Abstract: Submission #60

Biosketch University residences have received little attention from scholarship on queerphobic bullying in South Africa. The issues surrounding same-sex identities and residence life remain a key challenge for residence departments and managers. Overwhelming evidence suggests that students living arrangements in university residences are often cis-heteronormative and present queer students with adjustment difficulties, homophobia and unconducive studying conditions. While this is so, it is worth mentioning that the experiences of living away from home allow same-sex students to express and explore their identities freely and simultaneously have the liberty to negotiate their same-sex identities. There is still limited research that focuses on the resilience and resistance of queer students. Using photo voice to engage queer students to understand how they experience, respond to, resist, and remain resilient in queerphobic spaces in and around university residences. The study also centres on how the available resources and challenges aid queer students to stay resilient; furthermore, it also intends to recommend more informed interventions to enhance queer students' life in university residences.