The Black Queer Work of Ratchet: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and the (Anti)Politics of Respectability

Lane argues for research which makes Black same-sex desiring subjects legible given that Whiteness tends to stand in as the dominant and normative subject position from which queerness is theorized.

“Lane (2019) responds to this through her linguistic ethnography with black queer women in Washington, D.C., arguing for research which makes 'Black same-sex desiring subjects legible [given that] Whiteness tends to stand in as the dominant and normative subject position from which queerness is theorized' (10).”

Lane shows her participants navigate the expectations of African American middle-class womanhood in an effort to be 'respectable'-a goal aligned with assimilation to white norms-despite their sexuality marking them as other.

“Lane shows how her participants navigate the expectations of African American middle-class womanhood in an effort to be 'respectable' -a goal which she aligns with assimilation to white norms -despite their sexuality marking them as other.”

Lane's analysis reveals the pervasiveness of both structural racism and heteronormativity on her participants' identity constructions.

“Lane's analysis reveals the pervasiveness of both structural racism and heteronormativity on her participants' identity constructions.”

Data selected for analysis come from four moments during interviews when race was explicitly mentioned, chosen because of the contrasting social locations held by participants.

“Following calls for sociocultural linguistic research which considers the intersection of race with gender and sexuality (Ehrlich, 2021;Hall, 2021;Lane, 2019;Lanehart, 2021;miles-hercules, 2022), the data selected for analysis here come from four moments during the interviews when race was explicitly mentioned, chosen because of the contrasting social locations held by the participants.”