Queer culture in the Southern United States

Last updated March 31, 2024

Queer Culture has been a fundamental part of the United States Southern Culture for hundreds of years. However, when thinking about the South through a queer lens it is much more than just a region but also has ideologies attached to it. Some of these ideologies include the ideas of "authentic" Southernness, heritage, religion, and more conservative beliefs.^[1] All of these ideas affect queer people in one way or another. Many indigenous people and tribes have been driven out of the South by colonial violence, in spite of this these indigenous queer people no longer living in the South they should still be included in the discussion surrounding the Southern queer as they are still southern regardless if they are physically there.^[2]

When thinking about the South it is impossible to do so without addressing its history, however dark it is. The South has historically been an exclusionary place, not welcoming to those who aren't white cisgender heterosexual people,^[1] however it holds the largest populations of queer and people of color in the United States. The South is home to about 35% of all queer people living in the United States and while regions such as the North East are home to only 19%.^[2] Of the queer people living in the south about 40% also identify as people of color.^[3]

To feminists and queer people in the South it was important history was addressed as that led to many people's "radicalization".^[1] It's a common misconception that queer activism did not happen in the South but rather in the metropolitan areas of the West and North.^[1] Even before queer activism in the South, there were radical movements that were taking place, for example, the Civil rights movement was spearheaded in the South. By the 1970s queer feminist activism was already alive and thriving.^[3] Some examples of early queer activism in the South include the Georgia gay liberation front, Lambda Inc (the first queer community center in Alabama), Mississippi gay alliance, and the Carolina gay association.^[3] Despite the clear activism in the South the South still has the least amount of protections for queer people in the United States.^[3] Since the 70s queer activism in the South hasn't slowed down as many more queer organizations have formed and interest has increased.^[1]

Anti-Trans Issues

In the past decade^{[ when? ]}, anti-trans and anti-drag bills have been making their way into legislation^{[ clarification needed ]} all over the United States but are most highly concentrated in the South. All southern states but Virginia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, have passed laws that ban gender-affirming care for trans people under the age of 18. Despite North Carolina and South Caroline not having any passed laws both states have had these laws considered.^[4] On March 2 2023 Tennessee signed into action a bill that explicitly bans drag shows in public spaces. Although Tennessee is currently the only state with a drag ban in place many other states, including South Carolina, Texas West Virginia, and Kentucky, drag bans are currently being considered in 2023. The existence of these bills has prevented and continues to prevent trans youth from getting the medical care they need to continue living in the South.^[5]

Women in print movement

The women in the print movement were most prominent between the 1970s and 1990s. The movement promoted print and literature as a means of communication and liberation. Queer people and queer/feminist topics have historically not been included in literature and the women in print movement worked to change that through its explicitly queer feminist writing. The vast majority of the print was either self-published or published through an explicitly feminist publishing company, such as Nadia Press. The forms of print included: journals, paperbacks, zines, newsletters, underground publications, etc. Although the movement wasn't explicitly Southern, it was still prominent in the South. The existence of underground print in the South allowed queer people to organize, and share ideas, stories, and experiences without the danger and social scrutiny associated with mainstream print.^[1]

Notable queer Southern print and people

June Arnold (1926–1982) was a southern lesbian novelist who was very active in the women in print movement, founded Daughters inc, a distinctly queer and feminist publishing house, and wrote for various other queer southern publications. Her writing focused on lesbian living and the South.^[1]
Pat Parker (1944–1986), was a Southern lesbian poet. She was an active member of the women's movement and was a member of the early black panther party. Her writing has been described as the standard for the women's liberation movement. Her writing focused on life as an African-American lesbian, feminism, poverty, etc. Some of her most notable writings include Jonestown & Other Madness, Woman Slaughter, and Movement in Black.^[6]
Michael Stipe (born 1960) is an American singer and former frontman of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Born in Decatur, Georgia, Stipe revealed in 1994 that he had relationships with men and women, later describing himself as "queer" in 2001.^[7]
Alice Walker (born 1944) is a southern lesbian writer, despite not coming out until much later in life after publishing her most notable work. Walker is most known for writing The Color Purple a novel that follows a Southern African-American lesbian. Walker also was the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple.^[1]
Amazon Quarterly is credited as the first lesbian journal. Although this journal wasn't exclusively Southern, one of the founders was from the South and that was occasionally reflected in the writing present.^[1]
Nadia Press was a lesbian feminist publishing company (active 1973-2003) located in Florida. The company mainly published queer fiction stories but also published general queer writing and books.^[1]
Sinister Wisdom is a lesbian literary and art journal that focuses on lesbians living in the South. It was founded in 1979 by Cathrine Nicholson and Harriet Ellenberger as a place for southern queer people to submit their writing and art. Some notable people who have written for the journal include Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and Pat Parker. Eventually, the journal moved its headquarters to Nebraska but despite this move, it still held its focus on Southern lesbians.^[1]^[8]
Feminary was created shortly after Sinister Wisdoms move to Nebraska.^[1] Feminary is a Southern lesbian journal, originally a newsletter, created in 1978 in North Carolina's research triangle, originally a newsletter, whose focus was Southern lesbian-feminist consciousness and intersectionality.^[9] When viewing the idea of "southern" the journal directly addresses the issue of race in the South, something that queer journals didn't typically do during this time.^[1] The journal worked to create new issues until 1982.^[9]

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Harker, Jaime (2018-10-15), "Queer Sexuality and the Lesbian Feminist South", The Lesbian South, University of North Carolina Press, pp. 99–139, doi:10.5149/northcarolina/9781469643359.003.0004, ISBN 9781469643359, S2CID 182087018 , retrieved 2023-05-20
1 2 Pratt, Minnie Bruce (2020-01-27). "The Queer South: Where the past is not past, and the future is now". Scalawag. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
1 2 3 4 "The Queer History of the South". VideoOut. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
↑ "Attacks on Gender Affirming Care by State Map". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
↑ "Here's the Status of Anti-Drag Bills Across the U.S." Time. 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
↑ Poets, Academy of American. "About Pat Parker | Academy of American Poets". poets.org. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
↑ Farley, Christopher John. "Michael Stipe and the Ageless Boys of R.E.M." Time . May 2001
↑ "Journal | Sinister Wisdom". sinisterwisdom.org. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
1 2 "Feminary: A Feminist Journal for the South Emphasizing the Lesbian Vision · LGBT Identities, Communities, and Resistance in North Carolina, 1945-2012, by David Palmer and His Students · OutHistory". outhistory.org. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

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[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Harker, Jaime (2018-10-15), "Queer Sexuality and the Lesbian Feminist South", The Lesbian South, University of North Carolina Press, pp. 99–139, doi:10.5149/northcarolina/9781469643359.003.0004, ISBN 9781469643359, S2CID 182087018 , retrieved 2023-05-20

[:1-2] 1 2 Pratt, Minnie Bruce (2020-01-27). "The Queer South: Where the past is not past, and the future is now". Scalawag. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

[:2-3] 1 2 3 4 "The Queer History of the South". VideoOut. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

[4] "Attacks on Gender Affirming Care by State Map". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

[5] "Here's the Status of Anti-Drag Bills Across the U.S." Time. 2023-03-05. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

[6] Poets, Academy of American. "About Pat Parker | Academy of American Poets". poets.org. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

[7] Farley, Christopher John. "Michael Stipe and the Ageless Boys of R.E.M." Time . May 2001

[8] "Journal | Sinister Wisdom". sinisterwisdom.org. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

[:3-9] 1 2 "Feminary: A Feminist Journal for the South Emphasizing the Lesbian Vision · LGBT Identities, Communities, and Resistance in North Carolina, 1945-2012, by David Palmer and His Students · OutHistory". outhistory.org. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

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