Of Flesh and Fire:
Queer Organizing & Resistance in the Carolinas, 1978-2015
Of Flesh and Fire tells the story of how queer people in North and South Carolina organized for justice from the late 1970s to the 2010s. Queer here doesn’t just mean LGBTQ+ identity; it includes those whose lives and politics placed them outside the boundaries of mainstream norms: Black women, radical leftists, hippies, working-class organizers, and anyone resisting the structures of white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and heteronormativity. These stories preserve a history that is often overlooked and celebrate the courage, creativity, and care that have driven queer resistance in the South. Every story shared adds to a legacy of struggle and transformation that can guide and inspire future generations.
The project highlights how communities built networks of care, nurtured one another, and forged power even with scarce resources. It explores the role of “spirit” or the coalitional efforts where people came together across differences in transformative ways. And the role of “body,” or organizations, structures, and strategies that sustained movement efforts. It dissects the flow between body and spirit, which enabled movements to endure, adapt, and continue fighting for change.
These stories preserve a history that is often overlooked and celebrate the courage, creativity, and care that have driven queer resistance in the South.
Every story shared adds to a legacy of struggle and transformation that can guide and inspire future generations.
