The Politics of Visibility

Sor Juana's decision to publish her work and be known as an intellectual woman was a political act—it made her visible in a space where women were meant to be invisible. The politics of visibility applies this to your body: simply existing visibly as yourself, in your actual form, with your actual needs and boundaries, is a political statement. Who gets to be seen? Whose bodies are celebrated or hidden? What does it cost to make yourself visible? For body-as-identity, this means recognizing that how you present yourself, how much space you take up, and whether you hide or claim your physical presence all have political dimensions. This isn't about performing for others but about understanding the stakes of visibility. It also means you get to choose: strategic invisibility and tactical visibility are both options.