This entry is part of the pilot project Do It Yourself! Queering the Archive. For more information and general questions about the project, I refer you to the introduction page.
Case 3: Intersectionality
“Marlon Riggs expresses the hopes, dreams, and desires of gay Black men in this ode to queer African American empowerment. Built around outtakes and protest footage from Tongues United, Affirmations begins as a candid, sex-positive confessional about first-time penetration and evolves into a rousing chorus of calls for freedom, recognition, and inclusion.” This (experimental) documentary is one of the few works that is explicitly linked to queerness through the keyword “homosexuality/gaiety”. It is also coded with the keywords "art history" and "United States", and the subject codes of "politics" and "discrimination". “Affirmations” forms a case with a focus on possibly narrow or outdated keyword use, intersectionality, and possible improvement upon existing metadata.
Discussion Prompts:
What are your thoughts on the keyword "homosexuality/gaiety", especially in the context of this work? Is there something missing in the current keyword and subject codes or is there something to be added? How can metadata highlight the intersectionality of the work, instead of fragmenting the identities? What keywords (1-3 words) would you use to describe the work?
For any comments, questions or concerns that you would rather discuss privately, you can reach me at clairevandenbroek@li-ma.nl
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