IBARW: Intersectionality and Passing
To make my short contribution this year less personal, I thought I'd approach the topic of intersectionality from a fannish perspective.
In past imbroglios certain fans have made statements (paraphrased) such as, "I don't see Teyla or Ronon as characters of color because they're not human," or "They don't fit into our concept of race." They've dismissed theories of science fiction characters, particularly, being "coded" as Black, or Chinese, or NDN, or even Jewish. Anything to avoid the issue of how casting a net of otherness onto alien characters almost always perpetuates stereotypes of otherness onto people of color, because actors of color are usually the ones portraying the aliens.
So, what does this have to do with intersectionality? I present two images:
These are two of my favorite characters in scifi television (and possibly ever): Teyla Emmagan from Stargate Atlantis, and Aeryn Sun from Farscape. Of these two, one is not precisely an alien. If you've never seen either show, I'll give you a moment to decide which character that is.
Digressing for a moment [spoilers for Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars] - technically, they both fall into the category of not-really-an-alien. Teyla is Athosian, a human from the Pegasus Galaxy who was born with special abilities to sense the Wraith. Aeryn is Sebacean - a species that is an off-shoot of human (genetically evolved over thousands of years, if I'm remembering correctly) - and was born and raised as a Peacekeeper, a space-bred militia hell bent on colonizing your ass if you get in their way.
From the pictures above we can determine that they are both female and can pass as human with no problems. There are no outward protrusions from their faces or bodies; no organs, sexual or otherwise, on the outside; nothing to say that they are alien or non-human.
If Teyla and Aeryn lived on earth, they'd face oppression and discrimination because of their gender, but gain a certain amount of privilege because their sexual/life partners are men, and because they are ableists.
Teyla's skin color brings forth another oppression, because she's not just coded as a POC; she is a POC by earth standards. She is a Black woman; partner to a man who may or may not be a POC; mother to a child who, regardless of how she raises him and how he self-identifies, will likely be seen by the outside world as a person of color and will treat him as such.
Aeryn is a white woman; partner to a white man; mother to a white child.
That level playing field between Teyla and Aeryn started and ended with their similarities as female, abled, straight, highly evolved humans.
The differences that intersect will allow Aeryn to pass successfully as a white woman, and will prevent Teyla from being seen as nothing more than an alien.
In past imbroglios certain fans have made statements (paraphrased) such as, "I don't see Teyla or Ronon as characters of color because they're not human," or "They don't fit into our concept of race." They've dismissed theories of science fiction characters, particularly, being "coded" as Black, or Chinese, or NDN, or even Jewish. Anything to avoid the issue of how casting a net of otherness onto alien characters almost always perpetuates stereotypes of otherness onto people of color, because actors of color are usually the ones portraying the aliens.
So, what does this have to do with intersectionality? I present two images:
These are two of my favorite characters in scifi television (and possibly ever): Teyla Emmagan from Stargate Atlantis, and Aeryn Sun from Farscape. Of these two, one is not precisely an alien. If you've never seen either show, I'll give you a moment to decide which character that is.
Digressing for a moment [spoilers for Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars] - technically, they both fall into the category of not-really-an-alien. Teyla is Athosian, a human from the Pegasus Galaxy who was born with special abilities to sense the Wraith. Aeryn is Sebacean - a species that is an off-shoot of human (genetically evolved over thousands of years, if I'm remembering correctly) - and was born and raised as a Peacekeeper, a space-bred militia hell bent on colonizing your ass if you get in their way.
From the pictures above we can determine that they are both female and can pass as human with no problems. There are no outward protrusions from their faces or bodies; no organs, sexual or otherwise, on the outside; nothing to say that they are alien or non-human.
If Teyla and Aeryn lived on earth, they'd face oppression and discrimination because of their gender, but gain a certain amount of privilege because their sexual/life partners are men, and because they are ableists.
Teyla's skin color brings forth another oppression, because she's not just coded as a POC; she is a POC by earth standards. She is a Black woman; partner to a man who may or may not be a POC; mother to a child who, regardless of how she raises him and how he self-identifies, will likely be seen by the outside world as a person of color and will treat him as such.
Aeryn is a white woman; partner to a white man; mother to a white child.
That level playing field between Teyla and Aeryn started and ended with their similarities as female, abled, straight, highly evolved humans.
The differences that intersect will allow Aeryn to pass successfully as a white woman, and will prevent Teyla from being seen as nothing more than an alien.