from a convergence of interests in the work on LGBTIQ+ and queer identities among the centres. This year, the series is embedded in the Marburg Lecture series themed: 'De-and Reconstructing LGBTIQ+ Politics in a Postcolonial World', with lectures taking place in-person at the Philipps-Marburg University.'Parenthood, parental perceptions, and struggles among LGBTIQ+ individuals'
Mabenge is a PhD candidate in Public Health and holds a MA cum laude from Sussex University. He is an educationalist through his independent consultancy, Landa Mabenge Consulting; and is the author of Becoming Him-a trans memoir of triumph. His research focuses on access to inclusive therapies for trans and gender diverse populations at public university clinics in South Africa.
"... [A]ffirmation is such a great word. And actually isn't that what we need as human beings? Every single one of us needs to be affirmed for who we are, and how we present in the world no matter what dimension we are looking at. And we want to build communities where we affirm each other and where we are build affirming communities around us. And our first role as a parent is to affirm our child and to help the world around affirm our child," says Muller.
"So having access to counselling and affirming counselling, and again, as a parent, you've got to find the right psychologist, you've got to find the person who's going to be on your on your child's side ... As a parent, it's quite important to make sure your child have access to healthcare professionals that are sensitive to the kind of sexual health needs and conversations that they're going to need to have".
"...when we talk about fostering, inclusive communities, we decided to create our own community based organisation. And I really I think this is actually quite easy to do. My eldest child and I just put together a plan. We got together a bunch of invited people who are keen to join us and we put together a little startup group. I'm not even going to call it a committee because we don't have any financials, we don't have a bank account.
"Very sort of limited, I feel because it erases lots of diverse beings who may or may not have clear sort of characteristics defining biological features at birth, that will not marry what a blue or pink looks like. And for those of you who may not sort of quite get my coding, a blue is a boy, a male and they will grow up to be a husband a father, they've got clear sort of natural biological sex characteristics, same thing with a pink.