Queer communities are social groups composed of people who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, nonbinary, polyamorous, monogamous, heteroflexible, demisexual, homoflexible, or questioning their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. They may also identify as kinky, BDSM, fetishistic, exhibitionist, voyeuristic, etc., and have distinct cultural values, beliefs, and practices.
Local and global queer communities can form alliances to share resources, expertise, knowledge, and power, which can be effective for achieving common goals such as LGBTQIA+ rights, healthcare, education, employment, and social justice.
These alliances must avoid reproducing neocolonial frameworks that impose Western ideas of race, class, colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism upon local cultures. This requires understanding how neocolonialism shapes power relations between different cultures and respecting local knowledge systems, histories, traditions, and identities.
Neocolonial frameworks perpetuate inequalities between powerful countries like the United States and less powerful nations through economic exploitation, political domination, and military intervention. Queer people from marginalized communities often experience multiple forms of oppression due to their intersecting identities, including racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, poverty, and other factors. Alliances between local and global queer communities should prioritize anti-racist, feminist, disability justice, and decolonial approaches to address systemic oppression.
Queer communities in the Global South and East may face unique challenges, including stigma, discrimination, violence, homophobia, transphobia, cissexism, heterosexism, patriarchy, misogyny, slut shaming, victim blaming, colonialism, and structural violence. They may also have limited access to education, healthcare, technology, infrastructure, legal protections, and resources needed to organize effectively. Local activists working on gender identity and sexuality issues can benefit from learning from global advocacy efforts and strategies, while global movements can gain valuable insights into local contexts and struggles.
To avoid reproducing neocolonial frameworks, alliances must center local voices, experiences, and perspectives. Activists should listen carefully to each other's stories and seek to understand diverse cultural values and practices. Respectful communication, mutual trust, shared decision-making, inclusive leadership, and collective action are key to building strong relationships based on reciprocity, collaboration, and solidarity.
By working together, local and global queer communities can challenge oppressive systems that perpetuate inequality and exclusion, and promote liberation for all members of our diverse communities.
Can alliances between local and global queer communities avoid reproducing neocolonial frameworks?
Although many scholars argue that collaboration between LGBTQ+ groups worldwide could contribute to more inclusive and equitable social change for this minority group, there is no straightforward solution on how to prevent the emergence of neocolonial dynamics within such relationships. It depends on various factors like the power imbalance between partners, colonial history of their respective countries, dominant cultural values, and political context.