INTERSECTIONAL PREFIGURATIVE POLITICS: QUEER CABARET AS RADICAL RESISTANCE

Abstract

The implementation of intersectional frameworks and political priorities have proven challenging for social movements. Drawing on a case study of queer cabaret and insights garnered through a combination of field observation, semi-structured interviews, and cultural artifacts, I introduce the concept of intersectional prefigurative politics as a theoretical tool for understanding how social movement actors build collectivity and engage in consciousness raising informed by a commitment to intersectional social justice. By distinguishing movement spaces from other social spaces, unsettling hegemonic power relations through a commitment to accessibility and care, and centering marginalized peoples, queer cabaret movement actors build collectives and raise consciousness informed by intersectional politics.