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Queer Black Feminism:
The Pleasure Principle
Abstract =
Keywords X
fem;pop-feminism
queer;black;feminism; -
z colour and feministsof dubious social status. But colour was not
', includedin the generaldiscussionas blackfeministsin the 1970sbattled
*- out thisterrainthatfeminismdid not alwaysactivelycall its own. It has
°¢ becomeclear in writingthis essay that of paramountimportanceto
,
...
queerblackfeministpracticeis the projectof redrawingthe parameters
- of feminismas a history,practice,and theory.It would also rescuemy
zs academicandlesbianembarrassments.
ub
(Whowas AlecDobkinsanyway?)
Knowingthisis by now a repetitive litanyI stillfindit imperative
to state:
the brandof feminismthatseemsto havepassedme by,thatwaxesdis-
appointedin my ignorance,worksmainlyfrom the university,from a
prescriptivewhite intellectualtheoryof gender,and from an already
enlightenedstate of sexual oppressionwithin patriarchy.One would
haveto know aboutand agreeon the termsof oppressionto enterthat
sphere.Accessseemsto havebeena seriousproblemfor feministtheory
and practice,not just for me personally,but as evidencedby the subse-
quentchallengesfeminismfacedin the 1970s and 1980sfromwomenof
colour and diverseclassesand sexualities.I have begun to consider
myselfa fortunateyoungfeminist.I circumvented the squabblethrough
my culturalimpoverishment. I know I am fortunateas a blackfeminist
becausethis allowedme to believethat sexualitywas the firstorderof
the day.Themediaput out the backend of feminism,literallythe femin-
ist as a sexualizedrevolutionary.WhatI am suggestingis thatthis sexy
back end providedmore than just a pleasantdiversion.This media-
hypedfeministwas perhapsepitomizedby the big-breasted bra-burning
AdrienneBarbeau,who playedthe daughteron the TV show Maude.A
feministwas sexuallyrebelliousif also straightandrighteous.In thisTV
situationcomedy,actressBea Arthuras the mother,Maude,dominated
the familylife. One mightarguethat Maudeherselfwas the betterver-
sionof genderfuck on the show.I can onlyconfessI foundherdomineer-
ing masculinity seductiveand had a masturbatory fantasyor two about
herandAdrienne's buch-femmother-daughter duo.
(Theconfessionis a coreparadigmof feministconsciousness.)
Feminismwas the equivalentof power,in turnthe equivalentof sexual
pleasure.Afterrealizingthe difficulties
the threetermshaveencountered
withinfeministand specifically blackfeministdebate,I havelearnedto
appreciateand come back to this youthfulif not naive connection.I
resist being educatedout of my feminism.Ratherthan interpretmy
l historyas one devoidof feminismit seemsmoreproductiveto ask what
1lo I brandof feminismwas at workin my experience? Whoweremy feminist
rolemodelsthen?Whatlessonsdidtheyimpartto me aboutbeingfemale 4
and black?How can I understandthe impactof a media-popularized X
female sexuality?Was it straight-upgender oppressionand objecti- >
fication,as perhapsthe anti-pornfeministsmightargue?Did equating t
feminismwith sexualprowessundermine it or can the pejorativeimages -
be reclaimed? Is this culturalbackgroundof the 1970s and 1980s mine
to claim?
(Ain'tI a feministtoo?)
If I focuson feminismas the only categoryfor consideration an ellipsis
occurs:therewereother identityaspectsto work out. The type of pulp-
pop commercialized imagesI adheredto were not just about feminist
pleasure;instead,theseimagesoftenscrambledboundaries by lettingthe
wrongrace and class identitiesmeanderacrossthem.For instance,in
claiminga commercial andpopularfeminismas my historyI mentioned
Cheras a strongrecollection of a recognitionof genderand sexualityas
empowering. WhatI did not stateovertlyandwhatis encodedin Cher's
imageis hermixed-race body- a bodythatresonatesfor mine.Thereis
a crucialfacetto this coding:withinthe gossip-history of Cher'sracial
mix the imbricationof class with race is made obviousratherthan
belabouredas a complicatedconnectionto be searchedout. I recall
that in interviewsand songsCherspokeabouther mixedAnglo-Native
Americanidentification andpovertyclassbackground andthatprovided
me with information and affirmationof how oftenone was inherentin
the other.Moreover,this pop-imagerumourmodel of racial mixing
offersinsightinto the raceslass nexusby enactingpubliclythatto be of
mixedparentagecoulddefineone'sclassstanding,while,if one was in a
particularclass (stardom),it could be amelioratedby class privilege.
Class,andmostcertainlyrace,seemto havebeentwo areasof difficulty
for feminismto fill in and, when it did, it oftenessentializedhow they
weremediatedby gender.
I thinkit is difficultto writeaboutfeminismand at the sametimehave
thewritingbe aboutrace.Thisis perhapsone of the mostimportant con-
cernsfor a queerblackfeministpractice:to makethe terrainof feminist
sexual politicsa discourseon race. In understanding this as a queer
blackfeministprojectit is importantthen to understand how different
culturalimagesmightwork. ObviouslyI am relyingon a theorizingof
mymemoryof gossiprags.Butif it is mistakenmemory,thenthe fantasy
standsin - the narrativeI did createwith Cher'simage.Ratherthan
questionthe veracityof memory-fantasy I would point to the Iyricsof
some of Cher'ssongs for verificationof this readingof her body.
Anyoneremember hersinging'Half-breed'?
*-X * * * * - t
lll
temlnlsm.
IV I
My grandmother taught me how to play jacks. This is a nostalgic
memorymy fatherremindsme about.I can recallonly one timewhenI
was playingjackswith her.My parentswere havinga horrificbattlein
the next room.Whateverit may have been aboutdomestically, it was
alwaysaboutinterracialstrifeand economicstanding.In this case my
grandmother was beingdeployedas partof the battle.My fatherlikes
to remember thatshe taughtme to playjacksbecausehe likesto see the
similaritiesin us. My grandmotherand I were/areboth small, full-
breastedwomen with sharp features,hooded eyes, and long-fingered
handsslightlytoo largefor our bodies.Our skin tones were different;
my grandmother was reddishbrown and I rangefrom a pasty light
yellowishcomplexionto a nicer olive dependingon the weather.My
grandmother sat therethat day while they ragedabout her but really
about everythingelse it meantto be an interracialcouplein the US.
Theywho hadsentlove lettersto eachotherthatI hadsnuckunderthe
bed to read. Love lettersabout beautifulbrown handsand monkey-
bittenthighs.Shenevermisseda beatin our jacksgamethat day,but I
did. My grandmother taughtme that day to playjackswithoutmissing
a beat,no matterwhatstormis ragingon the horizon.
I thinkaboutthe womenon my father'ssideof the family.My auntsand
cousins.Therealauntswereall generations olderthanhimandreligious.
Theytaughtus childrento sit up straight,say pleaseandthankyou, and
wearourhairneat,if possible.Theotherauntswerereallycousinsbutso
mucholderthat we calledthemaunts.Someof themwere different,a
apartfromthechurchtheybelongedto socialorgan-
littlelessconstrained;
izations.Exceptone aunt-cousin.Shewas unruly,brown,and beautiful.
I do not knowif she was an activeblackradicaland blackfeministbut I
she seemedto know a lot. Sheworkedhardeachday,and had her up
anddowndaysso I thinkshe was a blackradicalandfeminist.Shewas
considereda she-devilin the familybecauseshe did whatshe wanted:a 17
@,, drinker,smoker,and cultivatorof shadymalelovers.I used to haveto
a beg to go overto her houseeven thoughit was her five childrenwith
'' whomI attendedschoolanddid call cousin.Shetold us so manythings
* of blackwomenin my familywereunableto.
the othergenerations
o
< andequality
(Balance values.)
arecorefeminist
z
> Vl
u
F thecomplexities
Inorderto betterillustrate involved in conceptsof com-
a munity, identity,andpoliticsat stakein a queerblackfeminist agenda I
wantto turnto a recentpublication of journalism andessaysby Sarah
Schulman entitledMy AmericanHistory: Les6ian and Gay Lik dxring
- the Reagan/Bus/7Years(1994).Thistextis nota comprehensive history
by anymeans,andin factcontainswritings donemostlybetween1981
and 1994, but, as I statedearlier,historyhas becomeimportant for
feminism in the 1990sand this is one such recent I
history. chose this
particular textoverotherrecentcontributions becauseit is experiential
andalready in an oddrelationto feminism withits queertrajectoryand
therefore providesa complicated Whatthe text
feministidentification.
offersthisessayis theperspective of a germinallesbianfeminist political
activistinvolved withqueeractivism, SarahSchulman, andas suchpre-
sentsan insider's viewon how movements definethemselves andtheir
. .
communltles.
Notes
l
BOGUS, SDiane (1991) 'The myth and tradition of the black bulldagger' in
Burana, Lily, Roxxie and Due, Linnea (1994) editors, Dagger Pittsburgh: Cleis
Press.
CARBY, Hatel V. (1987) ReconstructingWomanhood:The Emergenceof the
Afro-AmericanWomanNovelist New York: Oxford University Press.
ECHOLS, Alice (1984) 'The taming of the id: feminist sexual politics, 1968-83'
in Vance, Carole S. (1989) editor, Pleasure and Danger: Exploring Female
SexualityLondon: Pandora Press.
FRILOT, Shari (1995) 'Black nations/queer nations?', video 314" 52 minutes, New
York: Mix Festival, call 212 947 9277 for information.
GOLDSBY, Jackie (1993) 'Queen for 307 days: looking b(l)ack at Vanessa
Williams and the sex wars', in Stein, Arlene (1993) editor, Sisters)Sexperts,
Queers:Beyond the LesbianNation New York: Penguin.
HAMMONDS, Evelynn (1994) 'Black (w)holes and the geometry of black female
sexuality' Differences:A Journalof FeministCulturalStudiesVol. 6, No.2: 12645.
HARRIS, Thomas Allen (1995) 'Vintage: families of value', film 16mm,
72 minutes, USA, 619 534
call 1307 for information.
HOLLIBAUGH, Amber (1984) 'Desire for the future: radical hope in passion and
pleasure' in Vance, Carole S. (1989) editor, Pleasure and Danger: Exploring
FemaleSexualityLondon: Pandora Press.
hooks, bell (1989) 'Feminism: a transformational politic' in TalkingBlack:Think^
ing Feminist)ThinkingBlack Boston: South End Press.
LORDE, Audre (1984) 'Uses of the erotic: the erotic as power' in SisterOutsider
New York: South End Press.
(1980) 'An open letter to Mary Daly' in Anzaldua, Gloria and Moraga,
Cherrie (1981) editors, This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical
Womenof ColourNew York: Kitchen Table Press.
RICH, Adrienne (1980) 'Compulsory heterosexuality and lesbian existence' in
Snitow, Ann, Stansell, Chrisiine and Thompson, Sharon (1983) editors, Powers
Of Desire:The Politicsof SexualityNew York: Monthly Review Press.
RUBIN, Gayle (1984) 'Thinking sex: notes for a radical theory of the politics of
sexuality' in Vance, Carole S. (1989) editor, Pleasure and Danger: Exploring
FemaleSexualityLondon: Pandora Press.
RUSS,Joanne (1972) 'When itchanged' in Ellison, Harlan (1972) editor, Again
DangerousVisionsNew York: Doubleday.
SCHULMAN, Sarah (1994) My AmericanHistory:Lesbianand Gay Life during
the Reagan/BushYearsNew York: Routledge.
SM1TH, Barbara a black feminist criticism' in All the Womenare
(1977) 'Toward
White,All the Blacks are Men, but Some of Us are Brave New York: Feminist
Press, 1982.
(1992) 'The dance of masks', in The PersistentDesire: A Femme-Butch
ReaderBoston: Alyson Publishing.
SPlLLERS, Hortense (1987) 'Mama's baby, Papa's may be: an American grammar
book' DiacriticsVol. 17, No.2: 65-81.
WARNER, Michael (1993) 'Introduction', in Fearof a Queer Planet:QueerPoli-
3 tics and Social TheoryMinneapolis: University of Minneapolis Press.