6.2 Impact of Religious and Cultural Beliefs on Teachers’ Perceptions of Transgender…92
6.2.2 African Cultural beliefs and transgender identities
It was found that majority of participants that portrayed a negative attitude towards transgendered people where those who not only articulated belonging to an Abrahamic religion, but those who upheld their views and beliefs according to their cultural belief ideologies. As participants who spoke about their cultural beliefs with regards to transgender identities predominantly associated belonging to an African culture, this culture will be discussed.
The link between African cultural and traditional beliefs and the fusion with Christianity is indisputable (Isaac, 2015). Christianity was brought to the African continent, and specifically, South Africa, by missionaries dating back to the 1700’s when there was movement amongst the missionaries attempting to evangelise people of colour (Elphick, 2012). In Lesotho, Isaac (2015) states that when missionaries brought the ideology of Christianity and attempted to convert the Basotho people, they were met with opposition as the missionaries believed that in order for the indigenous people to become “true Christians”, they had to denounce their traditional and cultural beliefs and practices, which missionaries believed to be affiliated with paganism. Their attempts soon proved to be unsuccessful as “after a decade of their missionary work they had only converted 393 people out of 80,000 Basotho population in total in 1843 and only 13,733 converts out of the total population of 200, 000.” (Isaac, 2012, p. 158).
People from the African continent were slowly becoming aware of the importance of traditional and cultural practices and recognised the need merge these beliefs and practices with that of predominant Christian teachings and ideologies, and as such, syncretism was born-a blending of Christianity and African Traditional religion and cultures (Isaacs, 2015). This amalgamation is further described as African Christianity (Mokhoathi, 2017). “It is a form of Christianity that draws from both the Christian faith and African Traditional Religion for some ethico-spiritual
principles…Christianity connects them to God while African traditional practices provide a lasting bond with their ancestors.” (Mokhoathi, 2017, p. 266).
According to Msibi (2012), many individuals who have a strong African traditional and cultural belief core system, considered gender, sex, and sexuality diverse people to be ungodly, going against their ancestral teachings and simply put, un-African. Further, Stobie (2014) stated that in general, the Zulu culture found such individuals to be possessed by demons, indicating that they are satanic. Similarly, the following participants (who identified themselves as Zulu) responses seemed to concur with Msibi’s (2012) and Stobie’s (2014) theory:
Researcher: Do you think African cultural and traditional norms accept these types of gender? Transgender and homosexuality?
Amanda [39 yr. old African female, grade 4 teacher]: …most of them are not because most people will come out and say they are gay they will be definitely discriminated among the community because people would just say maybe you're evil you need prayer and all sorts of things.
Casanova [35 yr. old African male, grade 5 teacher]: In the Zulu culture it has not been accepted yet. So, it depicts what, okay I’ll just use the umbrella body for all the Zulu, Xhosas, Sotho’s. So, we call them the Nguni, who believe strongly in our ancestors. It gives the notion that you will not be accepted in the Nguni culture when you choose to live your life like that.
The above responses bring focus to how strongly the belief of ancestors plays a major role in African traditional and cultural norms and thus attitudes towards gender non-conforming individuals. Persons who identify as belonging to the LGBTQI+ community are in direct violation of ancestral beliefs and teachings, thus are cursed with demons and are cast aside (Okeke et al., 2017). These teachings and beliefs tend to delegitimize individuals that do not identify within the heteronormative category, perpetuating an attitude of intolerance and non- acceptance of such people. Additionally, Stobie (2014) states that this is more especially rife within the Zulu community as their leaders explicitly call for the delegitimization of such individuals. The late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini (who held the honorific of father and rightful leader of the Zulu Nation), referenced Zulu traditional norms and Christian teachings regarding homosexuality. He explicitly stated that homosexual people “are rotten no matter who they are” and “angels desert people who do such things” (Miya, 2012, p. 2). This example
of public non-acceptance of gender and sexual diversity by influential leaders further disseminates African cultural beliefs, practices, and norms of delegitimising this community, thus perpetuating a cycle of hate and intolerance (Stobie, 2014). Further, these attitudes and behaviours oppose individuals’ basic human rights in that they impinge on the freedom of gender and sexuality expression, moreover, contesting the South African Constitution (Stobie, 2014). Participants were also of the view that within African cultural norms and traditions, there was a definite gender binary that designated specific roles to men and women, from their form of dress to their roles in society. The following responses indicate this:
Ntombi [54 yr. old African female, grade 5 teacher]: In the Zulu culture this thing is not allowed at all they don't like it's a boy it's a boy a girl it's a girl. let me give you another example the other people they used to say they don't want the girls to wear-- Pants, because they want the girls to wear dresses or skirts or whatever they will hit you if you are wearing the pants.
Sibongile [34 yr. old female, grade 2 teacher]: You know they're doing something that they're not supposed to be doing so I think I’m still stuck in that cultural thing that you need to be male if you are male and if you are a woman you need to be married to a man.
Siya [27 yr. old African male, grade R-7 teacher]: Well because what we, well the cultural people, I would say the African people, the black people as we are called. We are more aligned to what we know which is male and female. So, with that we take our information from the elders because the elders know what happens and what steps are to be taken. So, with that happening, these types of things are not accepted.
The excerpts show that the participants’ interpretations of African cultural norms and traditions are gendered, and that men hold more importance and power, thus are seen as superior over women (Amadiume, 2015). This reinforces a patriarchal society, where women are viewed as more vulnerable thus must be protected and taken care of, while men are portrayed as the head of the family and so they demand obedience and respect (Amadiume, 2015). The following responses further support this notion:
Casanova [35 yr. old African male, grade 5 teacher]: Say for instance if you give birth to a boy child it is expected that that boy child will one day hold the family. Meaning that they will take the family name forward for future generations. If at a later stage he
then changes and decides to become gay, it goes off towards someone. It means then that the name is lost.
Promise [25 yr. old African female, grade 1, 2 &3 teacher]: Because if you were born a male and you want to be female, then they see that as being wrong because males are supposed to be the head of the family. Not if you gave birth to a male and suddenly, they want to be female, then I won't have anyone to inherit whatever I have. Then in a few years, there won't be a leader of the family. So, they really are against that because they want males to be firm and strong.
Likewise, Siya’s response below indicates that it is the man’s responsibility to ensure the family lineage is passed on, particularly through the surname.
Siya [27 yr. old African male, grade R-7 teacher]: With African culture the male is the one that’s meant to grow the surname. So, when you come across as a bisexual, a gay person then they don’t know which side you’re gonna go. Then maybe you when you get married, you’re gonna take the other person’s surname or they gonna take yours, kinda thing.
The above responses indicate that leading patriarchal customary masculinities are endorsed and honour the structure of heteronormativity, particularly regarding heterosexual marriage and the God-given right of the husband to pass on his surname, thus preserving his familial and ancestral heritage (Amadiume, 2015). Gender non-conforming individuals are seen as a threat to not only this right, but to the conservation of traditional African cultures and core beliefs (Stobie, 2014). The fear that gender, sex, and sexual diversity threatens age-old African culture is what maintains a cycle of transphobia and denouncement, particularly in the Zulu community (Msibi, 2012). This needs to change and Bhana (2012) supports this ideal by stating that although culture is a governing instrument for African societies, a shift is needed to align with South Africa’s new democracy and constitution. A few participants (although unknowingly) seem to be in a supporting view. The following excerpts demonstrate this:
Siya [27 yr. old African male, grade R-7 teacher]: I wouldn’t say they’re not accepted now. But then as time went by things started changing as we know there’s a whole lot of African gay people. And they are out there about it. They not hiding behind closed doors or they not tryna hide what sexuality they are… as I said, day and age came
about and then more and more families started to accept that this is our child at the end of the day.
Amanda [39 yr. old African female, grade 4 teacher]: …and now because to maybe because of TV because they see these things that they are real and they're happening some famous people like Somizi you see a man getting married to a man so they've just realized that it's just reality and people are actually really out there and there's nothing really wrong with that so they’re becoming slowly more accepting towards it.
Amanda and Siya’s responses indicate that there is evidence of a tentative shift in traditional African culture and norms to include gender and sexually diverse individuals. As culture cannot be viewed as fixed or stagnant, but rather fluid, this evolution is necessary to ensure that all societies in our country uphold their beliefs, cultures, and practices in alignment to our inclusive democracy and constitution (Bhana, 2012).