---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I stand here as a black lesbian feminist…"
description: "\"I stand here as a black lesbian feminist, having been invited to comment within the only panel at this conference where the input of black feminists an..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_black_i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist_1546887.jpg"
---

#  I stand here as a black lesbian feminist, having been…

![“I stand here as a black lesbian feminist, having been invited to comment within the only panel at this conference where the input of black feminists and lesbians is represented. What this says about the vision of this conference is sad, in a country where racism, sexism and homophobia are…” quote by Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_black_i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist_1546887.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_black_i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist_1546887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_black_i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist_1546887.jpg)

> “I stand here as a black lesbian feminist, having been invited to comment within the only panel at this conference where the input of black feminists and lesbians is represented. What this says about the vision of this conference is sad, in a country where racism, sexism and homophobia are inseparable. . . .”

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker critiques the tokenistic inclusion of a single black lesbian feminist, highlighting systemic racism, sexism, and homophobia.

**In simple terms:** Token inclusion exposes deeper oppression.

Key Takeaway

Demand genuine inclusion.

Themes

intersectionality tokenism oppression

Mood

critical defiant

Type

statement activism

When to use this quote

- Academic conferences
- diversity panels
- policy discussions
- activist meetings

Key Concepts

systemic racism sexism homophobia representation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can true representation be achieved?
- What barriers persist for marginalized voices?

A Different Perspective

The speaker’s voice may be marginalized despite being present, limiting impact.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/) [Black feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-feminist/) [Black Feminists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-feminists-1741789/) [Black Lesbian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-lesbian-611954/) [Comment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comment/) [Conference Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conference-sad-5773269/) [Conferences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conferences/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist/) [Feminists Lesbians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminists-lesbians-4324286/) [Heterosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexuality/) [Heterosexuality is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexuality-is/) [Homophobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homophobia/) [Input](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/input/) [Inseparable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inseparable/) [Invited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invited/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Sexism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexism/) [Sexism Homophobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexism-homophobia-1024333/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/)

## Related quotes

> [... not all black women have silently acquiesced in sexism and misogyny within the African-American community. Indeed, many writers, activists, and other women have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/not-all-black-women-have-silently-acquiesced-in-sexism-and-misogyny/)

[Kimberle Williams Crenshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberle-williams-crenshaw/)

> [“Like most guys, I had bought into the stereotype that all feminists were white, lesbian, unattractive male bashers who hated all men. But after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-hurt/like-most-guys-i-had-bought-into-the-stereotype-that-all-feminists/)

[Byron Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-hurt/)

> [Womanists is what black feminists used to call themselves. Very much so. They were not the same thing. And also the relationship with men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/womanists-is-what-black-feminists-used-to-call-themselves-very-much/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [I have met many feminists who were not Lesbians but I have never met a Lesbian who was not a feminist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-shelley/i-have-met-many-feminists-who-were-not-lesbians-but-i-have-never-met/)

[Martha Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-shelley/)

> [“As a black lesbian feminist comfortable with the many different ingredients of my identity, and a woman committed to racial and sexual freedom from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/as-a-black-lesbian-feminist-comfortable-with-the-many-different-2/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [As a Black lesbian feminist comfortable with the many different ingredients of my identity, and a woman committed to racial and sexual freedom from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/as-a-black-lesbian-feminist-comfortable-with-the-many-different/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [Perhaps...I am the face of one of your fears. Because I am a woman, because I am Black, because I am a lesbian, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/perhaps-i-am-the-face-of-one-of-your-fears-because-i-am-a-woman/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [I am a Black Feminist. I mean I recognize that my power as well as my primary oppressions come as a result of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-am-a-black-feminist-i-mean-i-recognize-that-my-power-as-well-as-my/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [“It changes you, when you see someone similar to you doing the thing you might want to do yourself. That kind of writing--writing by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scaachi-koul/it-changes-you-when-you-see-someone-similar-to-you-doing-the-thing/)

[Scaachi Koul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scaachi-koul/)

> [We're quick to complain about racism, sexism, homophobia, but it's not as bad as people make out. If we're going to be more cohesive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-badenoch/we-re-quick-to-complain-about-racism-sexism-homophobia-but-it-s-not/)

[Kemi Badenoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-badenoch/)

> [My point is you can fight racism and sexism and homophobia more effectively if you're doing it from the position that you're standing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/my-point-is-you-can-fight-racism-and-sexism-and-homophobia-more/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [I was the first South Asian female to do comedy videos on YouTube. But at the same time, all races face their barriers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilly-singh/i-was-the-first-south-asian-female-to-do-comedy-videos-on-youtube-but/)

[Lilly Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilly-singh/)

> [In America, we have struggled too much, too long as a country trying to overcome racism and sexism and homophobia. We cannot go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-america-we-have-struggled-too-much-too-long-as-a-country-trying-to/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [This is an industry rife with racism, sexism and homophobia. It is so closely woven into the fabric of the business that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/this-is-an-industry-rife-with-racism-sexism-and-homophobia-it-is-so/)

[Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/)

> [Throughout college and law school, as well as in my career as a lawyer and police reform advocate, I've faced various toxic combinations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/throughout-college-and-law-school-as-well-as-in-my-career-as-a-lawyer/)

[Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/)

## More by Audre Lorde

> [Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me, where I loved some invaluable piece of myself apart from me-so different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/every-woman-i-have-ever-loved-has-left-her-print-upon-me-where-i/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [There are many kinds of open. . . Love is a word, another kind of open. . . Take my word for jewel in your open light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/there-are-many-kinds-of-open-love-is-a-word-another-kind-of-open-take/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [Your silence will not protect you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/your-silence-will-not-protect-you/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [I can't really define it in sexual terms alone although our sexuality is so energizing why not enjoy it too?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-can-t-really-define-it-in-sexual-terms-alone-although-our-sexuality/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [“For once we begin to feel deeply all the aspects of our lives, we begin to demand from ourselves and from our life-pursuits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/for-once-we-begin-to-feel-deeply-all-the-aspects-of-our-lives-we/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [the fear of death is that you are dying too soon. Nobody wants to, but at the point that you die you can pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-fear-of-death-is-that-you-are-dying-too-soon-nobody-wants-to-but/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [“There is an important difference between openness and naïveté. Not everyone has good intentions nor means me well. I remind myself I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/there-is-an-important-difference-between-openness-and-na-vet-not/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [What are the words you do not yet have? What do you need to say? What are the tyrannies you swallow day by day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/what-are-the-words-you-do-not-yet-have-what-do-you-need-to-say-what/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [I learned to read from Mrs. Augusta Baker, the children's librarian. ... If that was the only good deed that lady ever did in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-learned-to-read-from-mrs-augusta-baker-the-children-s-librarian-if/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives. It lays the foundations for a future of change,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/poetry-is-not-only-dream-and-vision-it-is-the-skeleton-architecture/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [“I think that in America there are certain kinds of problems and in Russia there are certain kinds of problems, but basically, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-think-that-in-america-there-are-certain-kinds-of-problems-and-in/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [Institutionalized rejection of differences is an absolute necessity in a profit economy which needs outsiders as surplus people. As members of such an economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/institutionalized-rejection-of-differences-is-an-absolute-necessity/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [The sharing of joy, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual, forms a bridge between the sharers which can be the basis for understanding much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-sharing-of-joy-whether-physical-emotional-psychic-or-intellectual/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [“I forgot what we were celebrating. Because we were always celebrating something, a new job, a new poem, a new love, a new dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-forgot-what-we-were-celebrating-because-we-were-always-celebrating/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

> [How a diamond comes into a knot of flame How a sound comes into a word, coloured By who pays what for speaking. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/how-a-diamond-comes-into-a-knot-of-flame-how-a-sound-comes-into-a/)

[Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

[Explore all 377 Audre Lorde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/)

## More Black quotes

> [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/)

[Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/)

> [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/)

[Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/)

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/)

[Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/)

> [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/)

[Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/)

> [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/)

[Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/)

[Frank B. Wilderson III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-b-wilderson-iii/)

> [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/)

[R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/)

> [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/)

[John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/)

> [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/)

[Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/)

> [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/)

[Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/)

[Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I stand here as a black lesbian feminist, having been invited to comment within the only panel at this conference where the input of black feminists and lesbians is represented. What this says about the vision of this conference is sad, in a country where racism, sexism and homophobia are inseparable. . . .",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Audre Lorde"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist-having-been-invited-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Black"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist-having-been-invited-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_black_i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist_1546887.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_black_i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist_1546887.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dba/audre-lorde-758_black_i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist_1546887.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I stand here as a black lesbian feminist, having been invited to comment within the only panel at this…” — Audre Lorde",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Audre Lorde",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I stand here as a black...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist-having-been-invited-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-stand-here-as-a-black-lesbian-feminist-having-been-invited-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
