A Phenomenological Exploration of Tertiary Sport Activities for Students with Non-Normative Gender Expressions in Three South African Institutions

Participation in sports extends beyond individual health and well-being; it also encompasses the creation of inclusive and socially just sporting environments. However, within South African tertiary institutions, sports activities often perpetuate social injustices for students with non-normative gender expressions. These activities are rooted in (hetero)cisnormative values and ideologies, posing challenges for students who reject institutional gender norms and prevailing cultural norms while participating in tertiary sports. Addressing this issue is essential to align with the Constitution’s principles of equality and inclusion. This article explores students’ experiences with non-normative gender identities in their participation in sports across three South African tertiary institutions. Three self-identified transgender students were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. This phenomenological study employs a poetic inquiry approach to gather data. To analyse the data collected, Michel Foucault’s governmentality theory was used to comprehend participants’ experiences. This framework offers unique insights into the exclusionary practices participants face when attempting to engage in sport activities at their respective tertiary institutions. Qualitative content analysis was employed to analyse the raw data, yielding two primary themes, namely: (1) the presence of governmentality in tertiary sport activities, and (2) the impact of sport-related exclusion for students with non-conforming bodies. The study’s findings highlight that sports officials in tertiary institutions often act as gatekeepers, depriving gender-diverse individuals of their human rights. To challenge cisnormativity within tertiary institutions, it is imperative to address the misalignment between policies, the Constitution, and the participants’ experiences.