Angel Quadry
All the
Worlds a Stage:
The Importance of Intersectional Practices in Queer Nightlife
The Importance of Intersectional Practices in Queer Nightlife
Situated
in London, this chapter seeks to explore the necessity of queer nightlife by
examining its role in providing a place of safety, security, and celebration
for attendees. In doing so, I look at the formation of community through these
queer spaces. The recent closure of G-A-Y Late, at the end of 2023 (Clark,
2023), representative of the large number of gay venues closing down in recent
years , there has been a shift in how queer Londoners approach nightlife. A
report made by Bartlett professors, Ben Campkin and Laura Marshall,
investigates the closures of these spaces across the city and their work shows
that there has been a significant decline of LGBTQ+ venues in the city (Campkin
& Marshall, 2018). However, queer nightlife is not dead. Coupled with the
decline of venues, there has been a rise in collectives and organisers hosting
queer events. These events often take place in commercial venues, which are
transformed through the occupation of queer bodies. Mass representation through
the inhabitation of spaces, even temporarily, has the ability to influence
queer individuals’ performance and potentially aide the development of
communities. This dissertation focuses predominantly on queer people of colour
(POC), our access to these spaces.
The context of a space, and the way it is defined, is dependent on how it is inhabited. Liberation can be acquired by people having the opportunity to be authentic and vulnerable even for a finite amount and is catalysed by the congregation of other oppressed persons. My focus on queer nightlife in this essay, will highlight not only the performativity of queerness, but will also demonstrate how performances of sexuality, gender, and desire intersect with race. The queer night out acts as a stage, a place which creates an opportunity for individuals to express desire without concern of the white heteronormativity of Western society. Heteronormativity is a view that assumes the gender binary, believing heterosexuality is normal, natural, and superior. Within race studies whiteness is understood to be the normalisation of white racial identity in society where whiteness is considered as a standard to which racialised people are compared. Nightlife is a lens which demonstrates the desire within minority groups to occupy space in their demand for acceptance, both physically and socially. The collective gathering in nightclubs, bars or any place of leisure, promotes confidence and understanding in individuals which helps them cultivate a community.
This study will aim to remain rooted in a compilation of queer theory, black feminism and race studies throughout, to stress the importance of the intersection of queer identity with race. As a queer black non-binary woman, my own experiences of LGBTQ+ events have shown that they are not all made equal. Despite considering myself as a member of the LGBTQ community I have often felt my own feelings of enjoyment and comfortability as a black woman are not considered, mainly due to the disregard of the impact that other identifying factors such as race and gender has on one’s experience. The acronym LGBTQ+ is an abbreviation for the term ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and other marginalised sexualities and gender identities’, and while it is all encompassing with regards to queerness, which I define as relating to sexual and gender identities which defy the societal norm of heterosexuality, it doesn’t take into consideration the nuances that occur with the fact that queerness is not perceived in a vacuum that disregards other aspects of identity. As a black gay woman my experiences are frequently affected by, homophobia, racism and misogyny all potentially working in tandem. This is different to the oppressions endured by gay white men, who may find privilege in spaces I often do not. It is important to be aware of the array of variables operating simultaneously when creating inclusive and accessible space. How can one who has multiple minority identities believe they are safe when only one aspect of their identity has been invited?
The context of a space, and the way it is defined, is dependent on how it is inhabited. Liberation can be acquired by people having the opportunity to be authentic and vulnerable even for a finite amount and is catalysed by the congregation of other oppressed persons. My focus on queer nightlife in this essay, will highlight not only the performativity of queerness, but will also demonstrate how performances of sexuality, gender, and desire intersect with race. The queer night out acts as a stage, a place which creates an opportunity for individuals to express desire without concern of the white heteronormativity of Western society. Heteronormativity is a view that assumes the gender binary, believing heterosexuality is normal, natural, and superior. Within race studies whiteness is understood to be the normalisation of white racial identity in society where whiteness is considered as a standard to which racialised people are compared. Nightlife is a lens which demonstrates the desire within minority groups to occupy space in their demand for acceptance, both physically and socially. The collective gathering in nightclubs, bars or any place of leisure, promotes confidence and understanding in individuals which helps them cultivate a community.
This study will aim to remain rooted in a compilation of queer theory, black feminism and race studies throughout, to stress the importance of the intersection of queer identity with race. As a queer black non-binary woman, my own experiences of LGBTQ+ events have shown that they are not all made equal. Despite considering myself as a member of the LGBTQ community I have often felt my own feelings of enjoyment and comfortability as a black woman are not considered, mainly due to the disregard of the impact that other identifying factors such as race and gender has on one’s experience. The acronym LGBTQ+ is an abbreviation for the term ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and other marginalised sexualities and gender identities’, and while it is all encompassing with regards to queerness, which I define as relating to sexual and gender identities which defy the societal norm of heterosexuality, it doesn’t take into consideration the nuances that occur with the fact that queerness is not perceived in a vacuum that disregards other aspects of identity. As a black gay woman my experiences are frequently affected by, homophobia, racism and misogyny all potentially working in tandem. This is different to the oppressions endured by gay white men, who may find privilege in spaces I often do not. It is important to be aware of the array of variables operating simultaneously when creating inclusive and accessible space. How can one who has multiple minority identities believe they are safe when only one aspect of their identity has been invited?