Queering Orishas: Embodied Knowledges and Living Archives

Dr. Troncoso’s dissertation titled “Queering Orishas: Embodied Knowledges and Living Archives” explores the lived experiences of LGBTQ practitioners of Santería and Espiritismo in contemporary Puerto Rico. Dr. Troncoso uses critical autoethnography and participatory observation grounded in decolonial feminist approaches to unravel the complex dynamics of same-sex desires, queer strategies for survival, and notions of transness that deconstruct fixed notions of gender and sexuality within sacred spaces.

Please join Dr. Troncoso and three participants of their ethnographic research: Teresa Karolina, Iris Pier and Ana Paula Teixeira on October 23rd from 6-8 pm at NYU for what promises to be a rich and lively discussion.

Participants

Aurelis Troncoso

Aurelis Troncoso, Ph.D. (they/she), holds a Ph.D. in American Culture from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Troncoso’s research focuses on the transnational experiences of femmes, non-binary and LGBTQ+ practitioners of Santeria and Espiritismo in Puerto Rico and how practitioners negotiate race, nationality, queerness and transness within sacred spaces. Their work also extends to Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Dr. Troncoso is a member of the Diaspora Solidarities Lab, a multi-institutional Black feminist partnership that supports solidarity work in Black and Ethnic studies led by Drs. Yomaira Figueroa-Vásquez and Jessica Marie Johnson, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. They currently are the Miriam Jimenez Roman post-doctoral fellow at New York University, their work here centers Black Latinx queer and trans* experiences within Afro-Diasporic religions, ushering a vital and necessary component of Afro-Latinx embodied knowledge production. Dr. Troncoso joins a legacy of scholar-practitioners committed to centering Blackness, queerness and spirituality in a larger effort to advance Afro-Latinx studies, queer and trans studies, and religious studies.

Iris Pier

Iris Pier (omo Oyá), is a practitioner of Santería and 21 Divisions. Initiated at eight years young she is also an espiritista, medium, and tarot reader. She has been a highly respected Oba Oriate since 2004. She is internationally known as a performer of the iconic Puerto Rican singer Iris Chacón since 1995. Pier is a member of the Association Cultural Yoruba of Cuba and is the president of Temple and Cabildo of Puerto Rico and New York.

Ana Paula Teixeira

(they/she) Step into the vibrant and dynamic world of Ana Paula Teixeira, a boundary-pushing filmmaker and photographer hailing from the US and Puerto Rico. Ana's captivating work shines a spotlight on the hidden beauty of Puerto Rico, celebrates the diversity of the LGBTTQ+ community, and challenges colonial social norms with a fierce resistance. With a keen eye for storytelling and a passion for amplifying BIQPOC voices, Ana has made waves in the industry with their thought-provoking films and striking photography. Featured in renowned publications and film festivals, Ana's work is a testament to the power of representation and the importance of authentic storytelling.

Teresa Karolina Muñoz

Teresa Karolina (she/her) is a 25-year-old multidisciplinary artist in training, she considers herself an apprentice in movement, model, performer and writer. She has collaborated and is part of different performance art projects such as “La Otra Laboratoria” where she is currently a resident and councilor. She has also been part of audiovisual productions as an actress, model and as a production assistant. She currently collaborates with organizations, artists and community-based projects as co-coordinator and personal assistant.

The Miriam Jiménez Román Fellowship is made possible with support from The Mellon Foundation.