2016 Theses Bachelor's

Destabilizing Nation and Culture: How Zanele Muholi and Queer South African Women Are Creating Discursive Space through Visual Culture

Mlambo, Sandokuhle Thandolwethu

In 1996, South Africa was the first country in the world to include constitutional protection for sexual orientation and sexual identity. In 2006, it became the fifth country in the world and the first in Africa to legalize gay marriage. While these progressive and inclusive foundations are indeed positive, South Africa’s queer community is still afflicted by sexism and homophobia, which for many intersects with racism and ethnic discrimination. Rejecting the status of victimhood and (re)claiming a self-articulated identity other than what homophobes deem deviant or demonized, South African LBT artists like Zanele Muholi are not only disrupting the image of nation by the very presence of their works in museums, galleries and other public venues, but they are actively carving out discursive space to articulate queer identities.