ABSTRACT
Urban citizenship entails freedom to move, use and express identity in the city. Violence is an extreme instance of the curtailment of these rights. It impairs a sense of safety and restricts choice. In gay mythology, the city embodies an accepting cosmopolitan lifestyle. Young gay men and lesbians are drawn to Johannesburg from smaller towns within South Africa and from other African cities as far afield as Harare, Windhoek, Gabarone, Kampala, Accra and Dar-es-Salaam. The chapter places homophobic violence on the agenda of urban policy makers as well as informing future research around violence, fear and safety. M. Brown classifies homophobic crime as systemic violence and argues that it disallows gay men and lesbians full participation in the city. Skelton locates her work on homophobic elements in Jamaican ragga "within wider discourses that debate race, sexuality and masculinity". Homophobic victimisation is endemic in violent, masculine cultures and has extensive implications for gay men and lesbians.
