Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / This project was born after the researcher, a practicing social worker at a psychiatric facility, observed the presence of high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders among transgender patients. These patients were often also abandoned by their family or primary caregivers. This research was part of a larger National Research Foundation (NRF) project in the Western Cape and Gauteng, which explored LGBT older persons’ care needs. It differed from the main project in that it focused on the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people. The project was funded by the NRF and the researcher was allocated funding from that project to explore LGBT aging and care in the marginalised areas. LGBT discrimination has been indicated as a key factor in the onset of mental health issues later in adulthood. Older adults are generally at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The older transgender community with mental health care needs thus often suffers multiple forms of oppression within a heteronormative society. The aim of the research was to determine the mental health care challenges experienced by older transgender people in the Cape Metropole, Western Cape. Objectives to reach this aim included exploring and describing the unique challenges faced by older transgender people, their experiences when accessing mental health care, and describing strategies of addressing their mental health care needs. The research methodology entailed a qualitative approach. Snowball sampling was applied for selecting five older transgender participants and five key informants. Photo voice, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) design, was used. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviewing, focus groups, and photo journaling. Themes were developed from the data utilising Thematic Analysis, aided by Atlas.ti software. Ethics and trustworthiness were certified through guidance by the research supervisor. This research was classified as high risk, since it involved marginalised individuals from the aged LGBT community. Anxiety in the group was anticipated and dealt with by providing further counselling where needed. The findings indicate that older transgender people experience minority stress across all racial and age cohorts. They suffer heightened anxiety when accessing healthcare services, as they anticipate transphobia and oppression. In addition, the intersectional socio-economic status of age and gender identity seems to contribute to building resilience within the participants. Lastly, substance use and social and professional support were identified as coping strategies in the face of on-going discrimination.

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Alex, an intersex 19 year old, decides that the only way he can be a complete man is to have penis resection surgery, but when the only job available to him is job on the river, he must face his extreme aquaphobia and fear of the feminine and learn to follow the true flow of his nature.

Der englischsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur widmet sich Ulrike Kohns Beitrag, „‘I was first one thing and then the other‘. Auf der Suche nach der Mitte in Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex“, mit dem sich der erste Band der GenderGraduateProjects auch den Queer Studies öffnet. Sein innovativer Anspruch resultiert vor allem aus seiner forschungskritischen Qualität und seinem Charakter als textanalytisch versierter Gegenlektüre zu kritischen Stimmen, wie sie gegen Jeffrey Eugenides' Erfolgsroman Middlesex (2002) in den politisierten Diskussionen um angemessene ästhetische Repräsentationen intersexueller Identitätsentwürfe seit seinem Erscheinen erhoben worden sind. Eine solche gelinge, so der kritische Tenor, dem konventionell binaristischen Roman nicht. Kohns differenzierte literaturwissenschaftliche Analyse des Romans auf der Basis von Gérard Genettes narratologischem Instrumentarium zeigt aber, dass sich Eugenides‘ thematisch und strukturell komplexer, hoch intertextueller Text hinter seiner konservativ-heterosexuellen und männlichen Oberflächenstruktur der grundsätzlichen Problematik, unter dem Diktat binaristischer Epistemik und normativer Limitierungen ʻdas Andere‘ sprachlich je realisieren zu können, immer aufs Neue stellt und hierfür in vielschichtiger Weise Figuren der Spaltung, Transgression, Repetition und des Hybriden setzt. Kohns Lesart verdeutlicht, dass der Roman auf der Ebene der Fiktion mit dem intersexuellen ErzählerProtagonist-Hybriden Cal Stephanides die Modellierung einer intersexuellen Figur und eines positiven Identifikationsraums zwar verfehlt oder verweigert. Indem er in Figuren des Unsagbaren und der Spaltung die Problematik zugleich aber ästhetisch lesbar macht, sensibilisiert er metafiktional für akute Fehlstellen im Umgang mit intersexuellen Menschen und für ihre zwangsläufige Unsichtbarkeit innerhalb eines normativen, exklusiven, binären Systems. Damit erweist sich der Roman – entgegen aller kritischen Stimmen – als kulturkritisch und zeitpolitisch.

In Science Fiction Imagines Intersex: Melissa Scott’s Shadow Man (1995) untersucht Mascha Helene Lange diesen Roman als narrative Verhandlung der Geschlechtskategorie Intersex. Der 1995 erschienene Roman führt fünf verschiedene Geschlechtskategorien mit dazugehörigen Pronomen ein und stellt eine intergeschlechtliche Person als Hauptcharakter in den Mittelpunkt. Der Roman scheint damit innovative Lesarten von Intersexualität abseits einer beschränkenden binären Geschlechtsordnung zu versprechen. Der Beitrag argumentiert jedoch, dass Scotts Roman auf Erzählstrukturen zurückgreift, die Intersexualität auf verschiedene Weise als Abweichung darstellen und, so Mascha Helene Lange in Anlehnung an Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, zu einer Freak-Erscheinung macht. So funktionalisiert Shadow Man insbesondere Diskurse der Kolonisierung, Sexualisierung und Pathologisierung und grenzt Intersexindividuen nicht nur aufgrund körperlicher Sexualmerkmale ab, sondern auch auf Basis ‚rassischer‘ Herkunft und sexueller Orientierung. Der Beitrag argumentiert weiter, dass eine Perspektivierung und Subjektivierung dieser Prozesse durch den zentralen Intersex Charakter im Roman fehlt, so dass der Subjektstatus von Intersexpersonen in Shadow Man durch Othering stark eingeschränkt wird.

Several studies have been carried out to understand reproductive biology of invasive crayfish. Many researchers have described how invasive species establish their population in new habitats, interactions between native and invasive species, their fast spreading, changing of behavior and biology especially reproductive behavior and even genetics. But it seems that there are still lots of questions and gaps which need to be addressed in case of invasive crayfish species. This thesis tried to focus on different aspects of reproduction biology of invasive crayfish. Generally, the normal crayfish reproduction mode is gonochorism. But, it has been showed in the literature that a few species such as Cherax quadricarinatus, Samastacus spinifrons, Parastacus virilastacus and Pacifastacus leniusculus may have different reproduction modes such as hermaphroditism or intersex. Parthenogenesis has been found in Procambarus fallax f. virginalis. Also, apomictic parthenogenesis has been reported in Orconectes limosus. Moreover, there have been several manipulations which directly affect reproduction biology of crayfish under lab conditions. Additionally, hybridization can be expected between Astacus astacus and Astacus leptodactylus, Orconectes rusticus and Orconectes propinquus under natural conditions. Some studies supposed that chemical factors also one of the reasons which could lead to some changes in reproductive system of crayfish. The objective of the Chapter 2 was to report first evidence of intersex in the signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1852). That specimen appeared morphologically male but with both male and female genital openings, as well. Spermophores were obtained from vas defertia of this speciemen. Histological study was carried out and it has shown that both spermatophores and oocytes were present. The gonadosomatic index showed that intersex male had a GSI three times more higher than normal males. The ultrastructure of spermatozoa in three cambarid species Cambarus robustus, Orconectes propinquus, Orconectes rusticus were described and compered with eight previously studied species from family of Astacidae, Cambaridae and Parastacidae. In the studied cambarids, the crest-like protrusions in the anterior part of the acrosome is one of the most remarkable differences in case of morphological feature in spermatozoa and can be used for distinguishing the members of Cambaridae. The results of biometrical data showed that the smallest and biggest acrosome sizes in the studied species were in Parastacidae and Astacidae, respectively. The duration of post-mating spermatophore storage as well as the timing and temperature of spawning in two crayfish species (Pacifastacus leniusculus and Astacus astacus) were investigated in the Chapter 4. Seventy-one pairs of adult signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) and thirty six pairs of noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) were used for experiment. The results indicated that there was a significant difference (P<0.05) between noble crayfish and signal crayfish in average duration of the post-mating spermatophore storage. The duration of the post-mating spermatophore storage is longer in the noble crayfish with 34.6 ? 1.7 days than the signal crayfish with 3.9 ? 0.5 days. There were also differences in the timing of mating and egg laying between the signal crayfish and noble crayfish. In the population of signal crayfish both mating and egg laying overlapped, but in the population of noble crayfish there was at least two weeks gap between last mating and first egg laying individuals. Water temperature was significantly (P<0.05) higher during mating and egg laying in the signal crayfish than the noble crayfish. The average temperatures for mating in both species were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the temperatures that they utilized for egg laying. As a conclusion more research is needed for better understand of the reproduction strategies in invasive crayfish.

abstract: Gender and sex are often conflated. Our laws, policies, and even science establish sex and gender as intrinsically linked and dimorphic in nature. This dissertation examines the relationship between sex and gender and the repercussions of this linked dimorphism in the realms of law, politics, and science. Chapter One identifies the legal climate for changing one's sexual identity post-surgical reassignment. It pays particular attention to the ability of postsurgical transsexuals to marry in their acquired sex. Chapter Two considers the process for identifying the sex of athletes for the purposes of participation in sex-segregated athletic events, specifically the role of testing and standards for categorization. Chapter Three explores the process of identifying and assigning the sex of intersex children. Chapter Four examines the process of prenatal sex selection and its ethical implications. Chapter Four also offers an anticipatory governance framework to address these implications. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Political Science 2013

This paper aims to shed light on the intersex infant, a baby born with an unclear gender. The main goal of the paper is to discuss whether unnecessary gender normalizing surgeries on infants, also called intersex genital mutilation (IGM) that is not necessary to preserve the life or physical health of the infant is in the best interest of the child. Legal method will be used to frame the topic in a legal context and discourse analysis in combination with content analysis will be applied in order to understand the transformation of intersex, from being a social emergency to becoming a human rights issue. The use of the concept, the best interest of the child will serve as an analytical framework together with a theoretical framework consisting of queer theory. Together it will help to map out the human rights challenges regarding IGM as a socially constructed medical product that needs to be highlighted and prevented in order to secure the rights of the child. Hopefully, the concluding results will contribute to further awareness on the issue of unnecessary infant intersex surgery and frame it in a human rights context.

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore and describe how two gay male parents transitioned to parenthood. The Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) theoretical model was used as the theoretical framework for understanding the experiences of the two participants in the study. The study also used an interpretivist paradigm and explorative case study design. The participants were purposely selected, and the data were generated by means of a semi-structured interview. The findings indicate that the participants experienced similar resistance from their families of origin after ‘coming out’ to them. The ability of one of the participants to become a parent was questioned. The participants in the study, like most couples, considered various factors such as their financial situation and their medical aid benefits before they decided to become parents. They also had to consider their pathway to parenthood, which in their case was adoption. The participants faced many challenges during the adoption process such as finding a country that allowed gay men to adopt, having limited adoption options due to changes in the law, and trying to get paternity leave. They reported that as parents they felt marginalised by the school system and also by having to deal with insensitive and uncomfortable questions from members of society about their family identity. Their children also experienced bullying at school. They were, however, able to establish a strong family and felt fulfilled in their role as parents. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

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