Aceves, Carolina

"The Intersections of Art and Identity: The Spread of Queer Narratives Throughout History"

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Majors: Political Science and Philosophy

Sophomore, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

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Abstract

In this essay, the healing and transformative power art has in the queer world—a world built by people who have long been margined, excluded, and underprivileged at the hands of a cis-hetero-patriarchal society—are explored and examined against the backdrop of two unique moments in queer history: the fin-de-siècle movement of Victorian society and the Harlem Ballroom scene of the 1980s. Queer artists living in England during the late 19th Century were under constant fear of persecution for their identify. Queerness was, however, never erased during this period, as notable authors Oscar Wilde and Vernon Lee would use the gothic fantasy themes typical of the fin-de-siècle to express the worries and feelings of uncertainty all too familiar to those navigating the world as queer individuals. Decades later, the art of drag, roleplay, and vogue were used to express the feelings of hope and dissatisfaction felt by Harlem’s queer community, many of whom were low income young people of color left to create families of their own. Though two entirely separate moments in history, both serve to illustrate the ways queer folx, seeking refuge in a world that has long abused them, are able to call art their home.

Course: Honors 205

Interdisciplinary Arts

Professor: Jennifer Conary

Department of English