Internet search giant Google’s latest Google Doodle celebrates a radical lesbian who labeled proper language use as “linguistic terrorism” and who said she was sexually aroused by trees — and also her father and various animals.
The subject of the Google Doodle is Gloria E. Anzaldúa, a radical queer feminist who would have been 75 years old on September 26, 2017. (She died in 2004.)
“She realized early on that she lived in many worlds at once: she was both American and Mexican, both native and foreigner,” Google’s webpage for Tuesday’s Doodle says.
“Anzaldúa developed a profound appreciation for the earth and its riches,” Google also says. “She also faced racism and isolation, but that didn’t stop her from becoming a stellar scholar.”
“Her theories had impact across disciplines, including Chicano/a studies, women’s studies, LGBT studies, and postcolonial studies.”
Google’s 324-word summary leaves out some important details about Anzaldúa and career.
For example, the feminist queer scholar admitted to feeling “intense sexuality” toward trees, animals and her father in an interview.
“Gloria talks at length and in positive terms about erotic fantasies involving herself and her father,” a book focused solely on interviews with Anzaldúa explains.
In some interviews, the book says, Anzaldúa also “talks about her relationships with and attractions to men as well as to women — and to animals and even trees.”
“Anzaldúa’s perspective is definitely polysexual” even though “she identifies herself and is categorized as lesbian/dyke/queer.”
The book also notes that Anzaldúa used drugs.
In addition to her peculiar sexual proclivities, Anzaldúa was one of the earliest proponents of the notion that members of minority groups are oppressed by standards of grammar and pronunciation within a language. (RELATED: SCIENCE: Teachers Should Allow Ebonics Because English Grammar Is Too Hard For Minorities To Learn)
Anzaldúa described language norms as “linguistic terrorism,” a short primer from The Gloria E. Anzaldua Foundation explains.
“In her essay ‘How to Tame a Wild Tongue’ Anzaldúa outlines her strong emotions towards the disposing of one’s native tongue in order to conform to any given environment.” She “spoke the ‘improper’ and ‘poor’ Chicano Spanish throughout her childhood” and “she was constantly scolded and criticized by her mother as well as educators.” (RELATED: SCIENCE: Teachers Should Allow Ebonics Because English Grammar Is Too Hard For Minorities To Learn)
These rebukes seem to have caused considerable resentment. Anzaldúa attempted to harness this resentment into some kind of coherent philosophy of language. She called attempts to correct language mistakes “linguistic terrorism” “because it is an attack on individuals to shape what is acceptable and what is not, which also creates a hierarchy.”
“Her main point is to support and further promote the acceptance of all languages and accents.”
Despite The Gloria E. Anzaldua Foundation’s suggestion that she was “poor,” Anzaldúa actually grew up on a ranch and was the child of landowners in Texas. Her great-grandfather had been a circuit court judge in Texas. Also, Anzaldua was a descendant of notable Spanish settlers who colonized the Americas.
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