I’d like to take this opportunity to return to Eli Clare, specifically his chapter, “Losing Home” as he touches upon a critically important aspect of Queer Identity. That is, the idea that one never truly belongs:
“Before I left, I was a rural, mixed-class, queer child in a straight, rural, working-class town. Afterwards, I was an urbantransplanted, mixed-class, dyke activist in an urban, mostly middleclass, queer community. Occasionally I simply feel as if I’ve traded one displacement for another and lost home to boot” (Clare, 17).
In these sentences, Clare lists several of the puzzle pieces that come together to form one’s Identity. Here Clare gives an opening to the intersectionality of identity, and the impact those have on one another. Especially for people who have conflicting identities as Clare does. He is queer but also feels comfortable in rural settings. He is mixed class but can only find the queer support he desires in middle-class communities. Thus, in order to feel accepted in one way Clare must sacrifice in another.
In this, the author presents the reader with one of the more challenging aspects of Identity: its intersectional nature. One’s socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and race all contribute to our understanding of ourselves. In this section, Clare attempts to understand and work through his struggles with different aspects of his Identity. Lamenting that he struggles to find spaces that allow for both his queerness and his desire for rurality.
Writing such as this is important. It creates space for readers to consider these conflicts in their own lives and understanding of themselves. By describing his struggle with Identity Clare normalizes it, and says “It’s okay to feel this way, because I did too.” Thus elevating himself as a Queer Elder and as an example of survival and acceptance. It is only through talking about our struggles that we can create a better path for future generations.