Analyzing Queer Women’s Literature Through the Lens of the #MeToo Movement
by Libby Bell
How Carmen Maria Machado’s memoir In the Dream House transcends the heterosexual narrative of the #MeToo Movement.
#MeToo
The #MeToo movement was born in 2017 after Harvey Weinstein was accused by thirteen women of sexual harassment. Since then, the allegations of sexual assault against prevalent men in Hollywood and political male figures have only grown. Some of the accused faced legal repercussions including Bill Cosby who was the first man sentenced since the beginning of the movement.
#MeToo is a social movement originating among women, advocating for survivors of sexual harassment or violence to speak out about their experiences in order to expose and combat various forms of sexual misconduct.
The #MeToo movement gave a voice to a multitude of women, primarily those in the public eye of Hollywood, who had suffered sexual abuse and assault perpetrated by prominent male figures. The movement also led to the establishment of the Times Up movement which centered around fighting sexual assault in the work environment. Many Hollywood women took to the 2018 Golden Globes to show support for the Times Up and #MeToo movement by wearing black dresses in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. Missing from both of these movements, however, were the voices of those who were survivors of abuse in queer relationships, or who were abused, harassed and assaulted by people of the same sex as them. This silence was publicly broken when Carmen Maria Machado published her powerful memoir, In the Dream House, which painfully details the domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of the woman she was in a relationship with.
Women’s Literature
Throughout all of history women’s writing has often detailed their own experiences, but many women censored themselves so as to adhere to what was considered socially acceptable at the time of their publication. When Kate Chopin published her novella The Awakening in 1898 she was heavily criticized for referencing a passionate kiss that her main character shared with the man she was having an affair with. As time went on, women slowly started pushing the envelope of what was considered acceptable and began sharing more of the reality of what women’s lives truly looked like. Shirley Jackson’s novel Hangsaman published in 1951 alludes to the rape of her main character Natalie Waite, but never outright details what happened to her that night in the woods. While Jackson may have chosen to present the subject matter in this way as a stylistic writing choice, it’s likely that the fear of potential backlash also factored into her decision to leave most of the sexual assault that is mentioned as ambiguous. 2019 signaled a sort of turning point when Carmen Maria Machado published her memoir which tackled the controversial topics of not just domestic abuse, but also the fact of simply being in a lesbian relationship. Just two years after the spark of the #MeToo movement, Machado publicly shared her story in great depth about both the emotional and physical abuse she endured in her queer relationship.
Sexual Assault in the Queer Community
The conversation around the gay community and sexual assault is minimal as is, but much of the existing literature that’s gained media traction is solely focused around gay men, thus leaving queer women out of the conversation. The few resources and articles that exist focus around the sexual assault of gay men and lack of consent within the LGBTQ community. Machado’s memoir is a bold assertion of her experience surrounding the taboo of not only being a queer woman of color, but also as a survivor of abuse within her lesbian relationship.
Moving Forward
The #MeToo movement has given women a platform and support system to come forth with their experiences of sexual harassment, but its shortcomings must not be overlooked. Is the next installation of the #MeToo movement one that gives a platform to queer people who have also experienced sexual assault and harassment? If this is the case, it’s imperative that the movement create an environment for survivors to be able to share their stories without fearing their experiences of abuse in queer relationships will get written off as an instance of queer villainy. The negative stereotypes that are associated with gay relationships have likely played a large role in silencing queer people from vocalizing their own experiences. Throughout Machado’s memoir she stresses to the readers that she does not intend to speak on behalf of the entire queer community, and is only detailing her own unique experience. Unfortunately, many people who are not in the majority are expected to speak on behalf of their entire community which places unfair pressure on them and detracts from their own personal experiences. As a society, we must make space for people to be able to share their own experiences without fearing that they’ll give a bad reputation to the community that they identify with.
In a perfect world, movements such as #MeToo wouldn’t have to exist because sexual assaults and harassment would plague society. Unfortunately, assault and harassment has touched many people’s lives in its own way. Sexual, emotional and physical abuse is perpetrated by queer individuals, experienced by queer individuals, and present in queer relationships. Machado’s memoir has aided in normalizing the discussion of abuse in queer people’s lives, but there is still a long way to go to ensure that queer people feel safe and heard if and when they choose to share their experiences.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. “The Awakening and Selected Short Stories.” Project Gutenberg’s The Awakening and Selected Short Stories, by Kate Chopin, Released March 11, 2006.
https://www.dictionary.com/e/gender-sexuality/metoo/
https://www.wvtf.org/post/dream-house-carmen-maria-machado-distills-relationship-trauma#stream/0
Jackson, Shirley. “Hangsaman.” Penguin Books, 2013.
Machado, Carmen Maria. “In the Dream House.” GrayWolf Press, 2019.
Segalov, Michael. “Why hasn’t the gay community had a #MeToo moment?” The Guardian, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/07/gay-community-metoo-moment-conversation-consent-sexual-assault
Shwayder, Maya. “A Same-Sex Domestic Violence Epidemic is Silent.” The Atlantic, 2013. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/11/a-same-sex-domestic-violence-epidemic-is-silent/281131/