CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY, 2016 VOL. 18, NO. 11, 1309–1318 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2016.1182213 SHORT REPORT Gay Xhosa men’s experiences of ulwaluko (traditional male initiation) Anathi Ntozini and Hlonelwa Ngqangweni Department of Psychology, University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa ABSTRACT This paper explores the lives of gay men undergoing traditional initiation in the Eastern Cape. Nine participants aged between 18 and 26 reported their reasons for becoming traditionally circumcised, which included personal validation of cultural manhood, the desire to conform to societal norms and expectations, and pressure from family members to ‘convert’ them to heterosexuality. While homosexuality remains a target for vilifcation and abuse both in Southern Africa and across the African continent, practices such as ulwaluko (traditional male initiation) must surely be among the most threatening to a young gay Xhosa man’s self-esteem. Introduction Among amaXhosa, the transition to manhood for boys is marked by a ritual called ulwaluko, also known as traditional male initiation. The act of circumcision is only one of several activ- ities included in the process of initiation. Boys generally undergo this ritual between the ages of 16 and 26 (Mavundla et al. 2010). The amaXhosa have been practising the ritual as a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood for centuries. There are various components of the ritual of ulwaluko. Firstly, the pain that an initiate experiences during the transition is believed to play a vital role in validating his cultural manhood (Mgqolozana 2009). Secondly, Bongela (2001) explains that any umkhwetha (ini- tiate going through ulwaluko) is expected to pay due respect to this transitional stage and not to question its demands and sufering. Thirdly, ulwaluko is regarded as a sacred cultural practice whereby boys are formally introduced to their ancestors. Fourthly, the ritual is con- sidered important in the development of an individual’s growth and construction of social identity. Fifthly, according to Mavundla et al. (2009, 400) the circumcision is to be conducted by a recognized traditional surgeon or ingcibi. Although amaXhosa men revere the custom and would like to believe that a ‘well respected, upstanding member of the community’ should perform the act, this is not always the case (Sidimba 2011, 14). The integrity of the custom is also sometimes compromised by negligent traditional attendants. This has led to a rise in the number of casualties among those participating in the rite (Vincent 2008). In South Africa, the state has responded by putting in place a variety of mechanisms to regulate © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. KEYWORDS Beliefs; cultural practices; gay men; South Africa; ulwaluko ARTICLE HISTORY Received 28 January 2015 Accepted 20 April 2016 CONTACT Anathi Ntozini antozini@ufh.ac.za Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here. OPEN ACCESS