Black queer femme and non-binary individuals’ polyamory: An act of liberation

Abstract

Queer, polyamorous folk are redefining kinship in the US but BIPOC’s perspectives are absent. Due to metaphorical captivity, exclusion from traditional kinship, and intersectional oppression, queer African Americans’ polyamory entails liberation. A queer of color critique framework was applied to analyze social media content of polyamorous, Black American, queer, femme and non-binary interlocuters. We (a) provide historical, sociopolitical context, (b) center interlocuters’ experiential knowledge of polyamory spaces, and (c) describe their strategies for navigating themselves, relationships, and communities. Their strategies provide a survival guide for oppression and path towards liberation.