Queer Nationalism Representations of Power in South Africa

Summary
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Week 10 readings
Screw the Nation! Queer Nationalism and Representations of Power in Contemporary South African Art
The article outlines gender identity and homosexuality in African culture. The author also argues out that the early traces of the queer theory took place in the united stated of America. South Africa was in the process of rethinking about its national identity in order to consolidate the different cultures which would become part of their identity. Therefore, the queer theory plays an important role in defining what it means to be a part of the aftermath of the apartheid rule. This is evidenced by the various artworks created since the late 1990s with the national sensibilities and queer theory as their inspiration. The artists attempt to analyze queer nationalism by complicating the different manifestations of power that have been portraying South Africa as a nation of the white. In addition, it has been a challenge to analyze the relationships brought about by sexuality and race.[Lima, Álvaro Luís. "Screw the nation! Queer nationalism and representations of power in contemporary South African art." african arts 45, no. 4 (2012): 46-57.]
In addition, the queer nationalism questions the apartheid view of ethnic origin and racial purity. Before the colonization, the south African had certain beliefs about sexuality and racism was not a part of their culture. However, they had to assimilate the western culture into their believes since such culture was going to become a part of their democratic state. Some of those cultures are considered to be helpful, while some of them defy the original south African beliefs. Besides, if the current artistic works suggest that the racial divisions are relevant to the historical development of the origin of individuals, then the writing of history can highly disrupt racial discrimination. There is a huge difference between the current believe in racism and what the South Africans used to believe in before the apartheid.
The Lesbian National Parks and Services Reading Sex, Race and the Nation in Artistic Performance
Lorri Millan and Shawna Dempsey's piece explores the issue of queer wilderness. They created a parody of park ranger's historical role, which was important in showing the narratives of the nature shaping the Canadian nation. This shaping was done at a time when the European settler was in the process of expanding to the west to unknown territories. The piece outlines the environmental movement on the basis of queerness by providing a critique of the movement and its embedment on heterosexual reproduction. They pull the audience into a world of lesbian wildness. Among the various identities that have been erased from the project of nation-building are capitalism, colonialism, sexism, and homophobia. Dempsey and Millan describe how they felt frustrated by the fact that the official wildlife authorities did not pay attention to the plight of the lesbians.[Francis, Margot. "The lesbian national parks and services: Reading sex, race and the nation in artistic performance." Canadian Woman Studies 20, no. 2 (2000).]
Therefore, the piece is a fight to identify for the lesbian world. It analyses how people should be able to appreciate the different identities in society. Their project is in the name of environmental conservation, whereby they counter the common argument that homosexuality is against nature. They outline the heteronormativity of the dominant national and ecological narratives. The world does not show much concern about homosexuality, as evidenced by the officials who are only focused on heterosexual ...