“Theories in the flesh emphasise the diversity within and among [LGBTQ] people of colour while simultaneously accounting for how racism and classism affect how we experience and theorise the world. Theories in the flesh conjoin theory and practice through an embodied politic of resistance. This politics of resistance is manifest in vernacular traditions such as performance, folklore, literature and verbal art.”
E. Patrick Johnson, 2005
"A theory in the flesh means one where the physical realities of our lives – our skin colour, the land or concrete we grew up on, our sexual longings – all fuse to create a politic born out of necessity. Here, we attempt to bridge the contradictions in our experience. We do this bridging by naming ourselves and by telling our stories in our own words."
Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, 1983
Theory in the Flesh
I borrow the term “theory in the flesh” from – and with gratitude to – our feminist and QTIPOC elders to draw attention to the health inequalities and disparities experienced by queer Black people in the UK; and I use “theory in the flesh” as an intellectual and emotional framework through which to explore and understand the corollary factors that continue to impact our health. Through conversations with health professionals, grassroots organisers, activists and thinkers, we explore what we can be doing as interconnected communities to support each other, get the help we need and demand more from the organisations that should be supporting us.
Theory in the Flesh is funded by the British Podcast Awards Fund and Wellcome Trust, and is available wherever you listen to podcasts.