Considerations for OT Clients who are BIPOC Women: Why Sexuality Has to be Viewed from an Intersectional Lens

Photo credited to Disabled and Here.

Bottom Line Upfront: Halloween season is upon us.  We’re doing a deep dive into exactly why people should not dress up as a “sexy version” of another culture’s attire, for example a sexy Native American or a Geisha. If you need a nudge on this or are curious to learn more...read on!

The history of how society has molded perceptions of women is a multifaceted narrative that has endured for centuries, influenced by cultural, regional, and media representations. Women have often found themselves defined by preconceived notions imposed upon them by others, commonly men. Within this context, different groups of women have experienced a spectrum of stereotypes, ranging from asexualization to sexualization, hypersexualization, and fetishization. In this week's newsletter, we are privileged to have Jess Gagui, OTD, OTR/L, a biracial Asian/Latina woman, collaborating with me to shed light on common experiences of Black, Indigenous, Women, and femmes of color and their encounters with fetishization and hypersexualization.

For starters, let's delve into some explanations:

Hypersexualization: This is when individuals or groups are excessively sexualized and objectified for reasons, among others, because of their race or ethnicity. We frequently encounter portrayals of women of color as exotic temptresses or submissive objects of desire in movies and advertising.

Fetishization: This term refers to the objectification and dehumanization of women based on their race or ethnicity while simultaneously arousing desire. It often perpetuates harmful narratives and power imbalances. 

Fetishization and hypersexualization can take a toll on the mental health of BIPOC women, as it can reduce people’s view of them to mere sexual objects, erasing their complexity as human beings, and reinforcing detrimental stereotypes. These adverse perspectives can also impact how BIPOC women see themselves and influence body image, self-esteem, and place pressure to conform to unrealistic standards.

Asexualization: This perspective involves viewing someone as non-sexual, even if they have expressed their sexual identity. An example of this occurs when healthcare providers fail to inquire about the sexual health or goals of a woman with a disability because they cannot envision her as a sexual person due to her disability.

Sexualization: This viewpoint regards an individual as a sexual person, even in the absence of explicit indications. For instance, a male audience member approaches a female speaker in a professional setting and says, "You delivered a truly excellent lecture, though I found it hard not to be distracted by your beauty."

Colonialism: Refers to a system characterized by White Supremacy and patriarchy and the process of establishing control over Black and Brown people. 

Now, let's delve briefly into some historical context:

Indigenous Women: Indigenous women have endured racist and sexist stereotypes fabricated by colonizers, portraying them as dirty, promiscuous, and deviant. These stereotypes falsely suggest that indigenous women and girls are sexually available because they are promiscuous and deviant. Head here to read more about a current example.  

Black Women: During the period of slavery, African women had no rights over their bodies, frequently subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation by white slave owners. Stereotypes of Black women as hypersexual and exotic were propagated by slave owners and colonizers to justify control and harmful actions. Head here to learn more about a current example and here for more on the historical context.  

Asian Women: In the 1800s, during Western political, military, and economic influence in Asia, Asian women were sexually assaulted by white men and viewed as subservient. This led to stereotypes such as "Dragon Lady" and "Lotus Blossom'' originating during events like the Philippine-American War, WWII, and the Vietnam War, which contributed to the notion that Asian women always consent to sex, leading to numerous sexual assaults by servicemen, including young girls.   Dehumanization  of Asian women continues to this day with instances such as the Stanford Swimmer rape case and Atlanta spa shootings.

Latine Women: Latine women come from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and histories. Despite the diversity, they contend with sexualized stereotypes that limit and objectify them as promiscuous, lusty, or "spicy" women who stimulate male attention and provoke sexual aggression. These stereotypes perpetuate assumptions about Latine women and justify their objectification and mistreatment.  Head here for more conversation in a current context. 

Attaching any sexual stereotype to a woman is meant to devalue her and strip her of her sexual autonomy. Instead of a woman’s sexuality and sexual expression being both celebrated and respected, sexuality is instead defined externally and as justification for mistreatment.  White Supremacy & Patriarchy views the purest and most moral woman as one who is stereotyped as nonsexual (think the Virgin Mother Mary), yet sexually available to her husband and only her husband - commonly a white christian woman.

The hypersexualization and fetishization of women of color are critical issues that require our attention, empathy, and action as clinicians. By gaining a deeper understanding of the historical origins and the role of media in perpetuating these stereotypes, clinicians can consider if they need to reconcile bias they may have that are influenced by these stereotypes.  Additionally, they can be better prepared if an OT client voices these experiences to create a respectful and a safe space for Black, Indigenous, Women, and femmes of color OT clients to discuss their sexual health goals.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we will explore ways to empower and uplift women of color in OT intervention.

P.S. If you're a Woman of Color femme interested in a supportive community, consider checking out Jess on Instagram @dr.jessg and her website.

References:

1. Croisy, S. (2017). Fighting Colonial Violence in “Indian Country”: Deconstructing racist sexual stereotypes of Native American Women in American popular culture and history. Angles, 5, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.1313

2. Espinosa, D. M. (2023). Not your submissive china doll: Counseling Asian American female survivors of sexual assault at the intersection of racialized sexism. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 14(3), 284–296. https://doi.org/10.1037/aap0000300

3. Thomas, C. M., Crook, T., & Cobia, D. C. (2009). Counseling African American women: Let’s talk about sex! The Family Journal, 17(1), 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480708328565