Moving Beyond the Gay Metropolises: Lessons Learned from Stellenbosch

Abstract After roughly 20 years since the emergence of urban scholarship in same-sex sexualities South Africa, it is worthwhile considering how some concerns that originally animated have evolved and also such are today reflected differently away from primary cities (where much earlier research was conducted). In this commentary, I explore unique history Stellenbosch, a university town/secondary city 50 km Cape Town. Stellenbosch’s own of—and recent developments with regard to—public (male) expression help set into relief points towards future questions may be applicable elsewhere on African continent. While, as made clear, Stellenbosch key instances terms its sexualized raced both Africa wider continent, position what we might increasingly want to frame secondary city, particular racial composition, changing spaces socio-sexual interaction COVID-19 pandemic gesture areas potentially generative interest.