ABSTRACT
Drawing on a qualitative study, this chapter offers an analysis of the experiences of gender and sexuality diverse people in Harare by focusing on the relationship or lack thereof between dominant social categorisations of LGBT individuals, their self-perceptions and how widely circulated social categorisations impact on their vulnerabilities. While some participants’ experiences resonated with images of a ‘homophobic’ Zimbabwe, stressing LGBT individuals’ vulnerabilities to various forms of violence, the permeability of ‘borders’ enables us to understand that, while painful, these negative experiences do not succeed in erasing participants’ more positive self-perceptions and sense of self.
