A critical investigation of the epistemological, familial and spiritual invisibility of spiritual black lesbian and bisexual women in the Belgian LGBT rights framework

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the epistemological, familial and spiritual invisibility of spiritual Black lesbian and bisexual women in the Belgian LGBT rights framework. By studying the intersection of black female homosexuality and spirituality in the Belgian context, the dissertation contributes to Black lesbian feminism, womanism and the study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans rights liberation frameworks in the Belgian context. It argues that a one-dimensional focus on sexuality, the law, secularism and citizenship creates intersectional invisibility for spiritual Black lesbian and bisexual women in Belgium. It proposes intersectional normfare as a lens to challenge invisibility in frameworks of liberation. Intersectional normfare draws on intersectionality and lawfare and challenges a one-dimensional focus on sexuality, the law, secularism and citizenship by • Articulating other aspects than the sexuality of spiritual Black lesbian and bisexual women' s intersectional identity that affect their lived experience, • Addressing intersecting norms found in language, culture, history, religion, political ideology and traditions that produce their epistemological, familial and spiritual invisibility based on intersectional identity and how these norms create conflicts ideas of being • Recognising how intersecting levels of norm production reinforce invisibility for spiritual Black lesbian and bisexual women in Belgium. Using a scotoma methodology, the research exposes blind spots in our vision for liberation. A scotoma methodology is a mixed method consisting of literature studies, legal case studies before domestic and European courts, autoethnographic research based on observations and lived experience of the researcher, and information found on websites, newspaper articles, archival material, memoirs, and translation. It relies on the nation of relationality to expose some of the critical issues that remain invisible and perpetuate epistemological, familial, and spiritual invisibility for spiritual Black lesbian and bisexual women across space and time