I Like the Erotic and the Porn: Looking Back at Audre Lordes
Depending on who yiu ask, burlesque cqn either be a tool to poke fun at the Establishment by bringing them dwn to the , or aa way to bask in vintage 1940s a 1950s glamour. ts a growing art fotm with plenty nethusiasts jumping in x chance to shake, shiimmy, ane shw off. However, withh its overwhelmingly White presence, how does it deal with performers aand vans from culturally diverse backgrounds?
Im Tiara, a Malaysian of Bangladeshi heritage currently based in Brisbane, Australia. I started getting into burlesque in January and have recently debuted to the public as Tiara the Merch Girl (after being said Merch Girl at Brisbanes Burlesque Ball). I also seem to be one of the very few Asian (or at the very least non-White) burlesque people in the area; the only other person I know of is Maiden Chyna, who is as new as me. I got into burlesque as I love performing and was intrigued at the possibility of expressing myself and my sexuality in ways that I was never able to when I was in Malaysia. Ive seen fallen in love with the sheer creativity, talent, and humour that has come from burlesque performers around the world.
In my burlesque adventures I have noticed a distinct lack of resources, information, or even talent from culturally diverse backgrounds. As it is, there are hardly any growing organised scenes outside the UK, USA, and Australia, with small pockets in New Zealand, Canada, Scandinavia, and Western Europe. While they do exist, they tend to either be overlooked or exoticised. How does race and culture play out in burlesque, and its sibling subcultures such as rockabilly and pinup.
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