Despite recognition of their harmful impacts, conversion practices targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals persist globally. However, scholarship overlooks African conversion efforts. Through in-depth interviews with 35 LGBTQ South Africans, this qualitative study explores the oppressive African practices overlooked by research dominated by Western contexts. The emergent themes expose multiple examples of abuse by led by families—from forced traditional healing ceremonies and religious rituals to corrective rape. Parents take children to traditional healers who perform rituals and prescribe regimens claimed to “eliminate” LGBTQ orientation. Families compel youth into lengthy church-led efforts to "pray the gay away". Most gravely, many queer women and trans participants face heightened risks of repeated assault and murder following corrective rape meant to violently “cure” nonconformity. Many participants detail secretly maintaining LGBTQ relationships amidst harm—courageous resilience by living authentically and seeking community support despite oppression. Their stories reveal flaws in enforcing rigid gender/sexual norms. The need for LGBTQ-affirming protections and education against conversion efforts is urgent to celebrate diversity against enforced heterosexual conformity. This study illuminates an under-analyzed practice, framed by compulsory heterosexuality theory, harming African gender/sexual minorities through family-driven conversion attempts. In addition, participants’ stories reveal the courage of living authentically and seeking community support despite external oppression. Their resilience in embracing identity despite rare African conversion therapy practice intending to “fix” the fault in compulsory conformity. It points to the urgent need for education on supporting natural human diversity in gender and sexuality to eliminate conversion practices

Authors:
Anthony Brown, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Anthony Brown is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at Stellenbosch University in South Africa

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