The Influence of Sexual Racism on Erotic Capital: A Systemic Racism Perspective

Abstract

Within different sexual fields, different characteristics are given more erotic “worth.” Individual actors within a given sexual field attempt to maximize their erotic capital by highlighting those characteristics that are considered desirable within the sexual field in which they compete for sexual partners. Largely ignored in studies about sexual fields are examinations into the ways that sexual desires are racialized. So, while these theories and concepts have brought us far in our understanding of the ways that race and sexuality are intimately linked and how social structures influence sexual desires, there is still a lack of perspective when it comes to the ways that race and racism influences sexual desire for, and among, gay men of color. We argue that while different sexual fields produce different erotica specific to that field, sexual racism is nonetheless persistent across all sexual fields, resulting in Black men still accruing less erotic capital, even when they possess all of the qualities that should make them desirable within a given sexual field.