AND YA DON’T STOP: INVESTIGATING RACE, SPACE AND MEANING IN TORONTO’S QUEER PARTY ‘YES YES Y’ALL’ by Trudie Jane Gilbert, BSW, University of British Columbia, 2015 A Major Research Paper presented to Ryerson University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the program of Immigration and Settlement Studies Toronto, Ontario, Canada © Trudie Jane Gilbert 2017 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this Major Research Paper. This is a true copy of the MRP, including any required final revisions. I authorize Ryerson University to lend this MRP to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I further authorize Ryerson University to reproduce this MRP by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. I understand that my MRP may be made electronically available to the public. Trudie Jane Gilbert ii AND YA DON’T STOP: INVESTIGATING RACE, SPACE AND MEANING IN TORONTO’S QUEER PARTY ‘YES YES Y’ALL’ Trudie Jane Gilbert Master of Arts 2017 Immigration and Settlement Studies Ryerson University ABSTRACT This Major Research Paper (MRP) is a case study of the queer hip hop and dancehall party Yes Yes Y’all (YYY). This MRP seeks to challenge white, cismale metanarratives in Toronto’s queer community. This paper employs Critical Race Theory (CRT) and queer theory as theoretical frameworks. Racialization, racism, homophobia, homonormativities and homonational rhetoric within queer discourses are interrogated throughout the analysis. In pursuit of this research, five participants and two key informants were interviewed. Four emergent themes are explored: fluid identities, the intersection of race and sexuality, dancing as expression of sexuality and gender identity, and the transgressive possibilities of YYY. Key words: Queer, Dancehall, Toronto, Queer Space, Racialization iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank the participants who accepted the invitation to join this project: Samira, Tiana, Sofia, Isaac, and Dave. Thank you for your fierce honesty, vulnerability and for sharing your joyful and challenging experiences engaging with queer space. Thank you to the two key informants in this study, Sammy and Yannick. This project would not have been as rich or even possible without your enthusiasm, creativity and willingness to engage with me. Also, thank you for throwing Toronto’s best queer hip hop and dancehall jam—I’ve repeatedly found myself in the space that you have created over the last eight years. I also wish to thank my supervisor, Dr. Doreen Fumia. Thank you for so generously sharing your insight, knowledge and experience with me. Thank you for your kindness, patience and constant encouragement that has guided me through the hardships of this project. You continually challenge me both professionally and personally to write “the story.” I am infinitely inspired by your passion and dedication to social justice education. I acknowledge the time and insights of my second reader, Dr. Camille Hernandez- Ramdwar. Thank you for your expertise and contributions during the latter part of this project. Also thank you to Dr. Brian O’Neill who nurtured my very personal interest in queer scholarship. Thank you to my longtime friend, Gudrun. Your feedback, time, and space has supported me through this difficult process. Thank you for being a friend that walks with me through my woes—applications, papers, jobs, love quarrels—you’ve been there through it all, and I hope that I can do the same for you. As well, I wish to thank my peers in the Immigration and Settlement Studies program. Thank you for tirelessly listening and providing me with invaluable feedback. And, of course, thank you to those of you who accompanied me on the dance floor at Yes Yes Y’all! Finally, I wish to thank my father for always reminding me that I am supposed to be exactly where I am. iv DEDICATION In memory of my mother, Linda v LIST OF ACRONYMS BLM – Black Lives Matter BLMTO – Black Lives Matter Toronto CRT – Critical Race Theory DADT – Don’t Ask Don’t Tell J-FLAG – Jamaica Forum for Lesbians All-Sexuals and Gays KI – Key Informant LGBTQ – Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer MRP – Major Research Paper POC – Person/People of Colour QPOC – Queer Person/People of Colour SMM – Stop Murder Music YYY – Yes Yes Y’all vi TABLE OF CONTENTS AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ............................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................ v LIST OF ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Establishing boundaries: the paper, the communities, the event ............................. 1 1.2 Positioning ................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Research Objectives .................................................................................................................. 4 1.4 Chapters structured .................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 2: Literature Review: From the Dancehall to Yes Yes Y’all ....................... 6 2.1 Theoretical approaches considered .................................................................................... 6 i. Critical race theory ..................................................................................................................................... 7 ii. Critical queer theory ................................................................................................................................. 8 iii. Positionality, revisited ............................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Jamaicanization of homophobia: Roots, the dancehall and homonationalisms 10 i. British Common Law and Slavery ...................................................................................................... 10 ii. Homonationalism: Discursive divisions between queers in the dancehall .................... 13 iii. Complexities: Dancehall ...................................................................................................................... 15 iv. Dancehall: Contradictions ................................................................................................................... 16 2.3 Queer migration ....................................................................................................................... 17 2.4 Black Lives Matter ................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 3: Methods of recruitment and participant engagement ........................ 22 Chapter 4: Narratives and reflections ............................................................................ 27 4.1 Reflexive approach ................................................................................................................. 27 4.2 Introducing the participants ................................................................................................ 28 i. KI-1, DJ Sammy Rawal ............................................................................................................................. 28 ii. KI-2, Photographer, Yannick Anton ................................................................................................. 28 iii. Samira .......................................................................................................................................................... 29 iv. Tiana ............................................................................................................................................................. 29 v. Sofia ................................................................................................................................................................ 29 vi. Isaac .............................................................................................................................................................. 29 vii. Dave ............................................................................................................................................................. 29 4.3 Interrogating queer: Free up! .............................................................................................. 30 4.4 Intersections of race/gender/sexuality ........................................................................... 35 4.5 Dancing to resist! ..................................................................................................................... 42 4.6 Not just a club: Transgressing the dancehall ................................................................. 48 Chapter 5: Conclusion: Spaces and room for growth ...............................................