Queering the Good Life: The Politics of Life-Making among Nonbinary Communities of Color

Abstract

Within this paper, I am looking into the factors of life making for queer people of color, specifically the nonbinary and transgender community. Identity politics determines how one can survive and how one can live within the United States. Often, the road to success in terms of material wealth and social mobility are predetermined by your race, gender assigned at birth, and your starting economic class. Those who encounter resistance based on these factors may fall into the category of radical (activism/active desire for change) or the mundane (passive desire for change/making best of the status quo) or even a combination of the two. The goal is not to demonize cisgender heterosexuals and become new oppressors, but rather give those who do not fit into societal norms a chance to live a normal life, equal to everyone else. I use a mix of queer theory, american public policy, pop culture, and quanititve data from federal & non profit sources to discuss my theory. My research has indicated that legislation that targets the intersectionalities queer people face, will help other communities, even those that fit into the cisgender heteronarmative, live better lives.