Putting the T in LGBT: trans and gender-diverse (in)visibility and activism in South Africa

The aim of the chapter is to engage with historic and contemporary forms of trans resistance and activism and to understand the ways in which the trans movement in South Africa intersects with other social movements. The chapter engages with the historical background, the ongoing invisibility of trans people, the politics of the tensions between trans activism and sexual orientation activism, and the importance of intersectional understandings of trans experience. The chapter also engages the historical and political arc of trans identities and the trans movement from which global North histories differ those in the global South.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Human Science Research Council SA
Published
2026-05-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14749/32380944
Primary Topic
African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Putting the T in LGBT: trans and gender-diverse (in)visibility and activism in South Africa

Human Sciences Research Council
Human Science Research Council SA
African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues
article

Putting the T in LGBT: trans and gender-diverse (in)visibility and activism in South Africa

Human Sciences Research Council
article en

Abstract

The aim of the chapter is to engage with historic and contemporary forms of trans resistance and activism and to understand the ways in which the trans movement in South Africa intersects with other social movements. The chapter engages with the historical background, the ongoing invisibility of trans people, the politics of the tensions between trans activism and sexual orientation activism, and the importance of intersectional understandings of trans experience. The chapter also engages the historical and political arc of trans identities and the trans movement from which global North histories differ those in the global South.

Human Science Research Council SA
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues
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