Gender Transitions: An Analysis of NG Sibiya’s Novel, Bengithi Lizokuna

Abstract

In many countries, queer communities are subject to harassment, abuse and even death because of their sexual orientation and sexual identities. On the contrary, some laws in other countries, like South Africa, guarantee equal rights for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. Using queer theory, the study explores how freely queer people are portrayed in the novel Bengithi Lizokuna (2006) by Nakanjani G. Sibiya using textual analysis. What is emerging from the study is that most of the heterosexually dominated communities are still not ready to accept queer people as being part of their lives. Most authors of African literature books often portray queer people negatively, which does not help the situation. Most Black African societies continue to believe that a normal romantic relationship only involves a man and a woman; once any relationship opposes that of heterosexuals, it is seen as abnormal, and they may even try to correct that ‘behaviour’.  One of the ways that this misconception could be changed is to introduce sexuality and gender awareness so that people can be educated about sexual diversity.