Can queer diasporic communities generate alternative paradigms of kinship, care, and moral responsibility? This question has been explored by scholars who study sexuality and gender, particularly those who examine how these identities intersect with race, class, ethnicity, nationality, religion, ability, age, and other identity categories. In this essay, I will explain what "queer" means, why it is important to study diaspora, how it relates to kinship, care, and moral responsibility, and how these concepts have been studied in scholarship. Then I will discuss some examples from literature that explore these ideas.
I will suggest possible implications for the future of research on queer diasporic communities.
Queerness refers to any non-heteronormative sexual orientation or gender identity. It includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, and pansexual people as well as others whose identities may challenge traditional norms around sex and gender. Queerness can also refer to nontraditional relationships such as polyamory, kink, and nonmonogamy. Diaspora refers to a group of people who have migrated away from their homeland but maintain cultural ties and often return to visit or relocate. Diasporas are shaped by their historical circumstances and often involve migration, displacement, trauma, and marginalization. They include Jewish, Asian American, African American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, and other groups.
Queer diasporic communities are groups of people who identify as queer and/or non-heteronormative while living outside their country of origin. They face unique challenges related to language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, legal status, and discrimination. Some may live in places where being LGBTQ+ is criminalized or stigmatized. Many experience isolation, loneliness, and a lack of support systems. This can lead to feelings of alienation and disconnection from their ancestral cultures.
Queer diasporic communities can also offer opportunities for new forms of kinship, care, and moral responsibility that challenge dominant narratives about family, love, and belonging.
Kinship refers to the social bonds between individuals based on shared identity, history, and culture. It can be blood relations (e.g., parents, children, siblings) or chosen relations (e.g., friends, partners). Care refers to the support and nurturing provided by those with whom we share a bond. Moral responsibility involves obligations to others based on shared values and ethics. Queer diasporic communities may create alternative paradigms of kinship and care that prioritize compassion, reciprocity, and mutuality over traditional ideas of hierarchy, authority, and ownership.
They may form collectives that provide emotional support and material resources without relying on nuclear families or traditional hierarchies. They may also develop ethical frameworks based on autonomy, consent, and self-determination rather than top-down structures like religion or government.
Several scholars have studied these topics in relation to queer diasporic communities. Kim TallBear examines how Native American tribes are shaped by settler colonialism and gendered violence while seeking alternatives through Indigenous feminist approaches. Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang discuss indigenous and racial justice movements that center "accountability" as a way to address harm done to marginalized people. José Esteban Muñoz explores Latinx performance art that reimagines family and community beyond heteronormative expectations.
Queer diasporic communities offer new ways of thinking about kinship, care, and moral responsibility. By centering compassion, reciprocity, and mutuality, they challenge dominant narratives around sex, sexuality, race, class, nationality, ability, age, and other identity categories. Their efforts can inspire future researchers to explore similar themes across multiple disciplines and contexts. Thank you for reading this article!
Can queer diasporic communities generate alternative paradigms of kinship, care, and moral responsibility?
Queer Diasporic Communities can generate various alternative paradigms of kinship, care, and moral responsibility by challenging normative ideas of family, relationships, and belongingness. They often reject traditional patriarchal and heteronormative models of kinship and create their own unique forms of collectivities based on non-hierarchical power structures, shared struggles for liberation, and intersectional solidarity.