Let’s Talk About Positionality

“Positionality” describes how your identity influences, and potentially biases, your understanding of and outlook on the world (paraphrased from Dictionary.com)

One can only have one’s own lived experience. This project was compiled, for the most part, by one millennial, cisgender, Black, gay man in 2018-2019. The insights that come with living a life at those intersections are unique, valid, and often very hard-earned. However, there are blind spots, assumptions, and misunderstandings that can come with attempting to evaluate art that seeks to represent experiences that aren’t necessarily one’s own. I do not seek to position myself as a spokesperson for any culture, race, sexuality, gender expression or identity, or any intersections of those categories. I do not seek to declare any films listed as definitively and universally representative of any group. I alone cannot make any such determination. The purpose of this project is to spotlight high-quality, unique and exceptional films that illuminate experiences that have been rendered invisible or marginalized by the centuries-long focus on Caucasian-centered stories, heterosexual-centered stories, and cisgender-centered stories (though most films in this list don’t necessarily ameliorate that situation) in American mass media.

“Canon” can feel like a distasteful word. It invites culturally hegemonic viewpoints which, ironically, are exactly what this project is trying to dispel. I have done a lot of work to educate myself on issues facing people living at all kinds of intersections of the variety described in this project. However, my evaluations to determine inclusion or exclusion on the final canonical list have been necessarily suggestive and therefore open to potential bias. I acknowledge this and welcome discourse, suggestions, corrections, objections, additions and, hopefully, collaboration. I hope this project will be ongoing, as QTPOC-centered films and projects are having a Renaissance at this moment.

Contact:

Michael Mungin

Research and Instruction Librarian

University of Washington-Bothell and Cascadia College

Email: munchin@uw.edu

Twitter: @Holygrail2