Decolonizing Desire is an important concept that refers to a shift away from traditional Eurocentric views of sexuality towards more inclusive perspectives that recognize and honor diverse experiences of pleasure and love. It involves recognizing and challenging colonial legacies that have shaped Western understandings of gender roles, power dynamics, and sexual norms. Decolonizing desire also requires rethinking how desires are formed and expressed through cultural and social contexts, including the intersectionality of race, class, and gender.
This article explores what "decolonizing desire" means in philosophical and practical terms, providing examples from history, philosophy, politics, and everyday life. First, it defines decolonizing desire as a process of liberation from colonial ideologies that privilege heterosexual, monogamous, cisgendered, abled, white, male, middle-class, neoliberal, capitalist forms of desire. Second, it discusses how decolonizing desire can be practiced through embracing new ideas about relationships, intimacy, and sexual expression.
This article concludes by offering concrete steps for decolonizing one's own desires and promoting collective transformation toward a more just and equitable society.
In philosophical terms, decolonizing desire means rejecting dominant narratives that have defined human experience and identity according to Western standards of normalcy. These include the belief that sex is only between a man and a woman within marriage for procreative purposes, that queer people do not exist or are deviant, and that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) bodies are inherently sexualized and objectified. Colonialism created these narratives to justify exploitation and oppression, while erasing marginalized perspectives on sexuality and love.
Philosopher Audre Lorde argued that "the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house," meaning that oppressive structures cannot be challenged using their own logic. Decolonizing desire requires rethinking traditional concepts like masculinity, femininity, gender roles, consent, pleasure, power dynamics, and more. It involves exploring alternative understandings of love and desire shaped by cultures outside of colonial contexts, such as African, Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Native American traditions.
Practically, decolonizing desire can take many forms.
It could mean challenging heteronormative assumptions in relationships by opening up communication with partners about non-monogamy, polyamory, or other forms of intimacy. It might involve recognizing how race, class, and gender shape our desires and seeking out partners who share similar values around diversity, equality, and social justice. It could also mean embracing new ideas about what pleasure looks like, including kink, BDSM, body positivity, pleasure work, healing practices, sensual movement, and holistic health approaches.
Decolonizing desire is not just an individual process; it must be collectively transformed for a more equitable society. This means creating spaces where everyone has access to resources, information, and support to explore their desires without shame or stigma. It means advocating for policies and laws that protect marginalized groups from discrimination based on sexual identity or expression. And it means critiquing institutions that uphold white supremacist patriarchy through systems like marriage, family law, education, media, and entertainment.
Decolonizing desire means challenging colonial legacies of oppression that have defined human experience and identity according to Eurocentric norms. By embracing diverse perspectives on sexuality and love, we can create a world where all people are free to express themselves authentically without fear or shame. Let's embrace the power of decolonizing desire as a path toward liberation, healing, and transformation.
What does “decolonizing desire” mean in philosophical and practical terms?
Decolonizing desire refers to the act of breaking free from colonization's hold over one's desires and embracing indigenous ways of thinking about love, sex, and sexuality. In other words, it is the process of deconstructing colonialist notions that impose heterosexual norms as the only acceptable form of sexual expression.