The Erotic
Conferences such as this one at Mount Holyoke College did open a space for one to speak explicitly about women's history, but forbade any discourse concerning lesbian identity.
[2] During the event, Lorde read her essay, calling societal norms by redefining the erotic as a source of strength and resistance, making a critical contribution to feminist and queer discourses.
[2] In the essay, Lorde describes the erotic as "the nurturer or nursemaid of our deepest knowledge," meaning it is an important source of one's inner wisdom, comfort, and insight into one's self.
Lorde suggests that such a deeper understanding of the erotic would move beyond a superficial feeling to allow women access to a more complete sense of self which would be benefit them intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually.
Misreading it solely in relation to sexuality, the erotic loses its radical potential that it could embody as a force towards empowerment, connection, and resistance.
[1] Pornography suppresses true feelings and focuses on superficial sensations, while the erotic represents a deeply emotional connection and creativity.
Patriarchal and capitalist systems diminish the erotic by prioritizing profit over human needs and reducing both work and life to mere duties.
When women embrace the erotic, they resist societal oppression, including racism, sexism, and the patriarchal structures that dictate how they should live.
Embracing and utilizing the erotic appropriately empowers women to pursue greater depth and meaning in their lives, work, and relationships.
The Erotic is expressed when a person invests deeply in what truly fulfills them, like cooking a meal with care or taking the time to savor nature.
In these simply daily actions, joy and happiness emerge, emphasizing experiences that align with one’s values and encourage a genuine, holistic way of living.
[7] For Hooks, the erotic as love strengthens connections with others to be the grounding for solidarity to effectively resist systems of oppression and reclaim one's identity.
"[8] This echoes the concept of the erotic: the idea of women in solidarity, connected in intimacy, to take back their power and resist oppressive systems.
As stated in the foreword by Frank E. Dobson Jr. “ Turpin discusses intellectual recovery and ownership of the black woman's body, through the evocation of the erotic.
This deep participation has often been the forerunner for joint concerted actions not possible before.”[1] Catharine MacKinnon, an American legal scholar, builds upon Lorde's concepts that underscore the pornographic as a form of oppression by emphasizing that pornography not only works to oppress the erotic power of women, but also suppresses women's freedom of speech in her piece "Pornography, Civil Rights, and Speech".
