Abstract
Abstract: The suppression of community knowledge and tradition has been so historically incessant for LGBTQIA* people and communities that it has become a formative force in the understanding of queer history. One mechanism forged by this network of erasure is "queer aphasia." This is a disconnect between the ability to see queerness and identify it as such—a stoppage in verbalization. I use my research on blues performer Clara Smith as a case study to explore this phenomenon and potential pathways for counteracting its pervasive impact. Contextualizing my research within a wider legacy of queer being, I explore the broader impact on the archiving and study of queer lives.