“The university, for me, became that safe space, and it made that impression in my mind that the student counselling services are very important. They help you deal with academic pressure, but also they are there for that person developing and growing; and experiencing changes in their bodies,” said Landa Mabenge in his talk ‘Understanding Transgender in 2019’ on Tuesday 29 October at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Museum. Mabenge, the first known transgender man in South Africa to successfully motivate the payment of his gender alignment surgery by medical aid, shared a bit of his journey captured in his book, Becoming Him, and briefly spoke about why it is important for universities and institutions to create spaces for gender identity.
Landa Mabenge is the first known transgender man in South Africa to successfully motivate the payment of his gender alignment surgery by medical aid. He is now the managing director and founder of ‘Landa Mabenge Consultancy’, whose focus is on creating awareness on transgender issues in educational spaces. PHOTO: Lucian van Wyk
Transgender is when your gender identity is not aligned to the gender you are assigned with. These assignments are done at birth, and this gender is then coded to a binary, either male or female. With these come specific characteristics or behavioural traits that people are expected to adapt to as they grow.
According to Mabenge, in the beginning of his transition he didn’t have the vocabulary to explain what he was going through, and people to talk to who would understand.
“I came from a very conservative family, so I couldn’t really speak to them and unpack what I was going through at that time. By the time I went to UCT [University of Cape Town] in [the year] 2000, having sort of floated my way through high school, I couldn’t explain why I felt like I didn’t belong in my body. I didn’t understand the words to use and what they meant, and which ones referred to me.
“So I ended up having a very ‘depressive’ and dark episode. But at the university counselling sessions, we [the counsellor and I] started unpacking intersexualities; a lot of other things in my life, traumas I went through as a child; and within that space we were actually able to use some of the language and use some of the words to explain my experiences,” says Mabenge.
Landa Mabenge in deep conversation with the crowd. The audience members who attended ‘Understanding Transgender in 2019′ ranged from students to workers in and around Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Lucian van Wyk
This being said, Mabenge believes that South African universities aren’t always conducive of people exploring their gender identities.
“My perception of an institution of higher learning is that it is a space of understanding; a space where there shouldn’t be a rigid approach to dealing with things; to dealing with issues related to gender and identity,” says Mabenge.
He stresses that universities need to take gender diversity issues more seriously.
“It is a human rights issue, as gender rights are human rights,” says Mabenge.
Mabenge officially started his transition in November 2008 at the age of 28, with hormone replacement therapy.
Audience members eagerly shared their experiences of the talk.
Zian Blignaut (28) MA student in Creative Writing at SU, says his reason for attending the talk was “my interest in queer issues, especially on campus because I’ve been involved with Queer US (University of Stellenbosch) this year.”
Second year Education students at Stellenbosch University (SU), Andrea Pietersen (21) and William Oliver (19), admiring the ‘Simon Nkoli – Black Queer Visibility: Finding Simon’ and the ‘Banele Khoza – Seeking Love’ exhibitions at the SU museum, before the start of the talk. PHOTO: Lucian van Wyk
In terms of the importance of the talk he adds, “In view of the proposed change in sex education in South African schools, I think it’s very important issues to discuss that doesn’t limit it to how we talk about it on campus. The education needs to spread to the education system further back in schools, so we can learn about other people’s bodies and our own bodies.”
Another audience member, Jérôme Dolling (24), an Economics student at SU, says what stood out for him the most in the talk was the health care issue Mabenge touched on.
“That really bothered me, internally, in essence that a person that has gone through so many difficulties already; mentally and with family, who chooses to then transition do not have access to medical aid,” says Dolling.
The ‘Simon Nkoli – Black Queer Visibility: Finding Simon and Banele Khoza – Seeking Love’ exhibition is a celebration of Nkoli’s political life and a reflection on the problems of inequalities towards social justice in queer communities. PHOTO: Lucian van Wyk
He adds that more can be done in terms of University spaces and their acceptance of gender identity.
According to Ricky Brecht, Education and Public Programs officer at the museum, the talk formed part of ‘The Simon Nkoli – Black Queer Visibility: Finding Simon’ and the ‘Banele Khoza – Seeking Love’ exhibitions, which officially opened on 12 September.
An extract, on one of the walls of the SU museum, of what the ‘Simon Nkoli – Black Queer Visibility: Finding Simon’ exhibition is centred on. PHOTO: Lucian van Wyk