Background

In 2025, the HSRC partnered with The Other Foundation, a human rights organisation that supports community-based research and advocacy for the purpose of advancing LGBTQI+ rights and inclusion in the Southern African region, to implement a nationally representative survey of South Africans aged 16 years and older on levels of acceptance, perceived discrimination, and social inclusion affecting LGBTQI+ communities in South Africa. This survey module was implemented between late 2025 and early 2026 as part of the HSRC’s annual South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS) series, and represents an important update of a baseline survey module administered in 2015.

We are proud to have now implemented two iterations of this survey in partnership with The Other Foundation. This survey is groundbreaking in many ways, particularly for a country and region that does not have a strong established tradition of quantitative social science research on LGBTQI+ lives and communities.

• First, the use of standardised questions aligned with other regional surveys supported by the Other Foundation enables cross-country comparisons across different countries in the Southern African region.
• Second, the survey provides nationally representative and scientifically valid data that can be used by civil society for activism, advocacy, policy engagement and further research.
• Third, the survey research process used by the HSRC specifically emphasised a culture of collaboration and inclusion, drawing on key individuals and organisations in the LGBTQI+ field to enhance the design, relevance and impact of the research.

Why grey literature matters

We are currently analysing the findings of the HSRC/The Other Foundation 2025 survey module on sexual orientation and gender identity and systematically compiling the findings into a report format. During this process, we have become increasingly aware of the current size and scope of South Africa’s LGBTQI+ research agenda and that traditional academic research has tended to neglect and historically underrepresent LGBTQI+ people. 

Many national surveys and datasets fail to include issues of sexual orientation or gender identity. The structural bias in academic research toward heteronormativity has led to academic ‘gatekeeping’ and publication barriers that prevent many important issues from being addressed through research. Research funding bodies may see LGBTQI+ research as controversial, politically sensitive or legally risky, leading to underfunding and a situation in which researchers may find it difficult to access funding and build long-term research programmes.

The result is a knowledge gap that grey literature and community-based research have often stepped in to fill. Grey literature (i.e. non-peer-reviewed and unpublished materials) can often produce important knowledge and insights, especially in contexts where mainstream academic journals may stigmatise and marginalise some LGBTQI+ topics. Such materials can also serve to document and preserve the organic knowledge and insights that emerge within communities themselves in ways that avoid traditional academic barriers and ‘gatekeeping’. 

Call for contributions

In light of this, the HSRC in partnership with The Other Foundation, invites submissions of relevant grey literature to strengthen the evidence base on LGBTQI+ populations in South Africa as well as to deepen and enrich our interpretation of the 2025 survey findings on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The collected grey materials will also support research, policy development, and advocacy efforts in South Africa and the Southern African region. A strong, inclusive and intersectional research agenda is crucial for LGBTQI + communities. Without it, the challenges faced by LGBTQI+ communities risk remaining marginalised, misunderstood or simply invisible, leading to underrepresentation in statistics, lack of policy inclusion and erasure of LGBTQI+-specific concerns.

We are particularly interested in materials that enhance our intersectional understanding of the LGBTQI+ community, including how sexual orientation and gender identity intersect with race, class, geographical location, disability, and other social determinants, and help to affirm the emerging identities and terminologies that are continuously evolving as part of the lived realities of LGBTQI+ people and communities.

Types of submissions

Accordingly, we would like to invite the following inputs:

• Organisational and NGO reports
• Programme evaluations and technical reports
• Theses and dissertations
• Conference papers and presentations
• Community-based research outputs
• Advocacy materials

We particularly encourage submissions from community-based organisations, practitioners, and independent researchers whose work may not be represented in traditional academic publishing.

We invite submissions on a wide range of themes, including but not limited to:

• Health and wellbeing (including HIV/AIDS and mental health)
• Human rights, legal frameworks, and access to justice
• Education, teaching and learning and educational environments including schools and higher education institutions
• Socioeconomic justice and inclusion/labour market participation
• Gender identity, expression, and intersectionality
• Public attitudes towards the LGBTQI+ community

Contributions relating to South Africa and the broader Global South are particularly encouraged.

Submission guidelines

Contributors are requested to submit materials in PDF or Word format or to provide a direct link where applicable. Each submission should include the title of the document; author(s) and/or organisation, year of publication and a brief abstract or summary of 150-300 words.

Submissions should be sent to Dr Annsilla Nyar Ndlovu at anndlovu@hsrc.ac.za and/or Dr Benjamin Roberts at broberts@hsrc.ac.za.

Ethical considerations
The HSRC is firmly committed to ethical research practices. Submitted materials will be used solely for research and academic purposes. Contributors may request anonymity where appropriate, and all sensitive information will be safeguarded in accordance with relevant ethical standards and data protection protocols. Unless anonymity is requested, appropriate acknowledgment will be given to all contributors.

For further information please contact Dr Annsilla Nyar Ndlovu at anndlovu@hsrc.ac.za. Follow the HSRC’s social media channels for further details and help us reach a wider audience by sharing this call for submissions of grey literature on sexual orientation and gender identity.