Bodies'over'Borders'and'Borders'over'Bodies:'The' ‘Gender'Refugee’'and'the'Imagined'South'Africa' ' ' B'Camminga' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' Thesis'Presented'for'the'Degree' of' DOCTOR'OF'PHILOSOPHY' Department'of'Sociology' University'of'Cape'Town,''2016' ' ' Supervisors:'Prof'Deborah'Posel,'Dr'Zethu'Matebeni'and'Associate' Prof'Susan'Levine' University of' Cape Town ' ' ' ' ' ' ' The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town ' Declaration' ' 'I,'B'Camminga,'hereby'declare'that'the'work'on'which'this'thesis'is'based'is'my'original'work'(except'where' acknowledgements'indicate'otherwise)'and'that'neither'the'whole'work'nor'any'part'of'it'has'been,'is'being,' or'is'to'be'submitted'for'another'degree'in'this'or'any'other'university.' ' signature removed Signature:……………………………………………….''Date:'…'15/.08/2016…………….' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 2' ' Acknowledgements' ' There'are'many'people'that'made'this'thesis'possible,'but'first'and'foremost'I'would'like' to'express'my'deepest'gratitude'to'those'who'agreed'to'participate'in'this'project.'I'carry' their'stories'of'resilience,'struggle'and'survival'with'me'daily.'I'know'that'many'of'those' who'took'part'in'this'project'did'so'with'the'hope'that'work'like'this'would'somehow'bring' greater'awareness'to'the'difficulties'that'trans\identified'asylum'seekers'experience'in'even' the'most'seemingly'prosaic'of'situations.'I'am'forever'indebted'to'them.'' ' My'deepest'thanks'go'to'all'my'friends'and'chosen'family'who'have'been'the'source'of' unending' physical,' mental' and' emotional' support:' The' Hall' Road' triumvirate' \' Gail' and' Andrew'\'tears,'pterodactyls'and'the'wine'to'my'whine.'Keval,'before'you'there'was'no'cake' and'no'Desi'magic.'Paula'and'Steph,'you'are'my'sense'of'home,'and'your'love,'which'I'know' so'tangibly,'has'been'a'constant.'If'there'are'major'and'minor'foundational'stones'to'how'I' got'through'this'then'you'both'form'a'major.'P,'thank'you'for'befriending'me,'for'loving'me,' and'for'being'the'first'person'that'believed'I'could'be'this'queer'and'survive.''Bobba,'for' date'nights'and'for'being'the'Thelma'to'my'Louise.'Frances,'for'always'asking'the'question'I' can’t'answer.'Sanja,'for'being'the'most'steadfast'humxn'I'know.'Hashishtag'and'Goose,'for' reminding'there'is'life'\'champagne'life'\'to'be'lived'outside'of'books,'and'for'never'letting' me'feel'socially'awkward.'Roxy'and'Genna,'may'our'double'dates'continue'to'be'the'site'of' love,'politics'and'refuge.'Zee,'for'queer'opining/failing/feelings.'Flagg,'spirit'animal,'need'I' say'more?'Vic,'for'being'a'source'of'such'gentle'and'enduring'friendship.'Lu'Cherry,'you'are' some'kind'of'cosmic'singularity.''Zaza'and'Khumo'\'housemates'\'the'heat,'the'smallness'of' space,'the'unrelenting'drag'queen,'and'yet'we'thrived'(“Can'I'just'live?”).'Dee'and'Claire,' where'would'I'be'without'my'Joburg'base?'When'this'all'seemed'a'bit'overwhelming'you' both'made'sure'I'was'up'and'doing'what'needed'to'be'done.'There'aren’t'enough'‘thanks' yous’'in'the'world.'Yrsa,'for'the'poetry'and'for'arriving'at'the'right'time.'The'Flints,'for'the' joys'of'Sunday'afternoons'and'VH1.'Lwando,'Susan'and'Melanie'\'my'queer'cohort'\'you' have'been'my'constant'reality'check.'Rose,'Jay,'Dora'my'London'fam,'my'escape,'thank'you' Rose,'Jay'and'Dora'my'London'fam,'my'escape,'thank'you'for'being'so'close'even'when'you' are' so' far.' To' LMNH' thanks' for' being' my' caffeine' and' bicycle' inspired' sojourn.' You' will' always'be'one'of'my'happiest'places.' ' My'family'\'Dad,'Moush,'Kyle,'ET,'Moo,'Dane,'Cait'and'Ty'\'we'are'a'complicated'bunch,' and'there'really'should'be'a'book,'but'you'guys'bring'joy'to'my'life'in'such'ridiculous'and' endlessly'surprising'ways.'I'have'four'years'of'phone'calls'to'make'up'for.'Dad,'you'are'my' best'\'your'love'and'belief'not'only'in'what'I'do'but'who'I'am'and'that'the'world'can'change' keeps'me'going'on'the'worst'days.'' ' ' 3' ' I'would'like'to'thank'Louise'Vincent'for'telling'me'all'those'years'ago'that'my'topic'was' boring'and'that'I'wasn’t'trying'hard'enough.'I'doubt'I'would'have'arrived'at'this'point'if'you' hand’t'sent'me'back'down'the'stairs'to'go'and'think'about'my'work.'Faith,'it’s'been'the' longest'of'journeys,'and'you'have'always'been'there'in'varying'ways.'Thank'you'for'your' support,'your'love'and'your'unwavering'friendship.'Jess'and'Trish,'thank'you'for'the'coffees,' the'advice,'the'helium'and'the'very'good'hugs.'Claire,'your'office'has'been'a'true'source'of' solace' over' very' difficult' periods' of' this' journey.' This' thesis' would' have' been' a' vastly' different'product'and'I'a'vastly'different'human'if'I'had'not'found'you'when'I'did.'Thank' you.' ' Avril' you' have' worked' copyediting' miracles' with' not' the' most' straight' forward' of' grammatical'challenges'and'yet,'made'it'look'so'simple.'I'appreciate'every'correctly'placed' comma.'' ' HUMA' has' been' an' enriching' academic' home' throughout' this' work.' I' have' found' support,'laughter,'rigorous'conversation'and'thoughtful'critique.'I'am'extremely'grateful'for' the'opportunities'I'have'had'as'one'its'fellows.'I'would'like'to'thank'all'of'my'colleagues'and' PhD'fellows'for'the'time'and'effort'they'have'put'into'my'project.''I'would'like'to'thank'Prof' Ron'Holzacker'at'the'University'of'Groningen'and'Erasmus'Mundus'for'giving'me'the'time' and'encouragement'to'write.'I'would'also'like'to'thank'the'Social'Science'Research'Council' for'their'support'over'the'final'year'of'my'dissertation.'' ' Kate,' my' person,' you' are' magic.' No' more' no' less.' Thank' you' for' listening,' for' questioning,'for'correcting,'for'encouraging,'for'loving,'for'being'the'other'end'of'every'call,' for'finding'all'my'idiosyncrasies'endearing,'and'most'of'all'for'reminding'me'that'‘chaos’'is' just'me'being'extreme.'Sine'qua'non.' ' This' thesis' would' not' have' been' possible' without' the' support' and' guidance' of' Susan' Levine,' Zethu' Matebeni' and' Deborah' Posel.' Thank' you' for' pushing' me' even' when' I' was' hesitant,' for' asking' all' the' difficult' questions' and' for' encouraging' me' when' I' felt' overwhelmed.'I'have'not'only'completed'a'thesis'under'your'collective'guidance'but'have' learnt' much' about' myself' and' the' kind' of' academic' I' would' like' to' be.' I' will' be' forever' grateful'for'the'time'and'effort'you'have'put'into'this'work'and'by'extension'me.'' ' Lastly'thank'you'to'peanut'butter'and'coffee'for'existing.' ' ' ' ' ' ' 4' ' Abstract' ' This'thesis'tracks'the'conceptual'journeying'of'the'term'‘transgender’'from'the'Global'North' –'where'it'originated'–'along'with'the'physical'embodied'journeying'of'transgender'asylum' seekers' from' countries' within' Africa' to' South' Africa,' and' considers' the' interrelationships' between'the'two.'With'regards'to'the'term'‘transgender’,'it'is'the'contention'of'this'thesis' that' it' transforms' as' it' travels,' taking' on' meaning' in' relation' to' bodies,' national' homes,' institutional'frameworks'and'imaginaries.'More'specifically,'that'it'has'materialised'in'South' Africa'–'first'as'a'discourse'and'following'this'as'a'politics'–'due'to'a'combination'of'social,' political' and' cultural' conditions' peculiar' to' the' country.' In' direct' correlation' to' this' movement,'this'thesis'argues'that'in'recent'years'South'Africa'has'seen'the'emergence'of' what'can'be'usefully'termed'‘gender'refugees’'–!people!who!can!make!claims!to!refugee! status,!fleeing!their!countries!of!origin!based!on!the!persecution!of!their!gender!identity.'This' study'centers'on'the'experiences'and'narratives'of'these'gender'refugees,'gathered'through' a' series' of' life' story' interviews,' highlighting' the' ways' in' which' their' departures,' border' crossings,'arrivals'and'perceptions'of'South'Africa'have'been'both'enabled'and'constrained' by' the' contested' meanings' and' politics' of' this' emergence' of' transgender,' particularly' in' relation'to'the'possibilities'of'the'South'African'Constitution.'Through'such'narratives,'this' thesis'explores'the'radical'constitutional\legal'possibilities'for''transgender''in'South'Africa,' the' dissonances' between' the' possibilities' of' constitutional' law' –' in' relation' to' the' distinction' made' between' sex' and' gender' –' and' the' pervasive' politics/logic' of' binary' ‘sex/gender’'within'South'African'society.'In'doing'so,'this'thesis'enriches'the'emergent'field' of' Transgender' Studies,' and' challenges' some' of' the' current' dominant' theoretical' and' political'perceptions'of''transgender','by'offering'complex'narratives'regarding'sex,'gender,' sexuality'and'notions'of'home'in'relation'to'particular'geo\politically'situated'bodies.'This' thesis'speaks'to'contemporary'international'concerns'and'debates'regarding'migration'and' asylum,' identity' politics,' the' control' of' borders,' human' rights' and' protections,' documentation'and'the'ongoing'bureaucratisation'of'sex/gender.'' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 5' ' Contents' ' Declaration'...............................................................................................................................'2' Acknowledgements'.................................................................................................................'3'