bestaan en persoonlike voorkeure, vryhede, keuses en uitdrukkings te hê, in teenstelling met die nakoming van sosiale regulasies wat deur norme en wette ingestel word, is moeilik, veral vir 'n persoon afkomstig uit veelvuldige gemarginaliseerde groepe. As jy dus gebore word onderhewig aan sosiale opposisie-beperkings of teenwigte, kan die lewe vir die gemarginaliseerde individu nog moeiliker word. Onderdrukkende en inskriptiewe sosiale vertellings kan die uniekheid of individualiteit van jou menswees verminder, waardeur jou selfbeeld verlaag, stresvlakke verhoog en jy met 'n selfvertwyfelende en verwarde identiteit gelaat word (Davies & Thate, 2017). Die weerstand teen verandering in sekere kulture openbaar 'n geslote stelsel. Hierdie geslote stelsel beperk die uitruil van inligting en dra by tot 'n samelewing met ingeperkte denke wat die groei van mense binne die stelsel strem. Terwyl vooruitgang binne diesulke gemeenskappe stilstaan, probeer individue hul bes om 'n ingeligte gevoel van self te ontwikkel met die min ondersteuning wat hulle het.

Basadi ba go ratana le basadi ba bangwe, ba Makula-Afrika-Borwa ba thupile ke se morafe, sedumedi seo se sentšwego ke bopatrareka le boemo ba ekonomi le gore ba thibela ke sechaba gore ba kgone go ntsha maikutlo a bona ma mabapi le gore ba ratana le mang. Gore motho o ratana le mang, monna goba mosadi ga ra swanele go ba lebelela ka leihlo le lengwe, goba la lehloyo (Ventriglio, Kalra & Bhugra, 2018). Palo ye e lebelela gore basadi ba go ratana le basadi ba bangwe, ba Makhula ba hlakana le mathata a fe mo Afrika-Borwa. Palo ye e lebelela le gore basadi ba go ratana le basadi ba bangwe, ba makhula ha ba botsa batho goba malapa le bagwera ba bona le seemo sa bona le gore tla be ba kwa ka tsela ye fe. Go ya ka setlwaedi sechabeng mo mapi le taba ye bohlokwa ke gore basadi ba go ratana le basadi ba bangwe ba makula ba hlalose goba ba botše batho ba bangwe ka seemo sa bana gore go be le kwešišano magareng ga batho ba Afrika-Borwa. Go be go na le dinyakišišo gomme dinyakišišo tše di bontsha gore “snowball sampling” e be e le tsela ye kaone ya go kgetha batho ba go lekana le batho ba ba hlano go dira di nyakišišo tše. Batho ba ba kgethilego go ya ka se morafe wa makula, gore ba tšwa Afrika- Borwa, gore ka basadi , gore ba feta mengwaga ye 18 le gore ke basadi ba go ratana le basadi ba bangwe. Ka lebaka la bolwetše ba Covid-19 le ditaelo tša di unibesithi tša go fapana, go be go šomišwa theknolotši goba di kopano tsa “Zoom” go dira dinyakišišo tše. Go be go šomišwa mekgwa ya go fapana ya go nyakišiša go lebelela taba ye. Ye nngwe ya dinyakišišo ba re ke” Cass Model” yeo e tlwaelegilego, e le ge e le seemo sa banna ba go ratana le banna ba bangwe le basadi ba go ratana le basadi ba bangwe. Batho ba swanetše go dumelelwa go phela ka mokgwa wa maleba, ka ntle le go theeletša seo batho ba bangwe ba se bolelago. Ka go realo, motho o kgona go ba le go itshepa le go tlogela go inyatša (Davies & Thate, 2017). Setšo ga se fetoge se gana batho ba tswela pele ka go dira setšo go ya ka tlwaelo ya bona. Ge tšwelo pele e se gona mo sechabeng batho bah o leka go itšoša bjang gore ba kgone go phela.