Queer Intersectionality

    Of the many articles in “Sexuality, Nationality, and Indigenety,” the ones that spoke to me the most were those that touched on the subject of intersectionality. Namely, “Extermination of the Joyas: Gendercide in Spanish California,” by Deborah Miranda, “Visible Sexualities or Invisible Nations: Forced to Choose in Big Eden, Johnny Greyeyes, and The Business of Fancydancing,” by Lisa Tatonetti, and “Queer Theory and Native Studies: The Heteronormativity of Settler Colonialism,” by Andrea Smith. In “Extermination of Joyas,” a California tribe-recognized gender was actively slaughtered by Spanish colonialists. What I found most appalling about this was that this was the first instance I had ever heard about it, even though I grew up in California. It highlighted the fact that not only has history of marginalized people been “forgotten,” it has been actively destroyed and covered up. I am incredibly glad though, that there has been a resurgence of Two-Spirit Indigenous people who have shown resilience through gendercide.   In “Visible Sexualities or Invisible Nations,” what mainly caught my attention was the analysis of how intersectionality is handled. Within the heteronormative gaze prevalent in media, there is no room for being both queer and Indigenous. One argument I’ve heard against intersectionality in the media is that it is “statistically uncommon” to have a character in a film who is, in this example, both queer and Native American. What’s statistically uncommon is to be both white and male, as less than 30% of the United State’s population falls under both those categories, yet the vast majority of protagonists in today’s mainstream media is about them. In this regard, racism and heteronormativity are closely tied and one can hardly discuss one without the other. And finally, in “Queer Theory and Native Studies,” being queer was described as a “free-floating” definition, which I think is a very accurate way of phrasing it. Queerness is a quality that will float its way into anybody’s life, regardless of race, religion, nationality, etc. Because of this, intersectionality becomes doubly important, due to the fact that queerness is not hindered by race and other societal structures. Another interesting point raised was that even works by queer people of color sometimes don’t fully encompass all the colonialist attitudes and attributes that play into the power structures of North America.
    Intersectionality is also a strong feature in “Fierceness is Armor,” by Virgie Tower. In her interview, she delves into the myriad of subtleties that make up fat-phobia and its subsequent consequences. There is a huge dearth of intersectional studies and movements, and their creation will only help those who feel that there is no true “spot” for them. Movements, for example, mainstream feminism, must create spaces within their own power structure for queer and trans*women, women of color, and women whose lives have been impacted by colonialism, in order to be fully inclusive and reach all corners of the group they claim to encompass.