South+African+Sexual+Identity-Language

= Introduction =

Anthropological linguistics is a field of study dedicated to uncovering the relationship between language and culture. Specifically, the field of sociolinguistics studies how language used in society, how it interacts within the social and political sphere, and how language differs among social variables. The central argument is that language provides context and insight as to what are socially accepted norms within a culture, and how language can reveal cultural attitudes, beliefs, and reactions toward phenomena.

As a whole, South Africa tends to possess a relatively progressive ideology toward the LGBT population. However, recent reports from Amnesty International suggest that gay men and women continue to be victims of discrimination and assault. This article will discuss the aspect of sexual identity, specifically how it is experienced by LGBT individuals in South Africa through the lens of culture and language. =History =

= Language = Eleven languages are currently spoken throughout South Africa. English is primarily spoken within social and governmental institutions. Currently, isiZulu is South Africa’s mother tongue, spoken by 22.7% of the population, followed by isiXhosa, which is spoken by 16%, Afrikaans at 13.5%, English at 9.6%, Setswana at 8% and finally, Sesotho at 7.6%. =LGBT = Historically, sexual intercourse between two men fell under the criteria of “sodomy” and was punishable by law, but was later amended in 1969. South Africa was the first country in Africa to legalize same-sex marriage, and the first country in the world to defend the rights of LGBT by offering protection from discrimination.

Though South Africa has a lively and visual LGBT population that is protected by equality laws, the LGBT population is not always received well in other social contexts, particularly outside of city centres.

= LGBT Language in South Africa =

Ethnographic work in the region of Mpumalanga indicates that individuals who identify as LGBT are beginning to delving into the meaning of identity, and traversing through the various ways of "being gay." In other words, these individuals are exploring a wider range of sexual identities, such as— //heterosexual, transvestite, transsexual, hermaphrodite, bisexual, gay, lesbian, butch, femme, and dragging queen //—and inquiring into the meanings associated with them. There tends to be a significant amount of confusion and instability in how LGBT identities are represented and understood, both within and outside of the gay community.

A //sis-Buti// is roughly the equivalent of the English term, "gay person" except the identity of a //sis-Buti // tends to focus moreso on the expression of femininity within the context of sexual identity. Within LGBT communities, a gay slang, called //jolly talk,// is spoken to communicate colloquial meanings and sayings within a context. For example, gay males describe heterosexual men as being able to be “somehow bended” or they are described as //inyonga//, which means “gay butch." //Inyonga// can also be used to identify someone that maintains a heterosexual social identity but is sexually involved with other men.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The phrase, //greek salad//, is used to talk about someone who struggles with their sexual identity, which is particularly interesting, given the tremendous pressure to comply to rigid and unbending gender roles. For females, a lady, or “femme” maintains both a gay social and sexual identity.At times, gay and lesbian relationships are expressed in terms of masculine and feminine gender roles, or as “butch lesbians” or “femme gays.” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The term, //sangoma//, refers to a traditional lesbian healer. Both respected and feared, //sangomas// are a powerfully influential part of culture who are called by their ancestors to be healers and forecasters of the future. //Sangomas// also have an ancestral wife to assist them in their work, and though it is considered “taboo,” //sangomas// have often participated in an underground lesbian culture by using the concept of an ancestral wife as a cover.

= <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Attitudes and Present Perspectives =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Values, attitudes, beliefs towards the LGBT individuals in South Africa are somewhat progressive, in contrast to the ideology surrounding homosexuality in Africa as a whole. However, despite anti-discrimination and same-sex marriage laws, the general public is not always receptive to same-sexuality.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Additionally, within the gay culture in South Africa, another perspective toward homosexuality is that it is a “fashion” or a Western trend, which promotes the idea that identity is strictly a temporary phase, or a choice. The word “fashion” can both undermine and belittle same-sex lifestyles, or it can be indicative of existing homophobia. It goes along with the concept that “homosexuality doesn’t exist in Africa,” but rather, is a phenomena borrowed from the Western world.The emphasis on clothing and hairstyling and the partaking in beauty pageants among gay males reflects changing attitudes toward modernity. Traditional resistance against the transition to modernity can be seen in the way that gays are viewed as frivolous, trendy, modern, and un-African.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">For many LGBT individuals, ideologies surrounding sexual identity and what it means to be “gay” are being transformed through deconstruction and discourse. The global lexicon and terminology is beginning to be applied to local context as a way to redefine and understand the sexual component of identity as concurrent with gender. Attaching ethnic meanings and local norms to unfamiliar terms is a way of radically redefining the LGBT experience in relatable ways that are authentic to culture.

= <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">References =

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Nkabinde, N., & Morgan, R. (2006). ‘This has happened since ancient times…it’s something that you are born with’: Ancestral wives among same-sex sangomas in South Africa. Agenda: Empowering women for gender equity, 67(2), 9-19. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4066788.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Reid, G. (2006). How to become a ‘real gay’: Identity and terminology in Ermelo, Mpumalanga. Agenda: Empowering women for gender equity, 67(2), 137-145. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4066802.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Reid, G. (2003). ‘It is just a fashion!’ linking homosexuality and ‘modernity’ in South Africa. Etnofoor, 16(2), 7-25. Stable URL: : http://www.jstor.org/stable/25758053. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The languages of South Africa. Retrieved on April 22, 2014 from http://www.southafrica.info/about/people/language.htm#.U1lujeZdWnd.