Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)1 South Africans experience barriers to economic and social inclusion related to structural inequality and social stigma along multiple axes (e.g., race, sexuality, gender, sex). While Apartheid, the system of institutionalized racial segregation that officially commenced in 1948,1 created and sustained this inequality for decades, South Africa’s rebirth as a nation—reflected in the passage of a new constitution in 1996 and recognition of 11 national languages2—positions the country to continue to advance the rights and well-being of its full, diverse population. An estimated 634,000 South African adults are willing to self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or “other” than heterosexual or straight and 1.1% of cohabitating couples report that they are living in same-sex marriages/partnerships to survey collectors.
Despite a progressive legal landscape for sexual minorities (LGB), and courts that have upheld the rights of transgender adults, LGBT South Africans experience sizable barriers to economic inclusion based upon race, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression. Black Africans (79.2%) are the majority in South Africa, followed by “Colored”/mixed-race ancestry (8.9%), White (8.9%), Indian or Asian (2.5%), and other (0.5%).3 Although Apartheid ended in 1994, 25 years ago, South Africa is regarded as having one of the highest levels of inequality in the world.4 For instance, analyses of the 2011 South African census show unemployment rates for Black, Colored, and White same-sex households at 30.9%, 16.7%, and 4.2%, respectively, as compared to 26.4%, 14.1%, and 3.8% for different-sex households.5