Performing 'La Mestiza' Lesbians of Color Negotiating Identities

Even with the major movements in current gender studies that attempt to expand the simple notions of monolithic identity there are still major blind spots that perpetuate what they seek to disrupt. These blind spots are sometimes heterosexist, sometimes racist, or sometimes both. This essay analyzes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of lesbian studies Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 21 - 38
Main Author Gil-Gomez, Ellen M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01.06.2000
Taylor & Francis LLC
Subjects
Butler, Judith
Culture
Entertainment
Gays & lesbians
Human relations
Interpersonal communication
la mestiza
Lesbians of color
Minority & ethnic groups
performativity
Personal relationships
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Summary:Even with the major movements in current gender studies that attempt to expand the simple notions of monolithic identity there are still major blind spots that perpetuate what they seek to disrupt. These blind spots are sometimes heterosexist, sometimes racist, or sometimes both. This essay analyzes how the lesbian of color is situated at the interstices of many fields of identity studies - gender, queer, and ethnic - and the specific difficulties she has with this position. By using the theories of Judith Butler and Gloria Anzaldúa, I describe how the lesbian of color can survive numerous sites of hostility by constructing a positive identity within her own ethnic/racial community through creative acts of cultural revision. After considering the power of these acts I call for the empowered performance of the mestiza state - the state of contradiction wherein the lesbian of color finds herself.
ISSN:1089-4160
1540-3548
DOI:10.1300/J155v04n02_03