Charlotte Wang
Decolonizing Gender, Decolonizing Sexuality
Are you interested in unraveling the intricate web of coloniality, gender, and sexuality? This learning module will offer you insights into the impacts of Western colonization on cultures and identities in the Americas and African Continent.
The module encompasses a range of multimedia resources, including, videos, articles, news, and interviews, which provide diverse perspectives and engaging analysis. By engaging with this module, learners will develop a deeper understanding of the historical and ongoing effects of colonization, including the erasure of indigenous gender fluidity, the compulsory navigation towards heteronormativity, and the subjugation of women. Upon completion of this module, learners will cultivate critical thinking, gender sensitivity, and a broader understanding of the lasting legacies of colonization. This module also invites you to question preconceived notions, challenge societal norms, and delve into the complexities of gender and sexuality.
Structure
The learning module is organized as a 2-session discussion group. Think of them like a 2-part college seminar. Learners should expect to spend approximately 2 hours per session on this module. Each session will have 2 or 3 sets of readings or videos, each set of which will take approximately 1 hour to go through in total.
This module is divided into 2 parts: “The Coloniality of Gender” and “The Coloniality of Sexuality.” In the first part, learners will explore how Western colonization suppressed the gender diversity of the indigenous population and imposed gender binary and hierarchies upon them. The readings and video resources here can be completed in any order. Works in the second part should be followed in the listed order, starting with a video that explains one of the historian and philosopher Michel Foucault’s most influential arguments: that sexuality is a historical and social construct. This lays the foundation for Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate professor Kim TallBear’s critique on settler sexuality, where she problematizes heteronormativity as an external ideology brought by colonizers. The final essay focuses on homophobia in African countries, offering a unique perspective on the intricate interplay of gender, sexuality, and Western domination, positing homophobia as both a colonial legacy and a complicated form of anti-colonial resistance.
By the end of this module, you will be able to 1) identify the ways in which indigenous communities have been impacted by colonization in terms of their gender and sexual identities; 2) understand the intricacies of how people form their gender and sexuality, as well as how colonization impacts on them; and 3) critically analyze the dynamic between gender, sexuality, and colonization in different historical dynamics (pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial, and neocolonial).
Charlotte Wang is triple majoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies; Law, Letters, and Society; and Economics at the University of Chicago.
Learning Resources
Part A: The Coloniality of Gender
“Gender Identity: ‘How Colonialism Killed My Culture’s Gender Fluidity.’” BBC World Service. [approximately 6 min] This video highlights the detrimental effects of Western colonization on gender diversity within indigenous tribes, as it forcefully imposes a binary gender ideology upon the natives. While these two-spirit (queer) individuals are highly respected and even regarded as sacred within indigenous communities, they are condemned by colonizers as evil forces that necessitate eradication and alteration.
Maria Lugones, “The Coloniality of Gender” (2008). [16 pages]
The European colonizer imposes gender binaries and gender hierarchies (of which women are subordinate to men) onto colonized societies. In addition, Lugones highlights the intersectionality of coloniality by emphasizing how gender and race were intertwined in the colonial project, leading to the subjugation of indigenous women and the creation of hyper-oppressive power structures.
Part B: Coloniality of Sexuality
“Foucault’s History of Sexuality, Vol.1, Explained.” [5 min; watch from 8:44–13:09; other sections optional]
This short video unpacks Michel Foucault’s most important concepts in his landmark book History of Sexuality. Essentially, Foucault denaturalizes and problematizes the notion of sexuality, claiming that sexuality is merely a historical and social construct governed by societal power. This book lays the foundation for the emergence of queer theory and serves as a critical piece in the field of gender studies.
Kim TallBear, “The Polyamorist that Wants to Destroy Sex” (2021). [3,500 words, approximately 15 pages] In her interview, Kim TallBear introduces the concept of settler colonial sexuality, which involves the promotion of heteronormativity, marriage, and private property by the colonial government. This helps to reshape the indigenous population into productive, normal citizens catering to the interests of the colonial regime.
Leah Buckle, “African Sexuality and the Legacy of Imported Homophobia.” [1,200 words, approximately 5 pages] During the 19th and 20th centuries, colonial Africa underwent the imposition of homophobic and gender-binary values by British colonizers, leading to the implementation of anti-LGBTQ laws. However, the Western world now poses a threat to withdraw foreign aid from post-colonial African countries which do not align with their newly embraced pro-LGBTQ ideals. This further complicates the issue of homophobia in Africa as it intertwines with the resistance against neo-colonialism and the promotion of African national identities.