Lesbian students' experiences of challenges faced at a South African university.

Abstract

Despite South Africa having one of the most progressive legal systems in the world, especially when it comes to the rights of sexual minorities, discrimination and violence against homosexual individuals remains a challenge. It appears that the social issues and prejudices present across South African society also permeate its tertiary education institutions, as South African universities tend to subscribe to the same homophobic ideologies present in South African society. Although the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) aims to provide a safe and protective environment for its student population, there are still numerous challenges for its homosexual student population on campus. This study aimed to explore the experiences of six lesbian students studying at the UKZN, Pietermaritzburg campus. Using Pryor and Reeder’s (2011) theoretical framework that delineates four manifestations of stigma (public stigma, self-stigma, stigma by association and structural stigma), this study sought to describe how lesbian students experience challenges due to their sexual orientation. Using a qualitative research design, a focus group was conducted with six participants who self-identified as lesbian. The research findings revealed that lesbian students face a variety of challenges on the UKZN campus, and that significant levels of homophobia were experienced by the participants. Homophobia on campus was experienced by the participants in the form of verbal abuse, physical and sexual violence, psychological harm, physical and sexual threat, and social exclusion. Campus social gatherings and events were positioned as being the main sites of concern for targeting homosexual students. University staff members were constructed as perpetuating homophobia on campus. Being identified as lesbian on campus produced high levels of stress for all participants. More research is recommended in order to more fully understand the challenges that student minority groups, such as the LGBT community, face on campus.