Do I Participate in the Discourse of Respectability? Reflecting upon Histories of Female Homoeroticism and Enslavement

My research challenges and participates in discourses of respectability, focusing on female homoerotic desires, the intertwining of religiously endorsed enslavement with sexual violence, and the intersection of race, ethnicity, and religion with sexual violence. I argue for the freedom of academic writing to present evidence-based conclusions and personal insights, drawing on contemporary figures like Sudanese anti-slavery activist Mende Nazer. Respecting biblical texts involves differentiating between plausible historical readings and personal ethical views. Misreadings of biblical passages are common, but interpretations such as that Rom 1:26–27 condemns same-gender relations or that Col 3:22 condones enslavement are not among them. The early Christian groups rejecting slavery were labeled heretics, prolonging slavery’s existence. A hard, critical examination of where things went wrong both within the Bible and beyond may help to prevent future Christians from supporting new forms of slavery. I hope that my feminist intersectional interpretations are compatible with the womanist biblical interpretation and ethics that are central to all future research on these topics.