‘Do according to your time, preferences and abilities’: Exploring the division of household labour among interracial gay partners in post- apartheid south africa

Despite the notable equality in the division of housework in same-sex households, research has shown that same-sex partners do not always share household chores equally but they are more likely to divide housework equally than heterosexual couples. Given South Africa's racist and sexist past, this study seeks to establish how interracial gay partners run their households in terms of the division of household labour. This study examines the influence of personal resources such as race and income, in the relationship studied. This study is based on an eight- month qualitative research among 10 interracial gay partners living in some selected Johannesburg suburbs. This study finds that gay men are likely to share household chores equally irrespective of their racial backgrounds, class, status and income. Household tasks are shared based on availability (time), preferences and strength (abilities). Although some of them like cooking or doing household laundry, their areas of specialisations were not based on traditional gender roles that are prominent in heterosexual relationships. Thus, this study finds no noticeable hierarchical gendered division of housework among interracial gay partners who participated in the study.