Scarleteen

Hi everyone

I just started reading Adela Licona’s “Zines in Third Space: Radical Cooperation and Borderlands Rhetoric,” and it’s reignited my interest in the idea of a “third space.” For context, “Third spaces” are different from “third places.” You may have heard of “third places:” social places outside of work, school, and home where you can be yourself/relax in a social setting. On the other hand, third spaces, a term coined by Homi Bhabha in “The Location of Culture,” are places that allow you and others to negotiate your cultural and social identity.

I’ve been thinking about third spaces a lot because I recently realized that the place I go to outside of work and home is a place where I can be social and somewhat relaxed, but where my cultural and social identity isn’t necessarily affirmed at all, particularly as a queer person. It’s made me think about how important it is to have this outside space where you can be social AND be able to express your identity. So, I’m trying to think about what a “third space” might look like. Right now, I’m thinking there’s a community art space near my apartment that might be a space where I can “negotiate my identity,” as it were.

This leads me to my question for you all: Where is your third space? What aspects of this place make it feel out of the ordinary or transformative for you? If you can’t think of one, what would the ideal third space look like for you?

Ooh, I like this question!

I actually found one of these spaces since I moved up to the coast. It's a pinball arcade, but it's one that's so clearly been designed as a community space. It stocks and sells zines about abortion, prison abolition, etc, and has a bunch of comfy chairs around a table where they keep a little community library of books. There's art in the vending machine and spaces where people can just sit and hang out, rather than the pressure to either be playing or leave (I'm also someone who finds pinball to be a pleasant background noise, so I don't find that element overstimulating). It's so clearly a space made by weirdos and dirtbags (affectionate), which tend to make me feel comfortable as a rule.

I don't really have a fixed space to express myself yet, but at the moment it's on the street for me! I've been trying out different expressions going out to new places and activities where I can get a feel for whether a certain identity works for me. There's this volunteer program that asks for your pronouns on the signup sheet, which I thought was a nice touch and not common to see here.

I am still not comfortable outing myself to any of these circles, however, so I'm not sure how accepting the people would really be if they knew. It would be nice to have a regular third space though. My ideal would be something like a hangout/chill area where it's acceptable to be openly queer and won't raise any eyebrows.

Emelyn: I’m so glad to hear that you’re exploring new activities and places where you can express yourself in a variety of ways. You know, that’s a really cool part of third spaces that I didn’t even mention: the FINDING of the third space can be a deeply enriching journey in itself, you know? It sounds like the volunteer program you found would be a potentially affirming space to use the pronouns you want to use. Are you thinking about volunteering there? I agree that a hangout place where you can openly express yourself is a wonderful thing. Maybe if it’s harder to find, what would it look like for you to *make* a space for yourself?

Sam: WOW that sounds like such an incredible space. I love spaces made by weirdos and dirtbags (affectionately). What kind of art is in the vending machines? Because that sounds AMAZING.

You know, it kind of reminds me of this place I used to go to a few years ago, I did some grantwriting volunteer stuff for this art gallery that is also a 24/7 open-door community space, art studio, coffee shop, and gathering space for survivors of CSA. That kind of gave me an epiphany that I could go back there and *that* could be an affirming space. Huh!