ABSTRACT
This chapter traces Inquiries traverse ethical grounds that at times feel unstable, wobbly, and dangerous. There is the naming of racist thoughts and actions. Complicity in institutional racism by critical white queer academic(s) is the issue under examination. Michael Hames-Garcia aims to dismantle a prison-industrial complex that exists as an entanglement of sexism, patriarchy, racism, and economic inequality. S. Ahmed describes critical sexism and critical racism in an important footnote to her discussion about disgruntled white “progressive” queer academics who become offended when she calls them out on their role in upholding systemic racism. Racializing assemblages encompass all forms of hierarchization–gender, sex, class, sexuality, religion, and ability–which is what makes the argument particularly poignant. Racializing assemblages, the hierarchizing of particular theoretical orientations: these all connect and resonate with O. Poon’s discussion of the white innocence framework. Few critical white queer academics will actually label themselves “white” in discussions of their identity.
