Re/Conceptualizing In/Visibility

Abstract

In this article, I explore the dualism of visible–invisible (henceforth referred to as in/visibility) as a spectrum while utilizing autoethnographic accounts to contextualize my personal experiences traveling through liminal identity spaces. I embrace my in/visible identities as a queer woman in a society entrenched in heteronormativity, a disabled individual whose disability is not always visible, and an assistant professor who carefully navigated her academic career beginning as a non-tenure-track faculty member. Specifically, I explore the various considerations necessary in choosing to disclose (or not disclose) marginalized identities as navigating the gray space between visible and not and how these actions align with the spectrum of dis/comfort. I traverse topics such as how in/visibility can be harmful and powerful, what the ethical considerations are in crossing the border into in/visibility, and finally, how the act of border crossing via self-disclosure, along with engaging in perceived deficits, may at times be strategic. My work is primarily influenced by Anzaldúa’s notions of border crossing, nepantla, and New Mestizas.