Building a Unified, Relevant, and Responsive Psychology

Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD)

Member Login
PsySSA Commemorates International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia, and Transphobia.

PsySSA Commemorates International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia, and Transphobia.

by | May 15, 2026 | Decolonising Psychology (DP), Mental Health Advocacy, Mental Health Calendar, Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD)

PsySSA Commemorates International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia, and Transphobia.

 

On International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, PsySSA joins the global community in affirming the dignity, rights, safety, and humanity of LGBTQIA+ people.

Contributions from PsySSA’s Decolonising Psychology Division (DPD) and Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD) reflect on the ongoing realities of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, gender-based violence, discrimination, and the harmful impact of exclusionary systems and practices. They also call for collective action to strengthen advocacy, mental healthcare access, legal protections, and affirming psychosocial support for LGBTQIA+ individuals across South Africa and the African continent.

PsySSA reaffirms its commitment to ethical, evidence-based, and affirming psychological practice that promotes dignity, freedom of expression, and the right of all people not only to survive, but to thrive.

 

IDAHOBIT 2026: At the heart of democracy is the right of all to thrive

South Africa, as an active member of the international community, has a responsibility “to advance our constitutional values beyond our borders,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 4th meeting of the ‘In Defence of Democracy’ initiative in Barcelona, Spain, on 18 April.

While there has been pushback against our Constitution within our borders, there is, arguably, still sufficient consensus that constitutional values are the backbone of our democracy. These include: the rule of law; an independent judiciary; protection of fundamental freedoms (such as association, speech and movement); equal opportunity and justice; political participation; accountability and transparency; and the protection of minorities. In summary, a true democracy ensures that freedom is not just a gift from government, but a protected right (as illustrated by the South African Bill of Rights).

What has this got to do with IDAHOBIT, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, celebrated every year on 17 May? This year’s theme ‘At the heart of democracy’ is a reminder that truly democratic societies must be grounded in justice and freedom for everyone. And ‘everyone’ includes members of our LGBTQIA+ communities, who, along with everyone else who resides in South Africa, have the right not just to exist, but to thrive.

One aspect of thriving is being able to express and fulfil one’s highest and most actualised self, living out the potential in all of us to find love and work, live a decent and dignified life, and participate in community and political spaces. To thrive one must be valued from a young age, nurtured, protected, loved and celebrated.

As the Sexuality and Gender Division of PsySSA, we therefore call for ‘conversion practices’ (attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender) to be outlawed, not only in South Africa, but in the rest of Africa too. With Outright International, we have produced a Toolkit for Mental Health Providers working with Survivors of Conversion Practices in Africa, based on research conducted by Outright. This research has shown the devastating effects of conversion practices, often causing lasting psychological, social, spiritual and physical harms, impeding thriving. Noteworthy is that these practices are often imposed on vulnerable young people.

If South Africa is to truly be a ‘defender of democracy’ beyond its borders, this must start at home. While existing law could assist survivors of conversion practices, it does not go far enough to prevent these practices and the harms they cause. Our president, if he started a process of banning conversion practices, would send a powerful message to the whole African continent, that constitutional values of equality, fairness, dignity and freedom are not just words on paper, but vehicles for legal and social change. At the ‘heart of democracy’ is the freedom of all Africans to thrive, not just survive, the attempts to change, crush and distort their sexuality or gender. This IDAHOBIT celebration should be a call for activism which ends dehumanising conversion practices, once and for all.

Author

Pierre Brouard, Clinical Psychologist, Executive Member, Sexuality and Gender Division, PsySSA; Research Associate, Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, UP; and Extraordinary Lecturer, Centre for Human Rights, UP.

Click here to read more and download

The 17th of May marks International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, And Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). The day draws its significance from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) decision to remove homosexuality from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) by declassifying it as a mental disorder in 1990. This marked a shift in collective humanity and freedom.

IDAHOBIT, in 2026, is celebrated under the theme, “At the heart of democracy.” This theme symbolizes the centrality of the role of democracy in mental health advocacy, freedom of expression, and the fundamental right to life for everyone. It comes at a time when the rights of LGBTQIA+ people face significant threats from governments, groups, and individuals. Recently, this has been worsened by the termination of the United States Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in South Africa. The termination of PEPFAR has reduced access to healthcare services such as HIV prevention and management, including Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), as well as gender-affirming care.

While South Africa leads as one of the African countries with the most progressive legislation regarding the LGBTQIA+ community, homosexuality remains criminalised in much of the continent. Despite South Africa’s milestones in recognising LGBTQIA+ rights, including the Civil Union Act of 2006, gender-based violence persists in daily life. Horrific cases of corrective rape, among other forms of violence and homicide, target members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Each unresolved incident undermines the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and highlights the ongoing failures of the criminal justice system.

Whilst the psychology profession in South Africa has been at the forefront of advocacy against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, as demonstrated by essential guiding manuals such as PsySSA’s Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People (2025), which seek to ensure gender discrimination does not take place within the profession and beyond, there remains a lot of work that is to be done to address the way in which gender justice remains largely inaccessible in society at large.

What remains a key issue is how healthcare and criminal justice institutions continue to adhere to colonial gender frameworks, which further undermine gender justice, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas. As an essential part of decolonising psychology, we therefore call psychologists in clinical, educational, research, and industrial fields to move beyond the professional setting.

There is a need to collaborate with activist organisations that bring to life the principles of gender equality, freedom of expression, and an ethics of care outlined in the guiding manual.

Resources:
https://www.psyssa.com/practice-guidelines-for-psychology-professionals-working-with-sexually-and-gender-diverse-people-2nd-ed/
https://anovahealth.co.za/our-work/key-populations/
https://www.samesamecollective.org/

 

Click here to read more and download
Congratulations! 2026 American Psychological Foundation (APF) Theodore Blau Early Career Award Recipient

Congratulations! 2026 American Psychological Foundation (APF) Theodore Blau Early Career Award Recipient

by | Mar 31, 2026 | Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD)

Congratulations to Dr Cornelius J Victor

The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) warmly congratulates Dr Cornelius J Victor on being selected as a recipient of the 2026 American Psychological Foundation (APF) Theodore Blau Early Career Award for Outstanding Contribution to Professional Clinical Psychology.

Dr Victor has been an active contributor within PsySSA, serving on the Executive Committee of the Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD) and playing a key role in the African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project. His work reflects a strong commitment to advancing inclusive, socially responsive psychological practice.

This prestigious international recognition highlights both his individual contributions and the broader impact of South African psychology on the global stage.

We celebrate this outstanding achievement and wish him continued success in his work and leadership.

About Dr Cornelius Victor

Dr Cornelius (Niel) Victor is a Clinical and Research Psychologist whose work spans psychotherapy, supervision, training, and consultation. His practice is grounded in evidence-based, inclusive, and affirming approaches, with a strong commitment to creating therapeutic spaces where individuals feel safe, respected, and able to explore their experiences meaningfully.

Dr Niel Victor is a founding member of the PsySSA Sexuality and Gender Division African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights project, co-led the development of the original PsySSA affirmative practice guidelines and remains a very active member thereof.

He holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of South Africa (UNISA), with research focused on psychologists’ competence in affirming sexually diverse clients in the South African context. He also holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology (UNISA, with distinction) and a Master’s degree in Research Psychology from the University of Pretoria. Dr Victor is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as both a Clinical and Research Psychologist.

SGD Commemorates: Zero Discrimination Day

SGD Commemorates: Zero Discrimination Day

by | Mar 10, 2026 | Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD)

 

SGD Commemorates:

 

“Zero Discrimination Day: A call for enacting the
Constitution in everyday life”

 

Written by: Angeline Stephens, PhD
Chair: PsySSA Sexuality and Gender Division 

Zero Discrimination Day was celebrated internationally on 1 March under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). The overarching aim of this day is to promote equality and social inclusion by dismantling all forms of discrimination. The 2026 theme, “People first”, is particularly poignant in the South African context, which is characterised by multiple forms of discrimination and oppression, despite the constitution’s legal protections for its citizens. The 2026 theme, promoted by the Joint United Nations Programme
on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), highlights “the persistent discrimination faced by people living with and at risk of HIV, discrimination that undermines access to health services, [and] violates rights” (https://www.unaids.org/en/2026-zerodiscrimination-day).

Click Here To Read More
Sexuality and Gender Division – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

Sexuality and Gender Division – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

by | Dec 2, 2025 | 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD)

Digital spaces have become the new frontier of misogyny — a “wild west” where women, girls and gender-diverse people face cyberstalking, image-based abuse, deepfakes, hate speech, coercive control and algorithmically amplified harassment.

The PsySSA Sexuality and Gender Division reflects on how digital violence is part of a broader continuum of patriarchy, discrimination and gender-power dynamics. Drawing on global insights and African realities, this contribution examines how technology – far from neutral – can reinforce and accelerate inequality, while exposing already-marginalised groups to intensified harm.

The piece also outlines key actions we must take as psychologists, educators, policymakers and communities to address this evolving landscape of violence.

Read the full contribution to explore how digital violence is reshaping gendered harm — and what we must do to resist it.

PsySSA Sexuality and Gender Division

Digital violence against women and girls, a new frontier in the “wild west” of misogyny.

When Laura Bates launched the “Everyday Sexism” Project in 2012, she started a quiet revolution.

She brought to our attention the link between casual, everyday forms of gender-based harassment (often experienced by women and girls in the streets of daily life) and the more serious manifestations of sexual and gender-based violence and femicide. Ideologically, they have the same origins, deeply rooted in longstanding gender-power structures: patriarchal control, objectification of women, and misogynistic violence.

Since then we have seen the rise of digital violence against women and girls (and sexual and gender minorities), still part of the same continuum of power-inflected animosity towards anyone and anything that disrupted heterosexual male entitlement.

This has manifested in phenomena which disproportionately affect women and girls; cyberstalking; the non-consensual sharing of intimate images; hate speech and harassment online to spread misogynistic, or abusive messages; misinformation and disinformation to damage a woman’s reputation or discredit her; coercive control (using technology, such as tracking devices or smart home devices, to monitor and control a person’s behaviour); and deepfakes (using technology to manipulate images or videos to create false and harmful content).

We also know that minorities across Africa experience digital harms. Speaking at a recent Cybersecurity and Digital Rights round table, Mansah Amoah noted that LGBTQI+ youth, migrants and individuals from rural or low-income contexts face heightened exposure to targeted harassment, disinformation, surveillance and exclusion. This is enabled by anonymity and algorithmic amplification which intensify hate speech and harassment.

In her new book, The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny, Bates argues that not only does technology not automatically liberate or equalise, it has the potential to reinforce, accelerate and embed patriarchal structures and a range of inequalities in ways that are often less visible.

It does this through Artificial Intelligence (AI) which amplifies sexism and misogyny by reproducing and magnifying biased data and social norms in self-learning systems whose inner workings and long-term effects we cannot fully trace or predict.
Because these technologies are often designed, funded and controlled by a narrow demographic (generally men, white, global‐north), says Bates, they reflect their priorities and blind-spots. There is a potential “wild-west” effect: the pace of technology innovation outstrips regulation, ethical oversight, social norms and protections.

The end result is a poorly regulated online world where women and girls (and minorities) aren’t just passive beneficiaries of technology, they are active targets and subjects of new forms of abuse, harassment and exploitation, with devastating social and psychological consequences.

Fixing this is not going to be easy, in a sense the battle has almost been lost. But we can do some of the following:

  • Interrogate who designs, who profits, whose bodies are used and whose safety is assumed in relation to online technologies, platforms and tools.
  • Pay attention to structural and systemic change in technology: algorithmic oversight and virtual space regulation is more powerful than only holding individuals to account.
  • Lobby for better (or better implementation of) laws on digital harms.
  • Adopt an intersectional view. Gender’s intersection with race, class, disability and global geography matters: those already marginalised may bear the brunt of technological inequalities in the form of facial-recognition bias, deepfake targeting and surveillance.
  • Expand our frameworks of sexual violence and gender harm to include these technologically mediated forms.
  • Conduct further research and scholarship in the area of digital violence against women, children and gender diverse people, so as to inform policy.
  • And, engage early and explicitly in our work as therapists, thinkers, educators and policy makers.

 

Mr Pierre Brouard – Sexuality and Gender Division (Additional Member)