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[UPDATED VERSION]
It was not until the mid-20th century that sex began to be separated into its biological and social aspects of identity, with gender being a more recent invention representing a social construct and sexual expression (Gill-Peterson 2021, 2). The classification of sex into binary categories—masculine and feminine—has been shaped by patriarchal frameworks that reinforce male dominance and female subordination (Snorton 2018). The concept of gender is deeply intertwined with race and societal norms, often serving a political purpose (Snorton 2018). Historically, and in many traditional cultures, individuals were rigidly classified as either male or female, with little to no room for deviation. Ironically, even in today’s modern society, there remains significant confusion between gender and sex, with the two terms often mistakenly used interchangeably. In Chinese, the words “gender” and “sex” are identical, further blurring the lines between these terms and negating the necessity of distinguishing them. Social norms continue to reinforce traditional gender roles, prompting ongoing psychological debates on whether gender is purely a social construct—whether we are conditioned from birth by society to adopt specific behaviors based on biological sex, thus shaping our gender identity. For instance, girls are frequently encouraged to be gentle and demure, while boys are socialized to be mentally resilient and less emotionally expressive.
Lorde proposes that eroticism is often confused with pornography, though they are inherently distinct. Eroticism represents a deeply internal source of power, while pornography focuses on superficial sensations, suppressing emotional depth and feelings (Lorde 1978, 2). Historically, women have been conditioned to fear or suppress the erotic, with the notion that it belongs exclusively in bedrooms or behind closed doors (Lorde 1978, 4). Contemporary media and films perpetuate this confusion, frequently equating eroticism with pornography. A notable example can be found in the popular TV show “Friends,“ where Joey mocks Rachel for keeping an erotic book by her bedside, viewing it as an indulgence in pornography. Rachel, on the other hand, expresses that she feels “erotically charged” following her breakup and considers her actions to be completely natural. This scene highlights how society often criticizes women for embracing their true feelings and how patriarchal society reduces eroticism to vulgar jokes. Meanwhile, it is deemed socially acceptable, even celebrated, for men to engage in such behaviors, which prevents women from cultivating deep emotional connections and realizing their full potential for self-empowerment.
References
Gill-Peterson, Jules. 2021. “Gender.” In Keywords for Gender and Sexuality Studies, edited by The Keywords Feminist Editorial Collective, 96–100. New York: NYU Press.
Lorde, Audre. 1978. Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power. Mount Holyoke College: Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women. Reprinted in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press, 1984.
Snorton, C., Riley. 2018. “Gender.” In Keywords for African American Studies, by Erica R. Edwards, Roderick A. Ferguson, and Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, 1st ed. New York University Press. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDc2OTMyOQ==?aid=107790.
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The “erotic” is an encompassing source of power that women can harness to achieve a fuller, more vibrant life. Going beyond its conventional association with the pornographic, it is not limited to sexual expression but involves connecting deeply with one’s emotions, desires, and sense of self. Audre Lorde, who conceptualized the erotic, argues that society, particularly under patriarchy, has distorted and suppressed this power, encouraging women to either disregard it or see it only in superficial, limited terms.
For Lorde, reclaiming the erotic is essential for women’s empowerment. It is not about the objectification seen in pornography, which she describes as the “suppression of true feeling.” Instead, it is about a sense of satisfaction and a connection with one’s deepest feelings. This type of empowerment demands that women acknowledge their capacity for joy and creativity, engaging with their erotic it in every aspect of life. In a society that often undermines or demeans women’s emotional and sensual experiences, the erotic becomes an act of resistance and self-empowerment.
An example of this reclaiming of the erotic can be seen in Adrian Piper’s street performances in the 1970s. Her provocative exploration of race, gender, class, and identity demonstrates her full embrace of the erotic. She is in tune with her body, mind, and self, refusing to be confined by the constraints society has tried to impose on her. By harnessing the power Lorde speaks of, Piper has found a sense of fulfillment that comes not just from her own expression, but from empowering other women to connect with their own erotic as well.
Throughout each era of history, the erotic has been increasingly touched upon by various artists and movements. From Frida Kahlo to Beyoncé, each woman has inspired others to find their sense of self and become empowered. Frida Kahlo’s personal artwork showcased identity and self-expression, while Beyoncé’s performances celebrate women’s strength and autonomy. Each generation brings a larger number of women coming in tune with their erotic. Movements like #MeToo, body positivity, and the embracing of different cultural beauty standards has changed the erotic from a concept into a way of life. Whether women are aware of the erotic or not, many are allowing themselves the power of connection and rising up against traditional societal standards by creating their own standards and beliefs.
In reclaiming the erotic, women not only connect with their inner selves but also challenge and reshape the narratives imposed on them. The ongoing finding of the erotic has made it so power is redefined on womens’ own terms.References
Grammys. “Black Sounds Beautiful: How Beyoncé Has Empowered the Black Community across Her Music and Art.” GRAMMY.com, June 12, 2021. https://www.grammy.com/news/beyonce-black-power-empowerment-black-sounds-beautiful.
Kahlo, Frida. “Frida Kahlo and Her Paintings.” Frida Kahlo: 100 Paintings Analysis, Biography, Quotes, & Art. Accessed September 14, 2024. https://www.fridakahlo.org/.
Lorde, Audre. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Crossing Press, August 25, 1978, 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198782506.003.0032.
Piper, Adrian. “Adrian Piper Research Archive Foundation Berlin.” Adrian Piper Research Archive Foundation Berlin. Accessed September 14, 2024. http://www.adrianpiper.com/. -
In complete transparency, when I first heard that we will be reading about “the Erotic,” my mind, like many others, immediately thought of the term in a sexual context. I find it very common in society for the term “erotic” to be tossed around in this manner, so I was a bit confused when we were starting to read it. Luckily, I was opened to a new perspective of the term “the Erotic” as written by Audre Lorde.
Lorde describes the erotic: “The erotic is a resource within each of us that lies in a deeply female and spiritual plane, firmly rooted in the power of our unexpressed or unrecognized feeling” (87). This sentence comes in the opening paragraph of the essay, and truly encompasses Lorde’s view on what the erotic actually means. Lorde’s definition stands in contrast with common usage of the very in today’s society; in fact, upon searching the internet, it says the meaning of the word “erotic” is defined by “relating to or tending to arouse sexual desire or excitement.” The fact that even nowadays this definition still stands is a testament to the misuse Lorde is referencing. I appreciate Lorde’s emphasis on using the term “erotic” to mean women tapping into self-actualization and realizing their own power. By contrasting the pornographic definition from her own, she recognizes and effectively points out that, rather than the term being used to reduce the sensual to a commodified or objective form, the erotic is a force that fosters creativity, individuality, and human connection.
In contemporary society, I think definitions such as the one provided by Oxford dictionary serve to continue the sexualization and objectification of women which is for the worse overall. By suppressing women’s inner self and disallowing it to shine through, as Lorde recommends, women continue to be suppressed in society. Lorde further emphasizes my point: “The erotic has often been misnamed by men and used against women.”(88) I find it interesting how Lorde is able to draw the deep-rooted connection between a patriarchal society and the suppression of the erotic in women. I wonder how much this same patriarchal society has been involved in contemporary discussions of the word “erotic” in how it is interpreted today. -
In contemporary society, the study of women’s gender and sexuality is rising. However, as much as its awareness is increasing, it is also prone to increased misuse or misunderstanding in terms of feminism. When I was initially introduced to this course, I did not have certain expectations or much thoughts as to the concepts. The reading by Audre Lorde left the most impact on me however. It completely transformed my interpretation of “erotic” and women studies. Personally, I felt that I was exposed to a part of society where women empowerment is associated with high physical exposure in an approach to almost ‘free’ themselves from objectification and such. This can provide a false relation of the word, erotic, to pornography and etc. Audre Lorde introduces us to the supposed ‘true’ definition of eroticism. She views it as “…an assertion of the lifeforce of women; of that creative energy empowered, the knowledge and use of which we are now reclaiming in our language, our history, our dancing, our loving, our work, our lives” (Lorde 1978, 89). By accepting and adopting ‘eroticism’ in our lives, it can perform the function of “providing the power which comes from sharing deeply any pursuit with another person” (Lorde 1978, 89). In current times, we can see the initiation of movements like #MeToo across social media platforms and protests for women to share their stories regarding sexual violence. The negative societal perspective of women indulging in their desires should not be overlooked. Due to past traditions and values varying amongst genders, there has been an underlying stigma regarding women and their journey to discovering themselves and becoming independent. This is most likely due to the fact that gender has been heavily influenced from societal norms and race (Snorton 2018). For example, in past times, ‘ideal women’ were viewed as the caretaker and obedient housewife in history. And this has long shackled women of their potential for centuries. By directly confronting such traditional perspectives and seeking for methods of expression, one can create a sense of self-connection and “pursue genuine change within our world, rather than merely settling for a shift of character in the same werry drama” (Lorde 1978, 91). That way, one can form self-affirmation and confidence in oneself and their path in society.
References
Lorde, Audre. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Crossing Press, August 25, 1978, 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198782506.003.0032.Snorton, C., Riley. 2018. “Gender.” In Keywords for African American Studies, by Erica R. Edwards, Roderick A. Ferguson, and Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, 1st ed. New York University Press. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDc2OTMyOQ==?aid=107790.
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I have found the themes discussed in this past month’s readings to be disturbingly correlated. While there are many topics bridging black feminism, gender, the Erotic, and modern healthcare failures, I will be focusing particularly on the manner in which the current established patriarchal dominance over female erotic freedom ultimately removes black and impoverished women’s access to equitable perinatal care and propagates the racial disparities in women’s healthcare.
In her speech, titled “The Uses of the Erotic”, the American feminist and activist Audrey Lorde emphasizes how “the Erotic” is a deeply spiritual feminine resource that can (and should) be used to empower female experiences. She also notes that patriarchal frameworks have historically exploited this, by continuously suppressing the feminine Erotic in everyday life and media, thus weaponizing the feminine Erotic nature in order to control women. “In order to perpetuate itself, every oppression must corrupt or distort those various sources of power within the culture of the oppressed…women have been made to suffer and to feel both contemptible and suspect by virtue of its existence”, she says (Lorde 1978, 88). As we briefly discussed in class, Hortense Spillers, another notable Black feminist scholar, touches on one such example– the Jezebel stereotype –in her book Black, White, and in Color” (Spillers 2003). Stacy Davis, professor of Religious Studies at the University of Notre Dame, explains that “the sexualized image her name invokes has been used against African American women since at least the eighteenth century. White slaveowners regularly justified their sexual abuse of enslaved women by insisting that black women were jezebels, that is, naturally more promiscuous and tempting than white women” (Davis 2024).
The framework under which such stereotypes and oppressions prevent women, especially black women, from realizing their full potential and freedoms continually affects current political issues. Most notably, in 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade, which had previously protected women’s rights to obtain abortions. This decision came after many religious and government leaders (such as Pope Francis) expressed their criticisms of abortion. The aftermath of this overruling has led to an increase in maternal deaths, shocking stories about mothers bleeding out in hospital parking lots, OBGYNs moving out of republican states, and a general removal of maternal support in many states (Kheyfets 2023). This disproportionally impacts black mothers, as black women already have the highest maternal mortality rates of all ethnic groups (Hoyert 2023). It also prevents impoverished people from accessing maternal care, as citizens of republican states must now travel longer distances to hospitals that can help them. As a consequence of the systemic disregard and oppression of the feminine Erotic, we have created a society in which it has become normalized for expectant black and poor mothers to die in great numbers, while the systems in place continue to ignore this crisis. I find this to be devastating.References
Davis, Stacy. “Jezebel from an African-American Perspective – Bible Odyssey.” Bible Odyssey, January 16, 2024. https://classic.bibleodyssey.com/articles/jezebel-from-an-african-american-perspective/.
Hoyert, Donna. “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021.” http://www.cdc.gov. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 16, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2021/maternal-mortality-rates-2021.htm#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20the%20maternal%20mortality.
Kheyfets, Anna, Shubhecchha Dhaurali, Paige Feyock, Farinaz Khan, April Lockley, Brenna Miller, and Ndidiamaka Amutah‐Onukagha. “The Impact of Hostile Abortion Legislation on the United States Maternal Mortality Crisis: A Call for Increased Abortion Education.” Frontiers in Public Health 11 (December 5, 2023). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1291668.
Lorde, Audre. Uses of the Erotic. Crossing Press, 1978.
Spillers, Hortense J. Black, White, and in Color: Essays on American Literature and Culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. -
A foundational term in WGSS is gender. Gender can be defined as the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and expectations of men and women within society. The concept of gender today can be tied to what Nigerian gender scholar Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí calls “cultures of impunity”. European colonizers brought these institutions centered around male dominance and female submission and now it is at the center of these former colonized nations’ cultures. Feminism is still defined by the white supremacist and imperialistic ideologies of Western culture.
Another defining feature of colonization was racism. Black and Indigenous people were severely oppressed by their colonizers and the effects of that are still ongoing. As a result of that racism, the concepts of gender and sexuality are experienced differently by black people, especially black women. The struggle of black women’s daily lives is very complex because they deal with both racial and sexual oppression simultaneously. The Combahee River Collective Statement highlights this duality through the mention of “racial-sexual oppression which is neither solely racial nor solely sexual, e.g. the history of rape of Black women by white men as a weapon of racial oppression”. A historical example of racial-sexual oppression is Catherine “Kitty” Boyd. Today, the white citizens of Newton County, Georgia remember Catherine Boyd as a loyal enslaved black woman to her owner Bishop Andrew. This is an incomplete and white-centered narrative. Dickinson, Ott, and Blair call it an “activity of collectivity” in which the oppressor controls and distorts the history so much to the point that it becomes widely accepted as the truth. The truth is that Catherine Boyd was essentially given no choice but to remain a slave to Bishop Andrew and historical records report that Bishop sexually assaulted Catherine. Riley Snortn argues in “Gender” Keywords to African American Studies that the “erasure or disavowal” of the sexual violence black women such as Catherine Boyd have suffered constructed a different category of femininity for them.
The historical context of colonization and slavery has greatly shaped the formation of gender identities for Black and Indigenous women. Consequently, how black women experience racism or sexism is far different from how a Black man or a white woman would. This analysis illustrates just how intrinsically linked gender and race truly are.Bibliography
Smith, Barbara, Demita Frazier, and Beverley Smith. “Combahee River Collective Staement,” April 1977.
Snorton, C. Riley. “Gender.” Keywords, October 29, 2018. https://keywords.nyupress.org/african-american-studies/essay/gender/.
Thomas, Rhondda. Rhetoric, Public Memory, and Campus History, July 1, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3828/liverpool/9781638040200.001.0001.
YouTube, December 17, 2018. https://youtu.be/ju6RjZcD0g0?si=Y76PFvcLnYnmDU7X. -
The term “Decolonization of Gender” by itself sounds daunting to me at first but when I subtly put it together it elaborates on a process of breaking free from the societal constructs and identifying one’s identity beyond the traditional expectations. I believe this term gives people regardless of which gender they belong, an opportunity to dismantle the preconceived notions and embrace a more liberated sense of self. In the ever-evolving discourse on identity and social justice, I can’t refrain but question, how colonial histories shaped our understanding of fundamental concepts like identity and what it means to decolonize these ideas today? To answer this question accurately, I will use instances from Oyewumis, “Visualizing the Body” as she points out prominent and paradigmatic differences between “Western” and “African” feminism.
Personally, I don’t think gender should be a primary organizing principle because gender is not classified to be fixed or a universal category. It is highly reflected by respective cultural norms and authentic life experiences. As Oyewumi’s work highlights the Yoruba society where the body was not the basis for social identity but rather it was factors like age, lineage, and social status. I want to touch on the idea of how gender is used as a category of analysis for Western societies and cultures. However, the same theory cannot be applied to other areas of the world unless one wants to impose Western Gender theories to interpret their own or other cultures. While reading Oyewumi’s work I realized how the term “Decolonization of Gender” gives us humans the freedom to reclaim and value Indigenous perspectives on identity that were initially erased or undervalued by colonial influence. Western rules and regulations cannot be used to dominate the framework of legal policies and social structures. This reading highlights the importance of this term because decolonizing gender involved reclaiming these pre-colonial understandings of social organizations. As Oyewumi states, “If gender is a social construction, then we must examine the various cultural/architectural sites where it was constructed” (35). This line comes in the second chapter named “Natural or Constructed” and it smoothly gives a personalized definition of acceptance in terms of the word “Gender.”I believe this is what contemporary society is demanding to be served with. I find it interesting how Oyewumi has explained the idea of “anatomy is destiny” which determines the influence of uncontrollable biological explanations while defining or reinforcing social hierarchies and expectations of women in the society regardless of which culture they belong to.
References:
Oyeronke Oyewumi, “Visualising the Body: Western Theories and African Subjects” (pp. 3-21)“What Does It Mean to ‘Decolonize’ Your Gender?” Psychologists Located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Union Square, New York, NY | Brooklyn Integrative Psychological Services, PLLC, http://www.bkintegrative.com/post/what-does-it-mean-to-decolonize-your-gender#:~:text=Decolonizing%20your%20gender%20is%20an,and%20liberated%20sense%20of%20self. Accessed 16 Sept. 2024.
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In the first chapter of Invention of Women, Oyeronke Oyewumi explains how the West primarily perceives the world by sight, whereas other cultures may prioritize different senses, such as hearing. The West’s focus on sight can be observed in how it categorizes individuals by physical characteristics, such as sex and skin color. A contemporary example of this phenomenon is society’s obsession with classifying individuals, especially those who do not conform to the gender binary, as either male or female. Oyewumi claims that this mode of perception led to biological determinism in the West. Biological determinism is the idea that human characteristics are determined by biological factors, such as genetics or sex. For example, the idea that women are naturally more empathetic and nurturing. While one may believe that the social sciences are separate from biology, Oyewumi argues that the categories studied, such as “workers” or “criminals” are still based on physical attributes. For example, although the term “doctor” can refer to anyone, most people would assume the doctor is male. In psychology, there are many studies on the structural differences between brains, such as female brains versus male brains, or heterosexual brains versus homosexual brains. Oyewumi asserts that Western biology and social science are biased due to their reliance on physical characteristics to define and categorize individuals.
Unlike subjects such as English or art, science is often regarded as concrete and unquestionable. Oyewumi’s argument challenges this notion while revealing how deeply biases are embedded in our understanding of biology and social science, and therefore, all that is derived from them. This idea revealed to me how the issue with these two disciplines lies not in outdated ideas but in the very system of thinking from which these ideas originate. This led me to reflect on the extent of biases in our broader societal beliefs, many of which I am likely unaware of, for it is difficult to recognize bias within a system that has been the foundation of my education. Oyewumi’s argument in this chapter has motivated me to become more conscious of Eurocentric perspectives within my education and consider how these biases shape my own personal values.Oyewumi, Oyeronke. Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1997.
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The terms Gender and Sex have always been conventionally taught as similar titles. Growing up, without the influence of the media and own research, Gender and Sex were, personally, no different from each other. Yet, in reality, the two words hold different meanings that greatly impact one’s perspective of overall ideas; to exemplify, this course, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Foundational terms, such as Gender and Sex are crucial to the understanding and perspectives created from this course. The differences of definition between Gender and Sex were practically foreign; believing there was not much of a difference between the two. Articles such as Gender by Jules-Gill Peterson, and Gender by Riley Snorton allows for readers to compare the differences of what Gender means, with completely different approaches to this subject. The author Jules-Gill Peterson approaches the difference in the meaning of Gender and Sex through medical practice and studies distinguishing how the term Gender and Sex differ. She includes how Gender is typically perceived as referring to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, expressions and identities of girls, women, boys, men, and gender diverse people. But, she had also mentioned how the term Gender was created by the US behavioral psychology of medicine. Yet, author Riley Snorton’s article about Gender is focused on what Gender means and is rather focused in a more literary approach, whereas Jules-Gill Peterson mentioned experiments. Riley Snorton’s article regarding Gender had also heavily mentioned masculinity and sexism through the meaning of Gender as a term, and what it essentially is. In general, overall, both Snorton and Peterson’s articles related to Gender and Sex, both contained the inherent definition/origin of the word Gender, which allows for readers to understand the difference between how the term Gender could be used; differently from the term Sex.
Applied to the modern day era, the differences between Gender and Sex have been researched, yet this knowledge seems to be shunned. Such, the differences of Gender and Sex were essentially incoherent in South Korean culture, but as well as other countries, until recent times. Through the media and unbiased outlooks, topics revolving the difference between Gender and Sex, and even as well as women empowerment has grown rapidly the past few years, yet it lacks. The media provides true facts hindered with media play. This heavily impacts general movements, and knowledge in general, such as the difference of the terms Gender and Sex. As the two terms have begun to merge as one, this effect has influenced each of its own true meaning, and the audience that utilizes them.References
Snorton, C. Riley. “Gender.” Search.credoreference.com. Accessed September 16, 2024. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDc2OTMyOQ==Peterson, Jules-Gill. “Gender.” Emory Libraries Resources Terms of Use – Emory University Libraries. Accessed September 16, 2024. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=eb75bfce-d4fc-4ceb-b931-74bb56c1eb71%40redis&ppid=pp_96&vid=0&format=EB
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Two of the most compelling concepts from the readings are the origins of gender and the significance of living joyfully. I found the exploration of gender particularly intriguing because I have long been curious about its creation. Since gender is a social construct, I wanted to understand how concepts of sex evolved into specific gender identities and their associated characteristics. According to Jill Gill Peterson’s research, early Western science initially viewed everyone as bisexual, representing a blend of male and female traits. However, experiments on intersex individuals soon led to the question of determining a “true” sex, often decided based on which surgical procedure was more convenient. This underscores how gender biases are unreliable, influenced more by surgical convenience than by individual identity. Furthermore, Money’s perspective on gender highlights that it is not separate from sex but rather a psychological dimension of it. Distress occurs when one’s psychological gender does not align with societal expectations based on physical characteristics. This issue persists today, as individuals whose gender identity does not match societal expectations for their physical bodies often face psychological distress. Society’s insistence on aligning gender identity with physical attributes continues to create challenges for those whose identities diverge from traditional norms. Equally important is the concept of living with joy and embracing the erotic, as articulated by Audre Lorde. Lorde suggests that by living in acceptance of the erotic and pursuing joy, we set a standard for how we experience all aspects of our lives. This approach fosters resilience against societal and governmental constructs that diminish our sense of fulfillment. In a society that often emphasizes appearance and societal expectations, embracing our deepest desires and joy can empower us to demand more from institutions and advocate for our rights, such as reproductive freedom. By tapping into this profound sense of satisfaction, we can enhance personal relationships and drive meaningful change in areas like reproductive rights, refusing to accept mediocrity or limitations imposed by others.
Reference
Gill-Peterson, Jules. 2021. “Gender.” In Keywords for Gender and Sexuality Studies, edited by The Keywords Feminist Editorial Collective, 96–100. New York: NYU Press.
Lorde, Audre. 1978. Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power. Mount Holyoke College: Fourth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women. Reprinted in Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches. Crossing Press, 1984. -
The term “erotic” is easily lumped in with “pornography,” creating a misconception that denies its role as a source of empowerment for women. In “The Uses of the Erotic,” Lorde reclaims and emphasizes the erotic as a source of “replenishing and provocative force to women” who embrace it without fear, understanding that it goes beyond mere sensation (Lorde 1978, 2). In contrast, pornography opposes the true concept of eroticism by only focusing on the “sensation without feeling.” This clarification strongly demonstrates the importance of exploring the erotic as a profound and transformative force rather than dismissing it based on its literal meaning.
Lorde’s statement, “It feels right to me,” in this essay also highlights a crucial aspect of self-awareness. It further recognizes the power of erotic that it is the part of you that shows who you truly are. The subtle feelings are usually obscured by social norms, making them difficult to identify without directly confronting them. These social norms often restrict women’s behavior and force them to suppress their erotic feelings, leading to a neglect of self-identification. However, “feels right” seems powerful as it stops concerning societal judgments by others. Thus, when women embrace their erotic with joy and creativity and integrate it into their daily lives, they can gain the courage and strength to confront the injustices they face and authentically express themselves. This empowerment comes not from conforming to societal expectations or norms but from following what truly feels right to them.
Taylor Swift is an example of using her erotic power to advocate for women’s empowerment. Even though many women’s voices are frequently silenced or marginalized in this patriarchal society, Taylor uses her lyrics and music to deliver compelling messages of self-acceptance and challenging societal expectations. Her embrace of the erotic empowers her to confront these injustices and inspires countless women to pursue their dreams with confidence. In addition to Taylor Swift, Emma Waston has also been a strong advocate for women’s rights. Through the launch of the HeForShe campaign, Watson used her platform to raise awareness about gender equality and emphasize its importance. She also addressed this issue at the UN General Assembly, underscoring the seriousness of sexual violence. Their actions tidily connect to Lorde’s statement that once women are aware of the significance of satisfying the power of erotic, men can no longer control them.
The power of the erotic is everywhere, waiting to be recognized and embraced. The erotic shapes the feelings with dangerous empowerment, it is undeniable that empowered women become fearless and are able to inspire their potential to make influences. As the exploration of erotism is still ongoing, its impact grows stronger, shaping how women assert themselves and redefine their role in society.
References:
“Emma Watson: Gender Equality is Your Issue Too.” UN Women – Headquarters. Accessed September 16, 2024. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2014/9/emma-watson-gender-equality-is-your-issue-too.
Kylee.winn. “Taylor Swift: A Musical Phenomenon Celebrating Women’s Empowerment.” KiSS 91.7. Last modified March 1, 2024. https://www.kiss917.com/2024/03/08/taylor-swift-a-musical-phenomenon-celebrating-womens-empowerment.
Lorde, Audre. Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power. Crossing Press, 1978.c -
Almost each and every issue we continue to examine closely, criticize carefully, and fight unflaggingly is somehow weaved within the webs of biological determinism – our urge to conceptualize what we know into a physical entity. Gender serves as one of the greatest examples of this “bio-logic” instinct, where, even to this day, many of us have the tendency to associate gender with the physical being rather than as a form of expression. While much of our society is clouded by confusion about the differences between gender and sex, another argument can be made about the differences between eroticism and sex, concepts that also become caught up in the tangle of the Western world’s love for “bio-logic,” once again unable to separate the physical from the mind and soul.
Sex has various meanings, one being an option that tends to appear on many medical documents in the form of “what physical structure you were determined at birth.” The medical world provides many examples of how gender-centric our society both has been and is becoming. Almost any form of survey will ask for your gender and/or sex, often blending the two into one physical meaning, taking away from the true, non-physical meaning of gender that has come about. The physicalities among the assignments of gender are thought to be blamed on patriarchal ideals (Snorton, 1980) which now connects this biological determination tendency to the foundations and inner linings of patriarchy, which in itself often features and favors many physical attributes, such as strength.
On the other hand, sex is often thought of as the act itself – a physical activity that arouses a variety of thoughts and opinions that shatter the line between shameful and pleasurable. Eroticism is a term used by many to describe sex essentially. However, it bears just as much, if not even more shame to its name than does sex. Audre Lorde’s The Erotic as Power sheds light on this topic by describing the “erotic” not as the lustful without reason, but rather as the powerful heart of our deepest knowledge and inner soul (89). Part of the shame that comes with the term “erotic” has less to do with its true meaning, and much more to do with the physical definitions of lust and crudeness we as a society assign it. This argument fights the notion of eroticism, and inherently sex, having a physical entity to it, and rather as a positive concept that lies within our mind and souls, that we as a society should be able to channel the erotic within ourselves without the physical and “shameful” definition attached to it, but rather as a mindset of empowerment and freedom.
References
Lorde, Audre. 1978. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Crossing Press, August 25, 1978, 87-91. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198782506.003.0032.Snorton, C., Riley. 2018. “Gender.” In Keywords for African American Studies, by Erica R. Edwards, Roderick A. Ferguson, and Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, 1st ed. New York University Press. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDc2OTMyOQ==?aid=107790.
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Two of the most important concepts we discussed were feminism and its connection to oppression. In Uses of The Erotic The Erotic as Power, Lorde, discusses the importance of women finding the erotic in themselves. She presents a profound and empowering interpretation of the erotic, distinct from the sexualized meaning it often holds in mainstream society. For Lorde, the erotic is a deeply powerful and informative force that connects women with their inner feelings and desires. Understanding the erotic is crucial for women as it helps them reclaim personal power and resist oppression (Lorde 2007). She writes this piece from a Marxist, feminist, and black perspective which shows in her writing as she is very adamant about a call to action for women to reclaim the erotic as a source of power that fuels their work and everyday activities with passion and creativity. Through this lens, she also criticizes the idea of compulsory heterosexuality and the idea that women’s happiness will come through marriage, god, or religion. The idea of the erotic will empower women to not settle for what is conventionally expected or safe leaning into the idea of resisting patriarchal values put in place over women and their sexuality. In the Combahee River Collective, the women writers discussed and emphasized how Black women experience unique oppressions that differ from those of white women or Black men. This approach recognized that racism, homophobia, and sexism overlap and how to deal with these issues (Combahee River Collective 1983). The Combahee River Collective critiques mainstream feminism and how it is often centered on the experiences of white heterosexual women. They state the difficulties organizing Black Feminists due to the lack of racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class privileges as well as there being a low value placed upon Black women’s psyches in society. Feminism is also threatening to the majority of Black people because it challenges basic assumptions about their existence. Also, if Black women were free, then it would mean that everyone else would also have to be free since their freedom would necessitate the destruction of the many varying systems of oppression that exist in society (Combahee River Collective 1983). Both Lorde and the Collective were calling for action, Lorde through a reclamation of the erotic as power, and the Collective through dismantling multiple systemic forms of oppression.
Bibliography
Lorde, Audre. “Uses of The Erotic The Erotic as Power.” In Sister Outsider, 53-59. New York: Penguin Random House, 2007.
Smith, Barbara. “The Combahee River Collective Statement.” Home Girls, A Black Feminist Anthology. New York: Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, Inc., 1983. -
Sex refers to the biological difference between boys and girls, while gender describes a broader category of psychological, cultural, and social components in which one expresses self-identities and status. People commonly use the two terms interchangeably without knowing the distinct differences, leading to underlying issues of misunderstanding. While sex has historically been understood as binary, western science recognizes sex to be “bisexual,” indicating that every individual was born with a mix of male and female; thus, humans have the potential to switch sex. This evolving understanding of gender beyond the strictly biological categories, according to Jules Peterson, can “lead to distress from not being perceived as normal (Gill-Peterson 2021, 97)”. In contemporary society, distress is a serious issue that a lot of LGBTQ+ people are concerned about due to societal discrimination, often facing unequal treatment in healthcare, employment, and educational settings. The Day of Silence, an annual event that raises awareness of anti-LGBTQ harassment, aims to highlight the challenges these individuals face. John Money proposed that gender is like a first language; “once acquired, it becomes nearly impossible to lose, and any languages learned after childhood would never read the same level of natural fluency (Gill-Peterson 2021, 97)”. Thus, it is highly unfair for LGBTQ+ individuals to experience bullies and harassment for expressing their genuine self-identities, as it is a natural and ingrained aspect of all human beings.
When I searched for the word “erotic,” the dictionary defined it as “sexually arousing.” My ignorance and misunderstanding of the word led me to a new dimension of thought as I read through how Audre Lorde explained “erotic.” She defined it as a connection “between the beginnings of our sense of self and the chaos of our strongest feelings (Lorde 1978, 88)”. For Lorde, the erotic is not simply an action but an internal fullness – a measure of how closely we can perceive and honor our sensations. The misuse of the word in pornography and obscenity has reduced its meaning, restricting the exploration of our deepest and richest feelings and limiting the “power and harmony” that come from embracing the erotic. In 2000, the WHO defined sexual health as “conditions for eroticism, emotional attachment/love, sex, gender, and reproduction (Evans and Dyson 2015, 27)”. The definition indicates that erotic is a healthy and normal expression deeply tied to self-value and identity. Nevertheless, this concept is still wrongly used when it comes to black women, whose expressions of pleasure and sexuality are often misinterpreted as hypersexual. These sex-negative thoughts for black women have an adverse impact on their sexual identity and how they perceive sexual health; without the strongest feeling, erotic, these black women are not able to fulfill their empowerment as they will continuously be suppressed by societal pressure. Referring back to Lorde’s central argument that erotic “provides the power which comes from deeply sharing any pursuit with another person (Lorde 1978, 89)”. The strongest feeling is worth sharing and should not be suppressed, and through this, women can overcome societal constraints, find empowerment, and affirm their value.
Reference
Peterson, Jules-Gill. “Gender.” Emory Libraries Resources Terms of Use – Emory University Libraries. Accessed September 16, 2024. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.proxy.library.emory.edu/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=eb75bfce-d4fc-4ceb-b931-74bb56c1eb71%40redis&ppid=pp_96&vid=0&format=EBLorde, Audre. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Crossing Press, August 25, 1978, 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198782506.003.0032.
Erika, Evans and Don, Dyon. “From Princess to Queen: A Black Feminist Approach to Positive Sexual Identity Development” University of Nebraska Press, 2015, vol. 1, 25-56. https://doi.org/10.1353/bsr.2015.0005
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The concept of “gender” has evolved differently for Black people in the aftermath of slavery. While “gender” often categorizes humans into “men,” “women,” or “transgender” groups, Western patriarchal society has also constructed it as a binary model of “masculine and feminine,” emphasizing male dominance over female subordination (Snorton 2018). For African Americans, colonization by European countries led to stronger racial and cultural influence on social categories than gender differences, resulting in the loss of gender distinction.
Under chattel slavery, both male and female African Americans were denied the opportunities to express their body and sexuality in indigenous culture (Snorton 2018). These concepts were later unfortunately misunderstood and misinterpreted by some African scholars. For instance, the social hierarchy in pre-colonial Yoruba society in Africa was based on seniority rather than biological sex, prioritizing auditory over visual senses in their knowledge systems and understanding of reality (Oyewumi 1997). However, when the Western binary gender framework was imposed on Yoruba society during colonization, individuals became defined by their biological sex. As a result, African writers like Tola Pearce began interpreting Yoruba society as patriarchal, describing it as “a patriarch, his wives, his sons, and their wives” (Oyewumi 1997). This interpretation reveals a profound misunderstanding of the traditional Yoruba culture as other Yoruba intellectuals also criticized such scholars as masters of the “history of England, Rome, and Greece,” but knowing “nothing whatever” of their local history and lineage (Oyewumi 1997). As revealed, the inappropriate application of Western gender ideology has distorted the understanding of the more fluid and nuanced African indigenous social systems.
Moreover, the meanings of “gender” are multiplied due to the sexual violence experienced by Black women in Western slavery. As Hartman argues, the “forced sex between slavers and the enslaved” for Black women is “a condition of unredressed injury” that intensifies their captivity and objectification (Snorton 2018). This is exemplified in history in the “breeding farms” in the antebellum South, where enslaved women were raped by both slaveowners and enslaved men and forced to reproduce to increase the enslaved population. These women were treated as objects or property, and their reproductive abilities were exploited for economic gain. This is a direct consequence of slavery’s racial and gender-based power dynamics.
In response to anti-Black racism and sexual violence, Black feminists like Audre Lorde advocated for self-respect and self-determination among Black women in the 20th century. Lorde contrasts “pornography,” a superficial sensation, with the “erotic,” a genuine expression of spirit that brings fulfillment, joy, and creativity (Lorde 1978). By illustrating moments of deep sharing—such as dancing or writing—Lorde encourages Black women to embrace personal creativity and joy (Lorde 1978). She urges more Black women to overcome fear, transcend the inferior position, and reject the suppression of the “erotic” by distorted patriarchal Western society. Through empowerment and self-determination, women would become less susceptible to social expectations or political influences like “marriage, god, man, or afterlife” (Lorde 1978).
In conclusion, “gender” can serve as another dimension to examine how African Americans persistently experienced racial and sexual discrimination amid the afterlife of slavery.
References
Lorde, Audre. 1978. Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power. Crossing Press.
Oyewumi, Oyeronke. 1997. “Visualising the Body: Western Theories and African Subjects.” In Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Snorton, C., Riley. 2018. “Gender.” In Keywords for African American Studies, by Erica R. Edwards, Roderick A. Ferguson, and Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, 1st ed. New York University Press. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NDc2OTMyOQ==?aid=107790. -
In analyzing feminist movements across different cultures, one key concept emerges: the importance of understanding cultural and historical contexts when comparing or studying feminist ideologies. Attempting to apply Western feminist frameworks to non-Western societies without acknowledging their unique structures risks oversimplifying. Oyewumi’s analysis in her work “The Invention of Women”, emphasizes how Western categories of gender, race, and hierarchy are applied indiscriminately across different cultures in academic research (Oyewumi 1997, 3). Oyewumi critiques Western feminist theory for imposing its biological determinism onto non-Western societies. In her discussion of Yoruba society, for example, she highlights that social roles are not inherently gendered as they are in Western contexts. In Yoruba culture, seniority take precedence over gender in determining one’s social standing, which is in stark contrast to the Western focus on body-based classifications.
Furthermore, non-Western frameworks are often excluded from or not fully recognized within Western feminist discourse. I found it particularly relavent when analysing Western ideas of feminism with those from non-Western cultures like China. For instance, sexual liberation is frequently emphasized in Western feminist rhetoric, advocating for autonomy over one’s body and fighting for the rights of sex workers as essential components of liberation. These ideas reflect a broader Western history of battling for individual rights, sexual freedom, and the dismantling of patriarchal structures. However, this framework of liberation is not universal, nor can it be fully applied to non-Western societies without understanding their specific historical and cultural backgrounds.
Chinese feminism, influenced by over 2,000 years of Confucian thought, holds different priorities. Rather than focusing on sexual liberation, Chinese feminist thought has been more concerned with liberation from marriage and familial obligations. Confucianism places a heavy emphasis on family hierarchy, obedience, and gender roles. Therefore, in Chinese feminist movements, liberation is often defined as freedom from the oppressive structures of marriage and family expectations, which could be considered an “anti-marriage” stance. This version of feminism can sometimes adopt an anti-sex wrok or “anti sex” position, viewing sex (especially with men) as exploitative rather than empowering. The fight for reproductive rights also takes on a different issue in China, where the legacy of planned parenthood policies in the 80s has created unique challenges related to reproductive autonomy.
It is impossible to apply feminist theory to any culture without considering the social and historical contexts that have shaped it. Oyewumi’s critique of Western feminism emphasizes the risks of applying Western ideas of gender, race, and hierarchy to non-Western countries. Ultimately, to truly understand and respect feminist movements globally, it is essential to avoid oversimplifications and instead appreciate the nuances that arise from each culture’s background.
Oyewumi, Oyeronke. “Visualizing the Body: Western Theories and African Subjects.” SpringerLink, January 1, 1970. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-137-09009-6_1. -
When you hear the word “erotic,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Possibly images of pornography, sex, or physical desire. But what if the erotic wasn’t just about these types of “sensations without feeling” (Lorde 1978, 54)? In her speech “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power,” Audre Lorde redefined the erotic. Lorde described the erotic, or “the sensual”, as a source of personal empowerment for women. The erotic is the emotional force that connects authentic desires and feelings to help make sense of what one truly wants. She emphasizes how true joy and satisfaction come from within – from the sense of self-control and internal desire – and not from any external factors – not “marriage, nor god, nor an afterlife” (Lorde 1978, 57).
However, even today, this profound power of the erotic is still being suppressed. Gender and social roles have been applied to most people since the first day of birth. Girls are taught to be obedient, modest, and passive, while boys are expected to be assertive, strong, and capable of caring for a family. These social expectations greatly hinder the development of the power of erotic, preventing the full expression of one’s identity and potential, and also influence how society treats the word “erotic.” The negative connotation related to the erotic is a result of misinterpretations of ideas over decades and decades, shaping how we perceive this word. These types of misinterpretations or underrepresentations not only happen to a specific terminology but also to “minority” groups – those being silenced and “remain invisible to various public discourse” (Spillers 2003, 53) – whether in terms of gender, race, or other aspects of identity. These underrepresentations reinforce the societal stereotypes that further suppress the expression of the erotic, creating a vicious cycle.
This idea of misrepresentation can also be linked to C. Riley Snorton’s “AIDS and the Distribution of Crisis”. He highlighted how HIV/AIDS patients and muggers have been equated, “spectacularized, criminalized, and typified” just because of their marginalized identities (Snorton 2020, 314). This misrepresentation of the minority confused the larger society with the difference between being a criminal and being ill involuntarily. The crisis of criminalizing HIV and AIDS can still be observed in the world around us. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian hate reached a climax, leading to unfair blame and unequal treatment toward Asian communities simply due to our ethnicity. Similarly, being a member of the LGBT community or belonging to a racial minority often causes people to face injustice and alienation due to misrepresentation and harmful associations of those identities with words or events that carry negative connotations.
In conclusion, societal norms can often lead to the suppression of personal empowerment, also known as “the erotic.” These suppressions can extend to broader issues, like the criminalization of certain identities or terms due to misrepresentations and biases fostered by the “mediocrity of our society” (Lorde 1978, 54).References
Lorde, Audre. Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power, 53-59. Pennsylvania: Crossing Press, 1987.
Snorton, C., Riley. 2020. AIDS and the Distribution of Crises, 313-318. Edited by Jih-Fei Cheng, Alexandra Juhasz, and Nishant Shahani. North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2020.
Spillers, Hortense J. Interstices: A Small Drama of Words, 153-175. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. -
In “The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power,” the author Lorde argues that the true power and meaning of the erotic have been misunderstood and suppressed in Western society, especially by patriarchal systems. According to my understanding after having read the text and also as a female, I realize that women have been taught to fear or diminish the erotic due to its distortion by these systems. Instead of acknowledging its emotional and spiritual significance, society has reduced the erotic to shallow sexual expressions, equating it to pornography.
To emphasize further the comparison between eroticism and pornography, while pornography commodifies sensation, the erotic is about the connection to deep satisfaction. Pornography focuses solely on physical sensation without the emotional depth or intellectual engagement that the erotic embodies. This is a misrepresentation of the erotic, which serves as a suppression of its true potential as a source of personal empowerment and resistance to oppression.
When we, as women, fully embrace the erotic, it becomes a source of inner strength and further guides us toward a more genuine and fulfilling life. Lorde beautifully explained how the connection with the erotic allows women to understand their potential for joy and satisfaction in every part of life, not just in sexual relationships but also in their work, creativity, and personal connections. By realizing how deeply we can feel, we can start to reject anything that feels mediocre or shallow. She stresses that we can’t settle for less once we experience this level of deep emotions. The erotic becomes a way to judge the quality and meaning of everything we do.
The fear of women embracing the erotic comes from the threat it poses to the systems that have kept women controlled for so long. When women connect with the erotic, they become stronger and more confident. This lets them push back against society’s expectations to conform. If women stop being shamed for their desires and start living fully, they can create real change in their lives and the world around them. Society fears this because it challenges the normals that have always kept women from reaching their full potential. The author, therefore, encourages women to bring the erotic back into their every day activities by pursuing creative projects that make them feel fulfilled. By doing this, they push back against societal structures that limit them and redefine what it means to live a genuinely satisfying life. -
In Audre Lorde’s essay, “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power,” she redefines eroticism as not only about sex or “physical sensation” but more about a source of empowerment, joy, and self-awareness that we need, comparing sharply with its common societal interpretation of “porn”. In her speech, she stated, “The erotic is a measure between the beginnings of our sense of self and the chaos of our strongest feelings” (Lorde 1978, 88). Comparing Lorde’s perspectives to the mainstream culture, and even in standardized references like dictionaries, “erotic” is often defined more narrowly and even lagged further back to the 70s, still relating boldly to the term as “Sexually Arousing” and synonymizing with “pornography”, reinforcing a misconception that the erotic is purely superficial.
In her speech, she calls “pornography” a “substitute” for the erotic that emphasizes sensation without meaning, stating, “Pornography emphasizes the obscene, the trivial, the psychotic, and violence. It represents the suppression of true feeling” (Lorde, Uses of the Erotic, 1978). In contrast, Lorde’s extended ideas have become rare in modern perception. However, a valuable positive example of Lorde’s view can merely be found in the contemporary feminist and LGBTQ+ movement. In spaces like feminist art exhibitions and Pride celebrations, people use their “erotic” power instead of sexual means to express identity, joy, and community beyond the narrow confines of sexualization. These events often celebrate the erotic in ways that emphasize the community’s connection, freedom, and the reclamation of identity, as opposed to the objectification seen in any commercialized depictions of sexuality like porn which Lorde had critiqued most upon.
However, in more realistic aspects of society, we must admit that nowadays advertisements, films, and even some pop music like K-pop frequently portray sexuality in ways that prioritize people’s consumption over genuine emotional needs. This reflects the limited, dictionary definition of the erotic and stands in stark contrast to Lorde’s idea that the erotic is about emotional connection and personal empowerment.
Lorde’s speech remains relevant and advanced today, particularly in consent, body positivity, and sexual freedom. It is understanding the “erotic” as a tool for empowerment that challenges oppressive systems that have long controlled women’s bodies and marginalized identities. It is through embracing the essence of the erotic that individuals can once again reclaim their power over their own bodies and lives.
References:
Lorde, Audre. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Crossing Press, August 25, 1978, 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198782506.003.0032.
Merriam Webster’s collegiate thesaurus, (1976), s.v.
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The Merrium Webster dictionary defines the word “erotic” as something strongly marked or affected by sexual desire (Merrium Webster). However many people immediately associate the word “erotic” with pornographic material. Pornography is an incredibly harmful subset of the erotic. It is defined as “the depiction of acts to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction” (Merrium Webster). It suppresses complex emotions to provide a fast satisfaction, resulting in a hollow and unemotional objectification.
This objectification has real life consequences. Studies have found that men who are highly exposed to media and pornography that objectifies women are more likely to support violence against them (Wright et al. 2015). Eroticism can be so much more than just objectification. By stripping away the emotional aspects of the erotic, it strips away the power of the erotic. In “The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power,” Audre Lorde argues that the erotic is more than the physical. She describes the erotic as an internal sense of satisfaction that we constantly strive to achieve. It motivates women to stand up for themselves and to stop accepting the bare minimum (Lorde 1978, 88).
In 1978, Lorde said that “women are maintained at a distant/inferior position to be psychically milked, much the same way ants maintain colonies of aphids to provide a life-giving sub-stance for their masters” and in many ways they still are. Although the US has made a lot of progress in the past 46 years, women’s reproductive rights and safety has moved backwards. For instance, the number of women who die giving birth in the US has doubled in the last twenty years; the majority of these deaths were preventable (Serena et al 2024). These unnecessary casualties are even more common for black individuals who give birth. In fact, black women are three times more likely to die during and after childbirth than white women (Michael 2023). This is unacceptable, women and individuals who give birth need to fight to regain their rights and the erotic may be the perfect tool to do so.
References:
Wright, Paul, and Robert Tokunaga. “Men’s Objectifying Media Consumption, Objectification of Women, and Attitudes Supportive of Violence against Women.” Archives of sexual behavior, 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26585169/.Lorde, Audre. 1978. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Crossing Press, August 25, 1978, 87-91.
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “erotic,” accessed September 15, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erotic.
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “pornography,” accessed September 16, 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pornography.
Williams, Serena, and Elaine Weltoroth. “We Shouldn’t Have to Be Willing to Die to Give Birth in the U.S.” Time, April 11, 2024.
Sainato, Michael. “‘A Critical Emergency’: America’s Black Maternal Mortality Crisis.” The Guardian, July 23, 2023.
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We hear and see the phrase “never again”, yet what is truly being done? The historical effects and impacts left by slavery continue to prevail in society, as the past does not stay in the past. The white, cisgender, heterosexual male narrative continues to be present in settings that should be for reformative actions and educative sources. Still, the narrative brings the past back into the present, erasing the Black community’s stories and progressing to true liberation. The “restorative” actions taken in the United States around slavery are at times portraying the white supremacist ideals, undoing progress on discussion and restructuring the truth, and bringing out anti-Black racism (Sharpe 2023). The sense of sympathy is lost along the way, as individuals do not like indulging in deep discussions or witnessing the truth of slavery, even if they are uncomfortable.
Today, the systemic issues and racism are the productions of slavery, but will not be progressing if no narratives are authentic. To enable the Black community to gain identity, we need to provide them with spaces where they can speak about their ancestors and current experiences in their light. The concerns and needs must be validated rather than minimized. In this space, it must showcase the paradoxes of Blackness and demonstrate Black humanity. The United States still is participating in the simplification as the curricula of educational systems present students with a whitewashed narrative of slavery. Students are reported to believe the Civil War was caused by state rights, rather than slavery (Daniels 2021). The educational system does not provide students with an open space to share true Black history and narrative, so where is the truth shown? It is necessary for us to change the narratives in our educational curricula to educate the future of society about the true stories, even if they are dark. If this is not broken, then society will continue to listen and follow the white narrative, which will continue to present systemic issues. If there was an opportunity for classrooms to read pieces like Ordinary Notes, it would begin recognizing how washed out history is, among who gets to be comfortable and who does not. To create reform, we must turn over the history to those who have had and been shaped by experiences. Most importantly, bring Black dignity into our society and build the change that gives respect towards the past, one that will stop harming the future of Black experiences.
Bibliography
Daniels, Cheyanne M. “Oversimplifying Black History: What Schools Do Wrong.” Medill News Service, February 22, 2021. https://dc.medill.northwestern.edu/blog/2021/02/22/oversimplifying-black-history-what-schools-do-wrong/#sthash.iqwtUHYy.dpbs.Sharpe, Christina Elizabeth, Ordinary Notes. New York, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023.
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Catherine Boyd, remembered as “Kitty”, is described as a loyal enslaved black woman owned by Bishop James Osgood Andrew, the first president of the board of trustees of Emory College (Lewis-Timmons 2022, 77). The legacy Catherine leaves behind is the story of a woman whose identity was taken from her. Kitty’s Cottage was given to Catherine as a place where she could live. While only being described as “slave girl” or “mulatto slave girl” (Lewis-Timmons 2022, 78), her story has been told in many different ways. She worked within the Andrew’s household, “Fitted her to housekeeping” until her death (Lewis-Timmons 2022,80). After her death, she was buried with her owner, in the white section of a segregated cemetery. Similarly, to how her life was told as being loyal to the Andrew family, rather than staying with her family, she is buried with them forever.
To truly examine this site, we must view the narrative around Catherine’s enslavement as well. Bishop Andrew’s ownership of Catherine is never explicitly discovered. Two popular stories are that he inherited her from his wife after her death, and that a dying woman begged him to take Catherine into his care. These stories make Andrew not responsible for his ownership of Catherine and were created to become a “popularized narrative to excuse his ownership of people” (Lewis-Timmons 2022, 78). Despite describing himself as an “inherited slave-owner”, he only ever referred to Catherine as “a mulatto girl” (Lewis-Timmons 2022, 80).
In 1939, the cottage was moved to Salem Campground where it became a museum created to honor the foundations of Georgia civilization. This home of an enslaved black woman became a confederate museum. This monument to confederacy and the institution of slavery was created in the name of Kitty’s loyalty to the Andrew family.
When visiting the cottage, I saw that the church had placed trash cans against the cottage. This site has been used to abuse Catherine since the cottage’s creation and even after Catherine’s death. And now in 2024, the church who allowed these crimes against her, places trash cans against her home, A place being renovated to tell her story. A similarity can be drawn when talking about the discourse over removing statues of Confederate Soldiers. Many people see these as statues of American Warriors, such as “Stonewall” Jackson. They ignore that these were put up in the South as a form of protest to the civil rights movement in the 1960s. The statues are a very public form of the racism rooted in slavery we see in the US today. These statues project a heroic status on people who fought for slavery. Kitty’s Cottage is another example of a public form of racism rooted in slavery but less visible. It is a blank canvas, that is being left blank rather than filled with history of enslavement and wrong doings of the church.
Why do we remember enslavement from the viewpoint of the enslavers rather than the enslaved?References:
Lewis-Timmons, Monet, ‘Beyond Kitty’s Cottage: The Double-Containment of Catherine “Miss Kitty” Boyd and Black Commemoration Practices in Oxford, Georgia’, in Rhondda Thomas (ed.), Rhetoric, Public Memory, and Campus History (Liverpool, 2022; online edn, Liverpool Scholarship Online, 21 Sept. 2023), https://doi.org/10.3828/liverpool/9781638040200.003.0005, accessed 16 Sept. 2024.
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Recent restrictions and bans on abortions have caused a detrimental effect on women, specifically black women in the United States. Roe v. Wade was a critical law that was in place to protect women’s rights to having an abortion, in 2022, it was overturned. This allowed each state to constitute its own laws and regulations on women’s bodies and their rights to having abortions. As we discussed in class, currently many U.S states have bans or at least restrictions on abortion. States that have the strongest abortion restrictions are also linked to higher black maternal deaths (Felix 2023, 1). The text reiterates the fact that abortion restrictions have caused local reproductive centers and services to shut down, resulting in black women having no access to preventative care/prenatal care (1). Historically black women have been restricted and held back from utilizing resources that other people get to utilize. Microaggressions, racism, and sexism have prevented black women from being properly helped in health centers/medical institutions. This is due to the lack of medical research on black women, as research is mostly done on white males (and to benefit the white/male population) (Mckoy 2023, 1). The lack of research on black women’s health has caused disproportionate amounts of black women to suffer from health conditions compared to their counterparts. The lack of research stems from systemic racism and sexism that is embedded in the healthcare system. Now, the restrictions on abortions and access to preventative care/centers has disproportionately affected black women’s health once again. In addition, black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth when compared to white women (Welteroth & Williams 2024, 1). Black women are not given the same treatment that white women are receiving in medical environments. This is not something that will stop once abortion restrictions are abolished, racism is embedded in the medical environment. The ongoing issue in society is systemic racism and the dehumanization of black women. Dehumanization, seeing black women as less human or treating them as if they can “handle more pain” than white women can. Black women constantly are dismissed and ignored by health care providers on a daily basis.
Bibliography
Felix, Kwolanne. “Abortion Bans Exacerbate the US’s Existing Black Maternal Health Crisis.” Truthout, June 21, 2023. https://truthout.org/articles/abortion-bans-exacerbate-the-uss-existing-black-maternal-health-crisis/.
Mckoy, Jillian. “Racism, Sexism, and the Crisis of Black Women’s Health.” Boston University, October 31, 2023. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2023/racism-sexism-and-the-crisis-of-black-womens-health/.
Welteroth, Elaine and Williams, Serena “We Shouldn’t Have to Be Willing to Die to Give Birth in the US” Time Op-Ed (2024).
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The concept that struck me the most is the intentional silencing of Black women’s representation in public and feminist discourses. Hortense Spillers, in Interstices: A Small Drama of Words, claimed that the systemic exclusion of Black women’s voices from these conversations is not an oversight but a deliberate act that perpetuates white male supremacy. Spillers argues that this silence around Black women’s sexual experiences is meant to deny them agency, leaving their identities to be constructed by others, often in harmful ways.
First, Spillers highlights how Black women are relegated to the margins of both racial and gendered discussions. She asserts, “Black American women remain invisible to various public discourse, and the state of invisibility for them has its precedent in an analogy on any patriarchal symbolic mode that we might wish to name” (Spillers, 154). The “patriarchal symbolic mode” refers to the entrenched systems of power that silence Black women, especially in relation to their sexuality. I especially resonate with this quote, enhanced my emotional reaction of visualizing black women’s position in society: “Black women are the beached whales of the sexual universe, unvoiced, misseen, not doing, awaiting their verb” (Spillers, 154). Here, Spillers powerfully uses the metaphor of a “beached whale” to illustrate the hopelessness and powerlessness of Black women in overturning the narrative surrounding their sexuality under the influence of hegemony. Moreover, the term “awaiting their verb” is particularly poignant, as it suggests that Black women are positioned in a state of anticipation, waiting for the agency that has long been denied to them.
Spillers also points out how the few portrayals of Black female sexuality that exist are often authored by men, distorting the narrative and reinforcing harmful stereotypes. This phenomenon is echoed in other readings, such as the remaining story of Catherine Boyd, which was written and distorted by Bishop Andrew to enhance his own public image(Lewis-Timmons, 160-161). Spillers’ analysis also challenges feminist scholars, particularly white feminists, to recognize the distinct ways in which Black women experience gender and sexuality. She emphasizes the importance of addressing “the different historical occasions implicated here” that have shaped Black women’s experiences (Spillers, 159). Traditional feminist discourses, dominated by the voices and experiences of white women, often fail to account for the intersection of race and gender in Black women’s lives. This failure perpetuates the very invisibility that Spillers critiques, as it ignores the specific historical and cultural contexts that inform Black women’s experiences with sexuality.
In order to reclaime their narratives, Black women must speak back to the systems that have historically silenced them. Spillers argues that the first step in this reclamation is for Black women to become active agents in their own sexual discourse, to move from being “misseen” to being truly seen, heard, and understood. She writes, “The subject is certainly seen, but she also sees. It is this return of the gaze that negotiates at every point a space for living” (Spillers, 164). This act of “returning the gaze” is crucial, as it allows Black women to assert their agency and challenge the distorted narratives imposed upon them.
Hortense Spillers’ critique of the invisibility of Black women in sexual discourse remains deeply relevant today. Black women continue to navigate a world that often seeks to define their sexuality without their consent. Moreover, Spillers’ argument reflects the remnants of racism that permeate contemporary society, often manifesting as microaggressions. Although microaggressions may not always be recognized as overt acts of racism, they are the long-term accumulation of biases and dehumanization ingrained in societal narratives about Black women—narratives shaped by the same systemic silencing Spillers critiques.
References
Spillers, Hortense J. *Interstices: A Small Drama of Words*. In *Black, White, and In Color: Essays on American Literature and Culture*, 152-175. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Lewis-Timmons, Monet. “Beyond Kitty’s Cottage: The Double-Containment of Catherine ‘Miss Kitty’ Boyd and Black Commemoration Practices in Oxford, Georgia.” In Rhetoric, Public Memory, and Campus History, edited by RHONDDA ROBINSON THOMAS, 71–96. Liverpool University Press, 2022. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2kcwnr4.8.
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In “The Erotic as Power,” Audre Lorde overthrows the traditional definition of “erotic” and offers a transformative concept of it as a source of women empowerment. Conventionally, the term “erotic” has been associated narrowly with sexual desire and pornography, perceptions that Lorde claims have been misnamed and distorted by a patriarchal society to push forward female inferiority. She criticizes this limited interpretation that merely views the erotic as physical pleasure. Lorde’s conception of the erotic, however, is thoroughly different from the conventional ones. Lorde believes that the erotic shouldn’t be about sensation without feeling but about experiences that bring genuine satisfaction, joy, empowerment, passion, knowledge, and fullness. She argues that these feelings could be perceived from all aspects of our lives, not just in sexual experiences but in all of our everyday endeavors.
Lorde’s speech on the erotic is powerful because it reclaims a term that has been used to oppress women and turns it into a tool for female empowerment, encouraging women to engage with life on a deeper level, pursuing their desires, passions, and sense of self without fear of being sexually abused or devalued by the society.
Lorde’s revolutionary speech not only promoted collective awakening for both women and men on feminism but also called for a reexamination of the oppressive social structure. In a patriarchal society, women are often commodified, therefore, more vulnerable to harassment, exploitation, objectification, and violence. By emphasizing the erotic as a source of strength, Lorde empowers women to regain control of their bodies, desires, and lives. This shift in perspective opens up new possibilities for women to live fully and authentically without fear.
The reshaping of individuals and society is crucial for creating a world of justice and freedom. Lorde’s work in the late 1970s and 1980s laid the groundwork for the feminist movement and the advocacy of women’s rights. A contemporary example that comes to my mind is the #MeToo movement. While it’s been hugely influential in bringing sexual assault into public discourse, there’s been criticism that it initially focused primarily on the experiences of white, affluent women. The experiences of women of color, including Black women, were often sidelined or ignored. This relates back to what we’re studying because it shows how, even in modern feminist movements, there can be neglect around certain experiences. It’s a reminder that we need to actively seek out and amplify diverse voices, especially when it comes to topics as personal and important as sexuality. Although these ideas are complex and might sometimes be uncomfortable, I think they’re crucial for understanding how these voices shape our present and how we might work towards a more equitable future.References
Lorde, Audre. 1978. “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” Crossing Press, August 25, 1978, 87-91. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198782506.003.0032. -
When the terms sex and gender are mentioned, more often than not, it is dismissed as the same notion. Since even before humans are born, they are already placed into the category of boy or girl. The gifts given at baby showers include cute pink bows for girls or blue baby rattles for the boys. As the child grows older, parents ask their daughter about which boy she likes or asks their son whether he’ll ask a girl to prom. These are all examples of stereotypes that have been imprinted into our lives. Whether it is always giving the African American character an accent or always displaying an Asian character as a nerd, it is as if the roles are being set for how people should act based on factors they cannot control. This is highlighted in Black, White, and in Color which mentioned how in most literature, the portrait of black people is associated with either the blues or an exaggerated accent.
The usage of stereotypes extends beyond gender and sexuality. This is seen when Lorde discusses how when discussing the topic of eroticism, it is thought of in a very sexual manner and is also assumed to equate to pornography. The way eroticism has been depicted is not the way it is meant to be interpreted; it is meant to be seen as a form of connecting to yourself and using that to strengthen yourself. On the contrary, pornography focuses on the physical and disregards any emotional aspects to sexuality. By women exploring their erotic side, they will gain a deeper understanding of themself and grow from that. In the modern age, there is a lot of talk about self-care. Lorde is telling women in her speech to do some self-care and take care of themselves by being themselves. Only then can women have the strength and courage to take on obstacles.
Traditionally, women were not allowed to think let alone talk about anything erotic as it was deemed unlady-like. This is especially prevalent in conservative cultures such as those in African villages or the rural towns of India. Women’s rights and gender sexuality are on no one’s minds when all they can think about is how to survive. The unfortunate reality is that some places will need a significant amount of time to understand these complexities and implement them into their societies. It can be said that society has significantly progressed in most countries, however, there will always be issues regarding sexuality and gender as society grows. As we confront these biases, we can work to create a more equitable society.
1. Lorde, Audre. 1984. “The Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power.” In Sister Outsider. The Crossing Press, a division of Ten Speed Press, 87
2. Spillers, Hortense. “Black, White, and Color”. Essays on American Literature and Culture.
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