June is Pride Month! I am honored to curate a series of writings by and about Hmong Americans that will consider the creative and powerful ways the word “queer” can be used to illuminate the complexities of their experiences.
“Queer” was historically a word used to demonize LGBTQ peoples. However, LGBTQ peoples have successfully reclaimed the word as a way to empower themselves in light of and despite the ongoing social violence directed at them. The word “queer” captures the identities of LGBTQ peoples, as well as the strategies that LGBTQ peoples have utilized to bring forth social change and cultural transformation. Existing in the mode of queerness means to challenge social norms, resist oppressive expectations, flourish in the face of uncertainty, and remake the world altogether.
For Pride Month, perhaps you can consider these questions for yourselves: What does it mean for Hmong Americans to be “queer”? In what ways does living “queerly” help Hmong Americans come to terms with the unending legacies of the Secret War, destruction, and refugee migration? What does “home” mean to queers, Hmong Americans, and queer Hmong Americans in their quests for family, love, and belonging? Ultimately, how does the word “queer” enlighten new perspectives, new knowledges, and new ways of being Hmong American in the 21st century?
Read The Current Submissions:
- Hmoob Term for “Queer” — By Carter Kha
- Kuv Yog Hmoob — By Carter Kha
- How Do I Continue? — By Carter Kha
- Five Notes of Struggles for Queer Hmong American Liberation—By Kong Pha
