Reading #1

“Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens: The Radical Potential of Queer Protest?” by Cathy Cohen

We start this theme with Cathy Cohen’s now 20+ year old essay: “Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens: The Radical Potential of Queer Protest?” This essay was published in GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies and cleared the way for new discussions about race, gender, and sexuality in classes like this one.  In writing, think through this: 1) Why was this essay so necessary? 2) Why do you think Cohen’s arguments have had such a lasting impact? 3) How/why would you describe Cohen’s essay as foundational to Black Queer Rhetoric today?

Click on image above to retrieve this essay.

reading #2

“Courting the Abject:
​A Taxonomy of Black Queer Rhetoric”
​by Collin Craig

This essay addresses Black Queer Rhetoric EXPLICITLY by offering us a deliberate definition and lens: “Courting the Abject: A Taxonomy of Black Queer Rhetoric.”    Today’s writing will feel a lot lile we did at the beginning of the semester where we closely examined what rhetoric scholars do and how/what they write.  In your own writing, address the following: 1) what key vocabulary terms/definitions does Craig use that are new for you?; 2) How is Craig defining Black Queer rhetoric? African American Rhetoric? 3) How would you connect Craig to Cohen? ​

Click on image at the left to retrieve essay.