Education and Community

Today our class went on Forbidden Vancouver’s ‘The Really Gay History Tour’ with our tour guide Glenn—it was awesome. The tour followed a logical sequence, starting in front of the Hudson’s Bay Company (associated with a long history of colonialism) with a story about a Two-Spirited Kutenai person. While the events of this story took place outside of the Vancouver area, it exemplified the history of queer+ identities present and celebrated prior to colonization in British Columbia. Here is a link to a 1965 article ‘The Kutenai Female Berdache’ by anthropologist Claude E. Schaeffer which shares many of the same details told to us by Glenn about this story. (Please note that ‘Berdache’ is a dated term and is no longer used to refer to Two-Spirit individuals).

As the tour progressed, I learned about the lives of gay men and lesbians during and after prohibition, the persecution of East Indian men (Rex vs. Singh) during a time of racist government policies, the first established gay bars in Vancouver along Granville Street (especially, the importance of Drag Queens to this history), the inspiration of The Village People’s ‘YMCA’, how the Unitarian Church became the first in Canada to allow gay ordained ministers (Gary Paterson), the history of gay rights in Vancouver and the sanctioning of Gay Pride by the City (thanks to former Mayor Mike Harcourt), the AIDS epidemic in Vancouver (once known as GRID), the Little Sisters Bookstore (WOW), and the history of the West End (especially as a place were sex workers were prominent and had control over their bodies and their work…for a time).

Although I came into the tour knowing bits and pieces of this history, Glenn’s knowledge and stories made this history come to life and I learned many things that I wasn’t aware of before. My favourite part of the tour was Glenn’s story about the first lesbian bar in Vancouver that came about as a fluke (by two women who really wanted a free drink) and ended up as an important establishment for lesbian women in Vancouver.

The gay history of Vancouver is rich with stories of overcoming adversity, self-determination, resilience, empowerment, and success. I would highly recommend this tour!

Contemporary Two-Spirit Issues

This week we read ‘Homeless & Street-Involved Indigenous LGBTQ2S Youth in British Columbia: Intersectionality, Challenges, Resilience & Cues For Action’ by David Kirk et al. This article highlighted how street-involved LGBTQ2S Indigenous youth experience more adversity than their heterosexual and cisgender Indigenous peers and their non-Indigenous LGBTQ peers. Some of the data presented in this article includes:

• More than two-thirds (69%) of Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth experiencing homelessness had been in government care at some point (e.g. foster care) (p.23)
• 62% of Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth reported that one or more of their close relative were survivors of residential schools (p. 23)
• Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth were more likely to have ever been sexually abused (61%) than their heterosexual cisgender peers (p. 24)
• 75% of Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth reported experiencing discrimination in the previous year (p. 24)

Upon reflecting on this data, it is evident that Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth are at a higher risk of experiencing a multitude of adversities. Adding insult to injury, the article finds that “Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth were more likely to report having missed out on needed medical care in the previous year” (compared to Indigenous heterosexual cisgender youth) (p. 27).

In my opinion, this article exemplifies the devastating and lasting legacy of colonialism and of the residential school system in Canada. Prior to settler contact, colonialism, and assimilation policies, Indigenous peoples in (what is now known as) Canada recognized different genders and sexualities: one example of this is the Two-Spirit identity. It can be argued that the adversities faced by Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth are the result of colonialism—in a traditional setting, these youth would be accepted (and even celebrated).

Various factors result in youth homelessness, but many of these factors often stem from challenges faced during childhood. As the data in this article shows, many of these youth have families who have been impacted by the residential school system. Among the devastations brought about by the residential school system is the generation of now-parents who experienced abuse during childhood and were not raised by their families. In many instances, the lasting traumas of this abuse echo into the lives of their children—the lives of Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth. The history of colonialism echoes of course also through the prevalent stereotypes and racist opinions/behaviours about Indigenous peoples present in our society—this contributes to the experiences of Indigenous LGBTQ2S youth as well.

While this is has been an over-simplification of a very complex issue, it draws attention to some of the reasons why LGBTQ2S youth experiencing homelessness do (or have) experienced violence, mental health problems, and lack of access to services. In my opinion, they key to helping homeless LGBTQ2S+ youth starts at addressing the intergenerational trauma caused by colonialism and colonization, especially, the residential school system, by way of providing support and acknowledging the wrong doings of the Canadian government both past and present.

Globalization

This week we read ‘Global Desires and Transnational Solidarity: Negotiating Indigeneity among the Worlds of Queer Politics’ by Scott Lauria Morgensen. The first part of this article discusses ‘Radical Faeries’ as part of a larger discussion on “the globalism of U.S. queer modernities as effects of settler colonialism” (Morgensen). Radical Faeries are described as a queer subculture who adopt a primitivist ideology in their pursuit of “cultivat[ing] a healing queer identity by living in harmony with nature, practicing emotional communication, and exploring queer spirituality” (p. 165).

The problem with white settler primitivist ideology is the disconnect from history that such an approach entails: Radical Faeries and other primitivist queer subcultures take the “good” and leave the “bad.” As well, white settler queer primitivists are responsible for appropriating (and perverting) Indigenous culture. While non-Indigenous queer primitivists can be recognized as having good (although, self-serving) intentions, their efforts are problematized by their lack of recognition for their situation in lands stolen by Indigenous peoples and where Indigenous peoples continue to face adversity and oppression due to colonialism.

I recognize a similar dilemma in the trend of non-Indigenous peoples labelling themselves with and/or identifying as “Two-Spirit”. In a blog post titled ‘A Letter to White People Using the Term “Two Spirit”,’ Beja writes:

“Many white people who use the term “Two Spirit” are doing so out of a desire to resist the dominant binary and find a way to describe a feeling deeper than words. There is nothing wrong with this impulse…It only becomes a problem when we are stealing, rather than creating or reclaiming these words. It is especially troubling when white, US-born people, without Native lineage, steal words or ideas from Native/First Nations tribes and people – because our entire existence on this land is already based on centuries of theft (not just of words, but of land, resources and lives) and very current imbalances of power.”

The parallel that I draw between white settler queer primitivism (manifesting in forms such as the Radical Faeries subculture) and the appropriation of the term Two-Spirit by white settlers is the lack of regard that non-Indigenous queer primitivists and “white Two-Spirit” individuals have for the history and ongoing injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples.

Settler Colonialism

This week we read ‘Gay Pride on Stolen Land: Homonationalism and Settler Colonialism at the Vancouver Winter Olympics’ by Heather Sykes. This article discussed the exclusion of Indigenous peoples, especially LGBTQ2S+ Indigenous peoples, from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This article found that, although the Olympics made some efforts towards inclusivity for LGBTQ+ peoples (note: ‘inclusivity’ is problematic because it emphasizes an ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality), these efforts largely excluded Two-Spirit peoples. This article also discussed the tokenism of Indigenous peoples on public platforms during the Olympics, noting that LGBTQ2S+ Indigenous peoples were not part of any decision making processes.

Central to any and all notions of equity for LGBTQ2S+ is the equal recognition and acceptance of all sexual identities and orientations. By excluding Two-Spirit individuals, the Vancouver Olympics’ efforts towards equity are nullified. What is a safe space for LGBTQ+ peoples if not all LGBTQ+ are welcome or represented?

Although I understood the overall context of Syke’s article, I had difficulty understanding some of the core terms before discussing them with the class. Simran’s presentation on this article used a hands-on learning exercise so that the class might better understand these concepts (see photo below). Ki’s diagram complemented Simran’s activity by providing a visual explanation of the terms (see other photo below).

Trans* identities and theories

This week, one of our assigned readings included ‘Decolonizing Trans/Gender 101’ by B. Binaohan. In this reading, Binaohan challenges ‘white’ discourse around trans/gender, especially, the ‘white’ history of transgender. This is done by using Biaohan’s own experiences “as examples for how trans/gender 101 needs to be decolonized for all the ways that it was essentially impossible for [them] to see [themselves] in the type of narrative and structure prevalent in Teich’s book.” (Note: Nicholas Teich is the author of ‘Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue’). Biaohan writes: “The problem lays in all of these white attempts to explain, educate, and reduce the complexity of a complex subject for those who oppress [us]” (p. 5).

At the beginning of the article, Biaohan discuses their own ‘Filinp@’ gender identity: “Tagalog bakla,” and their experience growing up as a IaoPoc (Indigenous and or Person of Colour) in Canada. Later in the article, Biaohan critiques white scholars for beginning trans histories with a pathologization of white people and discusses the correlation between colonization and erasure of trans Indigenous peoples from history.

My first thought on this article was: “This is important.” I think this article perfectly articulates the complexity that is Queer identities, especially, the intersections of Trans identities. It is important that the author of this critique on white discourse is, and self-identifies as, a ‘Tagalog bakla’ IaoPoc. While white scholars can and should also seek to decolonize their own (and other’s) works, Biaohan’s self-locating in this article adds to the impact and truth of their writing. Further on this, it is important that this piece by Biaohan critiques scholarly discourse from the perspective of someone effected by the false assumptions perpetuated by white versions of history. What this piece reminds me is that written histories only portray one version of the truth: it is important to dissect, criticize, and analyze all accounts and explanations of peoples, especially when they are coming from outside sources. Decolonizing trans/gender is integral to locating the truths of gender identities.

Queer Research Methods, Intersex

One of the assigned readings for this week was Judith Butler’s ‘The Backlash Against ‘Gender Ideology’ Must Stop’. In this article, Butler discusses the opposition by the Catholic church of the idea of gender as socially constructed: the church believes that God created man and woman and that’s the end of the story. However, as Butler and other feminists/queer theorists demonstrate, this is not correct. In the article, Butler writes that “medical, familial, and legal authorities play a crucial role in deciding what sex an infant will be.” Butler exemplifies this claim through a discussion on intersex children: children born with ambiguous genitalia often have a sex and/or gender assigned to them at birth.

Before reading this article, I have long acknowledged/recognized that gender is socially constructed but I had never before considered that biological sex might too be socially constructed.

During the class we watched a documentary on Intersex peoples — I don’t remember the name of the documentary, forgive me!

The intersex voices in this documentary reflected and brought to life Butler’s article through stories of how having a biological sex/gender forced upon intersex peoples affected their lives. It was a very enlightening and positive experience to hear that, of the people in the documentary, one intersex person’s parents chose not to give to go forward with sex assignment surgery during their infancy and instead decided that their child live their life as they so choose. In my opinion, this is what all parents should do–all people should do. We can not decide for others how they should live their lives. All people retain the right to self-determine their own sex and/or gender.

Two-Spirited Experiences and Politics

This journal entry is a response to ‘First Stories – Two Spirited,’ a short film by Sharon A. Desjarlais. This film tells the story of Two-Spirit Jingle dancer Geeyo. In the film, Geeyo’s mother tells of Geeyo’s experience being “humiliated by a misguided Elder,” noting that “since contact, [we] have learned to judge and condemn [our] Two-Spirited people.” Despite this obstacle, Geeyo continues to perform as a dancer in women’s Jingle. Ultimately, this story is one of self-determination and resilience.

Despite being short in length, this film exemplifies the reaches of colonial attitudes towards Two-Spirited peoples—they are marginalized even within Indigenous communities. As this film makes clear, the oppression of Indigenous peoples, especially Two-Spirited peoples, resulting from colonialism and colonization echoes through contemporary Western society as well as Indigenous communities. However, while it is important that Two-Spirit peoples maintain and assert their identities (as the film conveys), it is not their responsibility to convince others that their identities are valid—the mission to seek the truth behind these stereotypes belongs to the rest of us. It is our job to correct the misinformation about Two-Spirited peoples that has been forced upon us by a white colonial history. This is not to say that Desjarlais’ film and Geeyo’s story is not important—it is. However, I think the important takeaway from this film is: despite pervasive negative attitudes surrounding Indigenous peoples and/or Two-Spirit identities, learning about these individuals, (through documentary films for example), is important in the process of decolonization —only then can Two-Spirited peoples experience the humanity they deserve.

Dis/Abilities & Queerness

Response to ‘Picture This’

In 30 minutes, the short film ‘Picture This’ by Jari Osborne successfully brings the intersection of queer and disabled into public discourse and invokes a necessary introspection in the viewer: what are your actions and attitudes towards disability and sexualities? Without any knowledge of or experience with disabled bodies, it has been easy for me to neglect to think of disabled bodies as sexual bodies. Andrew Gurza, the star of ‘Picture This,’ made me recognize that I belong(ed) to a community of able-bodied people who inadvertently, yet systematically oppress disabled bodies by contributing to their sexual invisibility. As Gurza notes in the film, these able-bodied oppressors are not (always) acting with the intention of inciting harm, rather the oppression is a product of their own discomfort with sex and disability. After some introspection, I am still unsure whether I have been viewing disabled bodies as asexual bodies because of my socialization and because of the cultural norms which place disabled bodies as “the Other,” or if I have been ignorant as to avoid something different, difficult, or uncomfortable. Either way, ‘Picture This’ has taken me out of my oblivion. Through the film I learned about the often complicated intersection of queer and disabled. Gurza notes in the film:

Coming out and saying “I’m queer” was easy. Saying “I’m also queer and disabled” was extremely hard. Convincing people that I am sexually viable, especially in my case, where when all the men have been socialized to see the able-bodied, good looking, muscular, white male ready to fuck.”

Despite the heavy/uncomfortable/whatever content of the film, Osborne, especially through Gurza, presents her message in an inspiring and illuminating way: disabled bodies are sexual bodies, and if individuals with disabilities are not uncomfortable with their sexualities, why should able-bodied peoples be?

Click here to access Andrew Gurza’s podcast ‘Disability After Dark’

Queer History, AIDS

One of the assigned readings this week was a New York Times article from 1981 titled ‘Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals’. This article was written at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis, before the medical world and the public knew what HIV/AIDs was. The article refers to HIV/AIDS as ‘Kaposi’s Sarcoma.’ The article suggests that there is “no evidence of contagion,” for Kaposi’s Sarcoma and that the “outbreaks” are localized to “homosexuals.” The language in this article is both fear mongering and othering, casting homosexual men as deviants and straight people, who do not engage in homosexual sex practices, as safe from contracting this disease. For example, one line from the article reads:

“The reporting doctors said that most cases had involved homosexual men who have had multiple and frequent sexual encounters with different partners, as many as 10 sexual encounters each night up to four times a week.”

Before reading this article, I had very little knowledge about the emergence of the HIV/AIDS crisis. What knowledge I did have I learned from my mother, who was in her late teens during the epidemic and described this time as “very fucking scary.” For me, this article highlighted the prevalent attitudes towards gay men and the public’s impulse to demonize homosexual sex practices: don’t worry, you’re safe as long as you’re not gay. What is most upsetting is that this article was only written at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS crisis and that attitudes towards gay people would become more intolerant as the crisis escalated. For example, one year after this article came out, the New York Times published another article referring to the (now HIV/AIDS) epidemic as ‘GRID’: Gay-related Immune Deficiency.

Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality

One of this week’s assigned readings was ‘Intersectionality’ by Patricia Hill Collins and Sirma Bilge. This article focuses on how intersectionality can be used as an analytical tool. Importantly, the beginning of the article notes that “intersectionality as an analytical tool is neither confined to nations of North America and Europe nor is it a new phenomenon. People in the Global South have used intersectionality as an analytic tool, often without naming it as such.” The article goes on to describe the various ways intersectionality can be applied to understand different social/political situations. For example, the article applies intersectionality to analyze the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the global social inequity social problem, and the black Brazilian feminist social movement. The authors find that when people use intersectionality as an analytic tool, six core ideas appear: “inequality, relationally, power, social context, complexity, and social justice.”

Prior to reading this article, I was familiar with the concept of intersectionality (having taken a fair amount of Women’s and Gender Studies courses at CapU over the last 4 years). I understood intersectionality as a concept integral for the holistic understanding of a particular issue by way of analyzing how the particular issue affects different classes, races, genders, ethnicities, sexualities, and abilities. E.g., If you are approaching a problem or scenario without investigating how this scenario affects different intersections of experience, you cannot wholly understand the problem. This article reflected my understanding of intersectionality and increased my awareness of how important and useful intersectionality is as an analytical tool. Coming from a Women’s and Gender Studies student perspective, I think that it is ignorant not to apply intersectionality when undertaking research projects. Reflecting this belief, since learning about intersectionality (in 2014), I have sought to incorporate intersectionality into my research endeavours wherever possible. For example, when given the liberty of choosing my own research paper topics, some of the topics I have investigated are: black and gay masculinity (focusing on how race affects the homosexual experience among gay American males), how climate change will affect Vancouver with a focus on how Indigenous peoples interpret and experience climate change, and recently, on a paper about the asexual experience (for this class), I incorporated a discussion on how peoples with disabilities are affected by and or experience asexuality.

Intersectionality is important in all scholarly (and non-) pursuits for understanding a problem thoroughly. This applies to Queer Theory studies and beyond.