Beauty on the borderland

ABSTRACT Everyday identities are constructed and re-constructed. For persons with multiple identities as women, as Black, as queer, as budding scholars, etc., the conceptions they have of beauty and of attractiveness are colored by the identities they create and maintain. In this piece, three graduate students of color share their experiences and perspectives on the topic of lesbian beauty. Through their dialogue they examine the functions of beauty in their communities, what attractiveness means for them as women, as Black women and as Black lesbians, and the power of images in their everyday lives. In their conversations, we see how three Black women, in their attempt to remain unfettered, must navigate their way through many social roles.