Introduction
In a world often marked by pain, oppression, and struggle, finding joy and pleasure can be a revolutionary act. This is the core message of Adrienne Maree Brown's book "Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good." Brown, a queer Black mixed-race woman, explores how embracing pleasure can be a powerful tool for personal healing, social justice, and creating a better world.
"Pleasure Activism" is not just about indulgence or hedonism. Instead, it's a thoughtful exploration of how connecting with our deepest desires and sources of joy can help us overcome trauma, resist oppression, and envision a more fulfilling future for ourselves and our communities. Through personal anecdotes, interviews with activists and artists, and reflections on influential thinkers like Audre Lorde and Octavia Butler, Brown presents a compelling case for centering pleasure in our lives and our movements for social change.
The Essence of Pleasure Activism
Redefining Pleasure
Brown begins by challenging our conventional understanding of pleasure. In a society that often equates pleasure with excess or indulgence, she argues for a more holistic view. Pleasure, in her framework, is about feeling whole, satisfied, and alive. It's not about overindulgence, but rather about connecting with what truly brings us joy and fulfillment.
For marginalized individuals - women, LGBTQ+ people, people of color - claiming pleasure can be a political act. In a world that often seeks to limit or deny their happiness, embracing pleasure becomes a form of resistance and self-affirmation. Brown defines pleasure activism as "the work we do to reclaim our whole, happy, and satisfiable selves from the impacts, delusions, and limitations of oppression and/or supremacy."
Pleasure as Liberation
The book emphasizes that pleasure is fundamentally about freedom. To feel happiness, joy, and satisfaction is to know that you are alive and liberated. This is particularly powerful for those who have lived under oppressive conditions or faced societal restrictions on their happiness.
Brown shares her own journey of learning to embrace pleasure as a way of healing from childhood traumas and navigating her identity as a queer Black woman. She emphasizes that finding pleasure and learning to say "yes" to what brings her joy has been crucial in her personal growth and activism.
Moderation and Balance
While advocating for pleasure, Brown is careful to emphasize the importance of moderation. The goal is not excess, but rather a balanced approach to life that includes joy and satisfaction. She often repeats the mantra "everything in moderation," encouraging readers to find their own equilibrium.
To illustrate this, Brown shares the story of Alana Devich Cyril, who was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. For Alana, finding pleasure in small things - having friends over, throwing a karaoke party, reengaging in sex - became a way of affirming life in the face of illness. This story underscores that pleasure activism is not about constant indulgence, but about finding and cherishing moments of joy even in difficult circumstances.
The Power of the Erotic
Expanding the Definition of Erotic
A significant portion of the book is devoted to exploring the concept of the erotic, drawing inspiration from Audre Lorde's influential essay "Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power." Brown seeks to broaden our understanding of the erotic beyond its common association with sex or pornography.
In Brown's framework, the erotic is a source of power and self-knowledge. It's about feeling deeply connected to one's body and desires. This expanded definition of the erotic can encompass many forms of pleasure and self-expression, not just sexual experiences.
Burlesque as Erotic Expression
To illustrate the diverse forms the erotic can take, Brown discusses burlesque performance. She interviews performers like Taja Lindley, Michi Osato, and Una Osato, who use burlesque as a medium for self-expression, healing, and political statement.
For Taja Lindley, burlesque has been a tool for working through past trauma and connecting her body with pleasure. Her performances have allowed her to process difficult experiences and find a sense of freedom and empowerment.
The Osato sisters emphasize how burlesque requires a deep love and acceptance of one's body. To perform, "you have to L.O.V.E. love your body," as Brown puts it. This radical self-love becomes a form of resistance against societal beauty standards and body shaming.
The Erotic as Empowerment
Throughout this section, Brown emphasizes the empowering nature of embracing the erotic. Unlike mainstream pornography, which often objectifies and represses women, truly erotic experiences can provide a deeper understanding of oneself and foster a positive relationship with one's body.
By reclaiming the erotic as a source of power and self-knowledge, individuals can resist societal attempts to control or shame their bodies and desires. This makes the erotic a potent tool for personal liberation and social change.
Pleasure as a Guide to Self-Actualization
The Orgasmic Yes
Brown introduces the concept of the "orgasmic yes" - a deep, visceral sense of affirmation and alignment with one's true desires. She encourages readers to become familiar with this feeling and use it as a guide in decision-making and life choices.
The author shares how embracing her own "orgasmic yes" has led her to make better decisions in her personal and professional life. It helped her realize, for instance, that working with like-minded collaborators was far more satisfying than competing or dealing with people who wanted to control her.
Overcoming Repression
Brown points out that many of us have grown accustomed to repressing our desires and withholding pleasure from ourselves. This habit of saying "no" to what we want can become so ingrained that we lose touch with our true desires and aspirations.
Pleasure activism, then, becomes a practice of reconnecting with what truly brings us satisfaction and joy. It's about learning to say "yes" to ourselves and our desires, within the bounds of ethics and consent.
Aligning with Our Values
By paying attention to what gives us pleasure, Brown argues, we can get closer to understanding what we really want in life. This process can help us make choices that are more aligned with our values and aspirations.
She encourages readers to assess their options in life by checking for that sense of "yes." Does a particular choice create a sense of resistance, or does it feel like an opening up, a movement towards feeling more alive? This approach can guide us towards more fulfilling work, relationships, and life experiences.
Drugs, Pleasure, and Politics
The Politics of Drug Use
Brown tackles the controversial topic of drug use, arguing for the legalization of drugs in general. She points out that the criminalization of drugs has disproportionately harmed Black and Brown communities, often ruining lives and futures.
The author acknowledges that marginalized and oppressed people often turn to drugs as a way to trigger pleasure or relieve pain. She uses the example of marijuana legalization in the United States to highlight ongoing racial disparities: while predominantly white entrepreneurs are now profiting from legal marijuana businesses, people of color are still being jailed for the same substance.
Personal Experiences with Drugs
Brown shares her own experiences with various drugs, including marijuana, ecstasy, and mushrooms. She describes how these substances have helped her alleviate physical and emotional pain, feel more connected to her body and the world around her, and access deeper levels of imagination and creativity.
However, she's also careful to emphasize the importance of moderation and self-awareness in drug use. Recognizing her own addictive tendencies and family history of substance abuse, Brown practices careful boundaries around her drug use. She avoids using drugs when working on nonfiction writing, for instance, and takes breaks when she feels she's using substances to numb herself rather than enhance her experiences.
Harm Reduction Approach
The author advocates for a harm reduction approach to drug use, citing her work with the Harm Reduction Coalition. This organization believes in the rights of drug users and offers non-judgmental strategies to reduce the potential harms associated with substance use.
This nuanced approach to drugs aligns with Brown's overall philosophy of pleasure activism: it's about finding what brings genuine satisfaction and joy, while being mindful of potential risks and practicing moderation.
Somatics and Embodied Healing
Overcoming Dissociation
Brown shares her personal journey of overcoming depression and anxiety, which led her to explore various healing modalities. She found that talk therapy was helpful, but it was her introduction to somatics that truly transformed her relationship with her body and emotions.
Somatics, a type of therapeutic bodywork, aims to help people become more in tune with their bodies and feelings. Brown describes how this practice helped her reconnect with herself after years of dissociation caused by trauma and societal pressures.
The Power of Embodied Practices
Through somatics, Brown was able to let go of attachments to past traumas, feel her emotions more deeply, and work through her pain with dignity. She emphasizes how this embodied practice allowed her to develop a deeper understanding of herself and a more profound sense of empathy for others.
The author connects this personal healing work to broader social justice goals. She argues that in order to create a better world, we need to strengthen our empathy and awareness of how social inequalities, oppression, and racism cause pain and trauma.
Combining Somatics and Social Justice
Brown describes her experiences with programs that combine somatics with social justice work, such as the "Somatics and Social Justice" course and the "Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity" (BOLD) program. These spaces allowed participants to safely share their pain and grief while also engaging in joyful political conversations.
The author emphasizes the importance of this sequence: connecting with our own emotions and bodies first, then working to change the world. This embodied approach to activism aligns with her overall philosophy of pleasure activism, which sees personal healing and social change as deeply interconnected.
Science Fiction and Visionary Futures
Inspiration from Octavia Butler
Brown draws significant inspiration from the work of science fiction author Octavia E. Butler. She sees Butler's writing as a form of visionary fiction that imagines vibrant future communities transcending current social divisions and hierarchies.
The author believes that Butler saw pleasure as an intrinsic part of human survival and as a path forward for humanity. In Butler's fictional worlds, communities thrive through open communication, radical honesty, and deep connections between individuals.
Radical Honesty and Pleasure
Inspired by Butler's work, Brown advocates for radical honesty in our personal lives and social movements. She argues that being truthful about our desires, needs, and experiences is crucial for building the kind of interconnected, symbiotic communities that Butler envisioned.
This radical honesty extends to allowing ourselves to experience and express true pleasure. Brown contends that prioritizing pleasure is not selfish or frivolous, but rather a necessary component of creating a more fulfilling and sustainable future.
Envisioning Better Futures
The author sees science fiction, particularly works like Butler's, as a powerful tool for imagining and working towards better futures. By envisioning worlds where current social problems have been overcome and where people live in harmony with each other and nature, we can begin to chart a path towards those realities.
Brown encourages readers to engage in their own visionary thinking, using pleasure as a guide. What would a world that prioritizes everyone's well-being and joy look like? How can we move towards that vision in our personal lives and collective actions?
Pleasure Activism in Practice
Self-Reflection and Healing
Throughout the book, Brown emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and personal healing as the first steps in pleasure activism. She encourages readers to examine their relationship with pleasure, identify sources of trauma or shame that may be blocking their access to joy, and work on healing these wounds.
This might involve therapy, somatic practices, artistic expression, or other forms of self-care and healing. The goal is to become more comfortable with experiencing and expressing pleasure, and to identify what truly brings us satisfaction and joy.
Building Pleasurable Resistance
Brown argues that social justice movements can benefit from incorporating more pleasure and joy. Too often, activism is associated with struggle, sacrifice, and burnout. While acknowledging the serious nature of the issues we face, she suggests that centering pleasure can make our movements more sustainable and attractive to others.
This might look like incorporating art, music, and celebration into protests and organizing efforts. It could mean prioritizing self-care and communal joy alongside strategic planning and direct action. The author encourages activists to ask themselves: How can we make the revolution irresistible?
Cultivating Empathy and Connection
A key aspect of pleasure activism is developing deeper connections with ourselves, others, and the natural world. Brown emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding, particularly across lines of difference.
She suggests practices like deep listening, sharing personal stories, and engaging in collaborative creative projects as ways to build these connections. By understanding and caring for each other more deeply, we can create the kind of interconnected communities that can sustain us through challenges and work towards positive change.
Embracing Sexuality and Body Positivity
Given the centrality of the erotic in Brown's conception of pleasure activism, she encourages readers to embrace their sexuality and work towards body positivity. This might involve exploring different forms of sexual expression, engaging in practices like burlesque or other body-affirming activities, or simply learning to appreciate and care for our bodies as they are.
The author emphasizes that this work is both personal and political. By loving and accepting our bodies, we resist societal messages that seek to shame or control us, particularly if we belong to marginalized groups.
Creating Pleasurable Spaces
Brown encourages readers to think about how they can create spaces and experiences that prioritize pleasure and joy. This might be as simple as decorating our homes in ways that bring us happiness, or as complex as organizing community events centered around celebration and connection.
The goal is to infuse our daily lives and our communities with more opportunities for genuine pleasure and satisfaction. By doing so, we create microcosms of the more joyful, connected world we hope to build.
Conclusion: The Revolutionary Power of Pleasure
In concluding "Pleasure Activism," Adrienne Maree Brown reiterates the transformative potential of embracing pleasure in our personal lives and our movements for social change. She argues that by allowing ourselves to feel good and aligning our values with what provides true satisfaction, we can heal past wounds, move toward more fulfilling lives, and create positive change in the world around us.
Brown emphasizes that pleasure activism is not about selfishness or hedonism, but about reconnecting with our authentic selves and our deepest desires for a better world. By healing ourselves and paying attention to what really matters, we can begin to heal our communities and work towards a more just and joyful society.
The author encourages readers to continue exploring their relationship with pleasure, to practice radical honesty with themselves and others, and to envision and work towards futures where everyone has access to joy and satisfaction. She sees pleasure activism as a powerful tool for personal transformation and social change, capable of making our movements for justice more sustainable, attractive, and ultimately successful.
In the end, Brown's message is one of hope and empowerment. By embracing pleasure, connecting deeply with ourselves and others, and imagining better futures, we can find the strength and inspiration to face the challenges of our time and create the world we want to live in. This is the essence of pleasure activism - a revolutionary approach to personal and social transformation that starts with the simple yet profound act of allowing ourselves to feel good.