The Rainbow Ain’t Never Been Enuf: On the Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity

Gender and sexuality studies scholar Story debuts with a sharp critique of racism, misogyny, and transphobia in the LGBTQ+ community. Taking aim at the “myth” of the rainbow flag’s symbolic solidarity, Story shows how “such solidarity is sadly lacking” for queer people of color and transgender and nonbinary people. Some of her examples are a bit well-worn; she offers critiques of the 2015 film Stonewall for being ahistorically “whitewashed,” of corporate-sponsored Pride parades that are divorced from their activist roots—thereby “shutting out” the “priorities and concerns of Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ citizens”—and of J.K. Rowling’s “anti-trans” views, which are proffered partly out of concern for lesbians. But Story makes a few fresh observations, especially in the realm of pop culture, noting, for example, the complex line between appropriation and solidarity apparent in The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Marlo Hampton’s reliance on “ballroom” phrases and gestures while still using gay slurs. Story also draws powerfully on her experiences as a Black lesbian in queer spaces; she recalls witnessing “what Black queer freedom dreams look like” at her first ball, but also enduring many instances of racism and misogyny at gay bars, including “shouting matches” with white queer people who believed their “identity absolves them of any racial animus.” It makes for an emotionally resonant reappraisal of LGBTQ+ unity. (May)