Queer Visibilities: Space, Identity and Interaction in Cape Town

254 Pages·2008·2.263 MB·English

by  Andrew Tucker(auth.)

Queer Visibilities
Queer Visibilities: Space, Identity and Interacti o n in Cape Town Andrew Tucker
© 2009 Andrew Tucker. ISBN: 978-1-405-18303-1
RGS-IBG Book Series
Published Forthcoming
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Queer Visibilities
Space, Identity and Interaction in
Cape Town
Andrew Tucker
A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication
This edition fi rst published 2009
© 2009 Andrew Tucker
Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons in February 2007. Blackwell’s
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tucker, Andrew, 1980–
Queer visibilities : space, identity, and interaction in Cape Town / Andrew Tucker.
p. cm.—(RGS-IBG book series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4051-8303-1 (hardcover : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4051-8302-4 (pbk. :
alk. paper) 1. Gay men—South Africa—Cape Town—Social conditions. 2. Sexual
orientation—South Africa—Cape Town. 3. Sex discrimination—South Africa—Cape
Town. 4. Gay men—Identity. 5. Cape Town (South Africa)—Social
conditions. I. Title.
HQ76.2.S6T83 2009
306.76′6209687355—dc22
2008024001
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Set in 10 on 12pt Plantin by SNP Best-set Typesetter Ltd., Hong Kong
Printed in Malaysia by Vivar Printing Sdn Bhd
1 2009
Contents
List of Figures and Tables vi
Series Editors’ Preface viii
Acknowledgements ix
1 Queer Visibilities in Cape Town 1
Part I Visibilities 35
2 Legacies and Visibilities among White Queer Men 37
3 Coloured Visibilities and the Raced Nature of
Heteronormative Space 67
4 How to be a Queer Xhosa Man in the Cape Town Townships 101
Part II Interactions 137
5 Social Invisibilities 139
6 Political Invisibilities (and Visibilities) 160
7 The Costs of Invisibility 187
Notes 206
Bibliography 220
Index 241
Figures and Tables
Figures
2.1 The location of the De Waterkant gay village
in the centre of Cape Town 51
2.2 A view up Dixon Street in the gay village 51
2.3 The location of various leisure and consumer venues
in the gay village 53
2.4 The location of suburban areas in relation to the
CBD/City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard 58
3.1 Zonnebloem today, close to the heart of the city 69
3.2 District Six prior to forced removals (in grey) and today 75
3.3 Kewpie, a coloured queer hairdresser © copyright GALA 76
3.4 Coloured cross-dressing ‘moffi es’ circa 1960 © copyright
GALA 76
3.5 Some of the locations to which coloured groups from
District Six were moved 82
3.6 A coloured cross-dressing queer man today 82
3.7 Front covers of Detail newspaper 96
4.1 The location of the Transkei and Ciskei in relation to
Cape Town 105
4.2 The location of some of the major townships in
Cape Town today 107
4.3 Informal shacks in Cape Town 107
5.1 Monthly income amongst the employed aged 15–65
by population groups in South Africa 151
6.1 Triangle Project offi ces located in Mowbray in Cape Town 162
6.2 A view into the gated party at the end of the 2004
Johannesburg Pride 170
Unless otherwise stated all photographs taken by and © the author.
LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES vii
Tables
3.1 Size of racially defi ned population groups
in South Africa, 2001 70
3.2 Size of racially defi ned population groups
in Cape Town, 2001 71
Series Editors’ Preface
The RGS-IBG Book Series only publishes work of the highest international
standing. Its emphasis is on distinctive new developments in human and
physical geography, although it is also open to contributions from cognate
disciplines whose interests overlap with those of geographers. The Series
places strong emphasis on theoretically-informed and empirically-strong
texts. Refl ecting the vibrant and diverse theoretical and empirical agendas
that characterize the contemporary discipline, contributions are expected
to inform, challenge and stimulate the reader. Overall, the RGS-IBG Book
Series seeks to promote scholarly publications that leave an intellectual
mark and change the way readers think about particular issues, methods
or theories.
For details on how to submit a proposal please visit:
www.rgsbookseries.com
Kevin Ward
University of Manchester, UK
Joanna Bullard
Loughborough University, UK
RGS–IBG Book Series Editors
Acknowledgements
This book was made possible with the assistance of the Eco-
nomic & Social Research Council of the UK.
I say with absolute certainty that had it not been for the
continual support of my PhD supervisor, Gerry Kearns, this
book would not have come about. It is with equal certainty that I say Gerry
is one of the most kind, thoughtful and intelligent people I have ever met.
My time at Cambridge has been immeasurably enriched by knowing Gerry
and being able to explore and think about the world with him in ways that
I had never thought possible. It is therefore with great thanks that I dedicate
this book to him. Cheers, mate.
In South Africa I could not have survived without the help of so many
individuals. I would especially like to thank Marina Griebenow for always
being there to pick me up and dust me off whenever life in the city became
a bit too hectic. As a continual source of kindness and information about
the Mother City she helped set me on the course that concluded with this
book. Cape Town is a better place with her living in it.
I would also like to give a big thank you to the staff of Triangle Project,
the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa (GALA) and all the other
organisations I met and got to know. Thanks therefore go to Dawn Better-
idge, Anthony Manion, Toni Sylvester, Mabhuti Mkangeli, Funeka Soldaat
and Vista Kalipa. In particular, I’d like to acknowledge and thank Glenn
de Swardt for showing me not only the breadth and depth of the city of
Cape Town, but also how to cope with its extremes. Over the years that I
have known him, Glenn has worked tirelessly to achieve a better world for
all queer individuals in the city. It is perhaps an indicator of both his humil-
ity and effort that today so many queer men and women in the city do not
even know how he has helped them. South Africa is a country that, despite
its problems, has achieved so much good for so many in such a short period
x ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
of time. To continue astounding the world, it will need more individuals
like Glenn.
A special word of thanks also needs to be extended to Paul Wise for
battling through countless hours of tape and transcribing the most muffl ed
comments into comprehensible prose. Thanks also need to be extended to
Leon Kruger (for all those chats, coffees and nights out) and to Sharad
Chari, Ismail Jazbhay, Vasu Reddy, Graeme Reid, Teresa Dirsuweit, Peter
van der Walt; David Stoch, Nathan Romburgh, Alex Hivoltze-Jimenez and
Jean Mearing for their friendship and assistance. And lastly on that note,
a big thank you to David Stockwell, my consiglieri on the Cape (and then
later in London). As a sounding board and as a friend, David made
the whole process of researching and then writing just that much more
enjoyable.
In Cambridge a big shout-out also needs to go to Jane Robinson, Jane
Hampshire and Robert Carter for helping me source so much information.
Further thanks to Philip Stickler for applying his prodigious skills to help
create the maps in this book. Thanks also to Simon Reid-Henry, Steve
Legg, Karen Till, Richard Smith, Phil Howell, Jim Duncan, Liz Watson,
David Nally, Steve Trudgill, Stu Basten, Hannah Weston, Tom Welsh,
Andrew Rudd, Marco Wan, Andrew Ferguson, David Beckingham, Fran
Moore, Rory Gallagher and Jacob Levy for their friendship through thick
and thin.
In a similar yet also unique vein, a big thank you to Fran Sainsbury for
always bringing with her a moment of calm, fun and friendship. From
‘spiders making gravy’ to the RCSA to life as adults you’ve stayed a person
I know I’ll always love and respect.
A big thank you also to Kevin Ward, editor at the RGS-IBG Book Series,
for his encouragement and support. At Wiley-Blackwell a huge debt of
gratitude needs to be paid to Jacqueline Scott and Hannah Morrell for their
highly professional help in guiding my book through the process towards
publication. And a further shout-out to Kit Scorah for applying her truly
excellent and tireless copy-editing skills to this book.
Thank you also to Jon Binnie and Jennifer Robinson for their construc-
tive comments on earlier drafts of this work.
A special thank you also to Mum and Dad and my sister, Ronnie. To
each of you in different and yet equally important ways I say how grateful
I am, knowing that you have always been there for me along the way. And
I state with the deepest love how proud I am to be related to you.
And lastly, to Richard Nkulikiyinka for keeping me sane and fi lled with
happiness.