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Ferguson reading

In his critical analysis of how factors like disproportionate economic possession, deviation from the classic “American nuclear family” model, and disparate historical backgrounds all play significant roles within the race relations of America in his book Aberrations in Black: Toward a Queer of Color Critique, author Roderick Ferguson offers a theory as to another factor that lies at the intersection of race relations in America, and this is sexual orientation. Ferguson utilizes political and economic theory commonly discussed by Marx and Marxism concepts to critique the capitalist structure and its inherent facilitation of racial/sexual inequality. These critiques highlight a common thread that connects the inherent notion of property and capital and how it creates a culturally common dislike of lifestyle choices that deviate outside the norm, like prostitution. This dislike is accentuated when considering the lifestyle choices queer men and women of color, especially since these demographics are already considered “outside the norm” by some in American society.

Ferguson offers a brief overview of marxist history and political theory to provide the reader a better understanding of the concept of property in the United States. He then uses this definition to argue that notions of nation and property are the primary factor for racial exclusion in this country. (Aberrations 3) Ferguson also points out that the acquisition of property is viewed as a virtue, and so people who chose lifestyles that deviate from this pursuit in exchange for conventional social taboos such as sexual liberation, or the profiting from it, are viewed with disdain. This applies much more so to queer people of color, who are already much more liable to be scrutinized for their actions simply because of their existence as a racial and sexual minority within the country. Using the African American queer prostitute from the introductory paragraph, Ferguson accurately represents the many individuals that find themselves ostracized from their culture due to the heterogeneity present within their natures.