Panel: "BODIES THAT MATTER" (JUDITH BUTLER, 2011). THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON PRESENT AND FUTURES OF GENDERED BODIES



227.1 - QUEERING THE NATURAL: ECOSEXUALITY AND PLANETARY BELONGING

AUTHORS:
Abraham S. (Pacific School of Religion ~ Berkeley, California ~ United States of America)
Text:
The "natural" is often used as a mechanism to police queer sexualities. This paper examines a new solidarity of queer sexuality and environmental activism in the work of ecosexuals. Ecosexuality is defined as an environmentally conscious sexuality that is committed to green living and extends to their romantic and/or sexual life. Anne Sprinkle and Beth Stephens write in their provocative book Assuming the Ecosexual Position: The Earth as Lover (University of Minnesota Press, 2021), ecosexuality arose in the wake of third wave, sex positive feminism. As they write in their introduction: " ...For us, ecosexuality is more of a punk- rock, queer, drag, pinup grrrl version of environmental activism rather than the New Age stereotype that often gets hurled our way. We align ourselves with the AIDS activist organization ACT UP, sex- positive feminism, ecofeminism, Fluxus performance art, and, sometimes, the hippie movement. We recognize that hippie culture was problematic, especially in terms of its habitual patriarchal treatment of women and neocolonial appropriation of Indian and Indigenous American cultures. But we also recognize that the hippie movement challenged the status quo and rebelled against capitalism, sexual repression, imperialism, war, and the destruction of the environment. Hippies embraced a collective utopian future, and we too aim to create a better society for all!" This paper critically examines the scope and limit of this new solidarity and its claims to create a better society, placing this effort in larger global movements for queer openness.