Same sex marriage was legalised in South Africa back in 2006. This resulted in South Africa being the first African country to do so and only the fifth in the world. This resulted in South Africa being the first African country to do so and only the fifth in the world. The move resulted was a result of the activism around the issue and showed how progressive gender and sexuality legislation in the country is.
However 10 years down the line homophobia still soars amongst communities. People who are part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) communities still suffer from hate crimes.The prevalence of corrective rape signifies that many people still feel that homosexuality is unnatural or immoral behaviour that can be ‘corrected’
Despite the laws that are put in place to protect LGBTI-identifying people, the education system in not as inclusive when it comes to sex education. According to John Marnell of Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA), the organization believes that education can play a driving role in social transformation.
“It is crucial that teachers, learners, parents and other education stakeholders are informed about the rights of the LGBTI people.”
Wits Vuvuzela contacted the department of basic education for comment but they could not be reached as of press time.
For LGBT activist, Lindsey Moema, if high school curriculum included gay sex education, her high school life would have been better.
“My high-school days were the worst, growing up in a rural area where trasies (derogatory word for lesbians) were frowned upon, I lacked understanding of my sexuality which would have helped me to explain my sexuality to others.”
Deevia Bhana author of Under Pressure: The Regulation of Sexualities in South African Secondary Schools, found a link between homophobia and expressions of masculinities. According to her, learners frown upon other homosexual pupils because of a “compulsory heterosexuality culture”.
According to Ivan Sabljak, a paramedic and microbiology Wits student, sex education has always been a “contentious issue regardless of content”
“There are schools out there that still teach kids only abstinence, with no mention of condoms, dental dams, lubricants, STDs, pregnancy tests, abortifacients. Gay sex hasn’t been included yet because the field is still very resistant to change.”
Some people have shown concern over the possibility of having gay sex education included in the high school, curriculum. “Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman is taught so that we know how to procreate, whereas gay sex is purely for pleasure, and pleasure differs for everyone,” social media consultant, Darron Diesel said.
One thing that is common though is that if gay sex education is included in the curriculum, there should be much thought put in the process of how it would be taught without it being too explicit for learners.
Tish White, the project coordinator of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Advocacy told Wits Vuvuzela that it would be important to “steer clear of essentialist stereotypes, and to manage dialogue around safer sex effectively.”