The Journey to “Becoming” an Afrocentric Lesbian Southern Belle

• In Event: Landscapes of Curriculum: Intersections of Place, Sexuality, and Interdisciplinarity in Curriculum Studies

Abstract

This paper provides a glimpse into the personal experiences that have helped the author look for understandings and eventually celebrate her sexuality. More specifically, this paper discusses the challenge of finding a comfort zone where she could be lesbian, Black, Afrocentric, and Southern – identities that are often placed at odds with one another. Sexuality studies exploring lesbian identities often focus on and stem from the experiences of Caucasian women (Bell & Valentine, 1995; Ettorre, 2010; McCarthy, 2000; Oswald, 2000). Recently, more attention has been paid to the sexual identity experiences of Black women as a few studies have explored Black women’s coming out experiences (Bates, 2010) and gender expression (Wilson, 2009). The experience of identifying as a Black lesbian, particularly one interested in critical Afrocentric and/or Black feminist epistemologies has received limited attention (Lorde, 1982; Simmons, 2006). Add the Southern identification label and the research is seemingly non-existent.

The author uses autoethnographic exploration and literary vignettes to unmask identity (Rodriguez, 2006) and tell stories of her own becoming. She concludes the chapter with a declaration of ambiguity and suggests “next steps” she might take, both personally, socially, and professionally as an academic.

Author

• Qiana M. Cutts, Argosy University - Atlanta