Search results for ""Author John Marnell""

Seeking Sanctuary brings together poignant life stories from fourteen lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) migrants, refugees and asylum seekers living in Johannesburg. The stories, diverse in scope, chronicle each narrator’s arduous journey to South Africa, and their corresponding movement towards self-love and self-acceptance. The narrators reveal their personal battles to reconcile their faith with their sexuality and gender identity, often in the face of violent persecution, and how they have carved out spaces of hope and belonging in their new home country. In these intimate testimonies, the narrators’ resilience in the midst of uncertain futures reveal the myriad ways in which LGBT Africans push back against unjust and unequal systems. Seeking Sanctuary makes a critical intervention by showing the complex interplay between homophobia and xenophobia in South Africa, and of the state of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) rights in Africa. By shedding light on the fraught connections between sexuality, faith and migration, this ground-breaking project also provides a model for religious communities who are working towards justice, diversity and inclusion.

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Despite increasing visibility of same-sex relationships in South Africa, there remains a distinct lack of research and public discussion around same-sex family practices and related legislative and social issues. This new collection of essays, interviews and images seeks to address this critical information gap by both capturing recent scholarship and documenting the challenges and experiences of same-sex partnered families. By bringing together work from diverse academic and professional disciplines - as well as visual materials from two recent exhibitions - this unique collection will play a crucial role in promoting further research into LGBTI families in South Africa. Topics covered include the theory and context of LGBTI families in South Africa; the legislative framework; media representations of same-sex families; assisted reproduction technology - challenges, experiences and understandings; parenting practices; disclosure practices within families; and intimate partner violence.

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