Lesbian, gay and bisexual citizenship: a case study as represented in a sample of South African Life Orientation textbooks
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Date
2012-12
Authors
Potgieter, Cheryl
Reygan, Finn C. G.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
Abstract
Over the past two decades, sexual citizenship has emerged as a new form of citizenship coupled with
increased interest in the challenges to citizenship and social justice faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and, in particular, by sexual minority youth within education
systems. In South Africa, the rights of LGBTI people have been institutionalised in legislation, and
research has begun to consider how educators may facilitate a more inclusive school environment for
LGBTI youth. Given the focus of the Department of Education on social justice, the present study examines
how selected Life Orientation (LO) textbooks for Grades 7 to 12 in South African schools represent
and construct LGBTI identities. The study generally finds inconsistency in the representation of these
identities. Gay male identities are represented in some instances, lesbian and bisexual identities rarely
so, and transgender and intersex identities not at all. Two of the four series examined are almost entirely
silent about LGBTI identities. This invisibility negates the different ‘ways of knowing’ of LGBTI learners;
tends not to facilitate students in critiquing the discrimination, prejudice and social injustices faced by
many LGBTI people, and lessens the importance of social justice and citizenship education in this field in
South Africa.
Description
Keywords
LGBTI youth, Schools, South Africa, Sexual citizenship, Sexual minorities
Citation
Potgieter, C., & Reygan, F. C. (2012). Lesbian, gay and bisexual citizenship: a case study as represented in a sample of South African Life Orientation textbooks. Perspectives in Education: Rethinking citizenship and social justice in education: Special Issue, 30(4), 39-51.