Embracing the Erotic with Audre Lorde
As Black History Month slides into Women’s History Month, I am excited to introduce (or re-introduce for some) you to a remarkable activist who has become a beacon of inspiration for me recently. Adure Lorde is a Black queer mother, warrior and feminist from the 70’s and while we have a world of differences between us, I feel as if her words have been written for me.
Audre was an equal rights activist who urged women to recognize their depth beyond societal confines. In her essay, "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power," written in 1978, Audre explores the narrow perception of the erotic as told by society and challenges women to explore its significance beyond the superficial representations often seen in porn.
Instead, Audre portrays the erotic as a potent force that is deeply ingrained in femininity, accessible and applicable to all aspects of life. She suggests that reconnecting with our inner eroticism is a radial act of self-empowerment, especially within a society that has systematically suppressed.
In recognizing the erotic within, we acknowledge that it can extend far beyond sex and sexual acts. It is within the way we dress in the morning, and the way we move our bodies. By reconnecting back to our erotic nature, we are honoring the profound depths of our own nature as a source of strength and liberation.
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