Resilience and Resistance: The Narrative of a Transgender Youth in Rural South Africa

In spite of progressive and inclusive laws, gender and sexual minority individuals in South Africa continue to experience high rates of violence. Drawing on a single descriptive case study, this paper explores the adverse experiences and the sources of individual and relational resilience of Dee, a transgender youth living in a resource-poor, rural community in South Africa. Through her narrative, Dee provides a rich, textured description of the resources she draws on to strengthen her resilience and the resistance she stages in addressing violence and discrimination within a traditional community. Referencing a socio-ecological framework of resilience, rooted in social justice, the article considers the ways in which personal, interpersonal and systemic factors intersect to both hinder and foster resilience. The paper emphasises the need for multi-systemic interventions that challenges adversity rather than adjusts to it.