Author: para.scisccors

Renaissance has, and always will be, my favorite academic grind/self-love/vibe album. Is it bad that every song – in some capacity – I can relate to our lovely Gloria? Why has she overtaken all of my blog posts…

Whether it’s self or communal love, queer survival and expression, authenticity, etc., I swear Gloria and Beyoncé are the same person.

On page 169 of Speaking in Tongues, Anzaldua writes, “the act of writing is the act of making soul, alchemy. It is the quest for the self, for the center of the self, which we women of color have come to think as “other”- the dark, the feminine.”  I feel like this speaks so much to what Beyoncé writes in “COZY,” because it’s a self-love and confidence anthem for her, touching on the themes of Black excellence and womanism in America. (some lyrics below of “COZY”)

“She’s a God (ah-ooh), she’s a hero (ah-ooh)
She survived (ah-ooh) all she been through (ah-ooh, ooh)
Confident (ah-ooh), damn, she lethal (ah-ooh, ooh)
Might I suggest you don’t mess with my sis (ooh)
‘Cause she comfortable

Been down, been up, been broke, broke down, bounced back
Been off, been on, been back, what you know about that?
Been the light, been dark, been the truth”

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From “ALIEN SUPERSTAR”:

“We dress a certain way, we walk a certain way
We talk a certain way, we-we paint a certain way
We make love a certain way, you know?
All of these things we do in a different, unique, specific way that is personally ours”

Page 169, ” I write to record what others erase when I speak.” Touching on “we talk a certain way,” because Gloria will not change her language to appease white people…”nor the gags muffle your voice.” She’s a lesbian, so obviously making love in a different, certain way. Painting in the song is a reference to makeup/drag, however, I can change it to painting words… “write with your eyes like painters.”

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Gloria on page 165, “we can’t transcend the dangers, can’t rise above them. We must go through them and hope we won’t have to repeat the performance,” I think of “I’M THAT GIRL” lyrics:

“I been thugging for my un-American life lights in these deep flawless skies.”

I feel like this connects so well because they both struggle so much as women of color in America and they only choice they have is to live through their life and they both write about it (in their own ways) so beautifully.

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These were just my quick thoughts – trust me, I could write so, so, much more. That’s all for now.

-Luv para <33333

Perestroika… oh where to start. Let’s talk about that orgasm shall we…!

Reading that was genuinely one of the most interesting things I’ve ever read, and it got me thinking about how powerful FEELING GOOD actually is. It is a radical act in and of itself, but specifically for Prior. At the cusp of the AIDS crisis, men were advised to stop having sex, which can be interpreted as sexual barriers and infringement on their freedoms and desires. I could never imagine living through this and advising the world that their sexuality must be halted and closeted for the world. When looking at the context of “Plasma Orgasmata” and how the Angel fits into all of this, I notice that there is an extreme sense of hypersexuality in this religious space. We can also bring up the fact of a gay man being the prophet and such, but I really appreciate the sensualness and campiness we get to experience in this part… especially since this man is gay and just encountered 8 vaginas (spiritually of course). I think the most interesting part is the creativity of the word choice in this act. Starting on page 163 and ending on 174, the Angel says things like “the universe aflame with angelic ejaculate” and “seraphic rut,” which emphasize this idea of divine sexuality within deep religious imagery/queer spaces.  Queer bodies are divine; queer bodies are heavenly and should be treated as such. I love what AIA did in this scene to camp it up and also make a comment on the socio-political relationship of the church.

That’s all for now queens.

– Para Scisscors

I chose to go with Susan Stryker and boy… did it make me reflect. I think the idea that Stryker is a part of a minority (transgender) as well as being a non-oppressed race (white) makes her walk a fine line between communities. The idea of recognizing that, while oppressed, she is ultimately safe from the burdens of society and can pass through life more easily because of her whiteness. On page xxi, “I do as a transsexual experience the injustice of being targeted for structural violence through being labeled a kind of or type of person who is not as deserving of life as other people, within a social order that tries to cement me into that often death-dealing hierarchy based on some of my body characteristics” (Stryker, xxi). She then later on says how her struggle and identity of transness will never fail to be removed from her, though she is white. She knows that her gender and identity can lead to an allyship with BIPOC, and she can bring her experiences and contribute them to the larger and harder struggle of freedom for identity, race, etc. To deepen that idea, she says “transgender issues have been presented as personal issues,” and I do believe that citizens do play a role in that fault (Stryker, 2). Trans issues are collective and built on shared experiences, pains, and uprising moments. I think she makes a great point on how we sometimes also look towards people in our community as the blame instead of shifting our collective efforts to ‘sticking it to the man’ and making definite strategies to combat social oppression.

Para Scisscors………OUT!

#stickittotheman #fuckthepatriarchy

After reading Insomniac by Saeed Jones, I knew I had to post something about it. Honing in on the second stanza, I was enthralled by the idea of locking something up or keeping something hidden. At first, I only believed it was surface-level; the idea of queerness or showcasing of a queer identity was hidden. Yet, after further reflection, I wonder if this “mother of sorrows” we hear of once was, or is actually a queer woman herself. “In a language,” I’m guessing, refers to the language of a minority. Of our kind. The history of ballroom. A facade given to the public and only seen in our spaces. What we swore we would never tell anyone.

This language that the “mother of sorrows” may be keeping from her son is one that she speaks herself. Her tongue may also be a queer one. I wonder if she knew the repercussions of this sacred language, but wanted to do anything and everything in her power to keep her son alive, and maybe one day see the world outside of that locked room he is banished to. The idea of gatekeeping queerness is fascinating to me, and it suggests to me that the mother has seen the hurt it causes firsthand. Was her husband an abusive man? Did he partake in hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people – maybe a law enforcer at that time? We will never know. We can only let our imaginations take us to unseen and unspoken places. What I am trying to say is that I think these lines are a commonly lived experience reference to masking queer identities and/or presentations within a traditional, non-accepting household. That’s all from your favorite literary icon’s favorite literary blogger. Para Scisccors out.

#masking #queer #facade