Week Ten: "Aye, and Gomorrah" (1pts)

 “Aye, and Gomorrah” by Samuel Delaney explores the ideas of gender and sexuality through the group commonly referred to as Spacers- people who have been neutered to avoid the effects of space radiation on reproduction. They are androgynous people who are unable to have sex and feel no true desire to in the first place. Despite this, a group of people referred to as Frelks do have such an attraction to them and that's the main focus of this story. Delaney uses these two distinct groups of people to explore discrimination based on sexual attraction and gender.

Readers are shown early on that Spacers are only superficially respected for the work they do in space. When they stay too long in a single place, they’re often told to leave either through overt politeness or subtle threats. In Paris, the gay men they stumble across do not fear the police but point out that the Spacers probably should. In Mexico, the woman merely shoos them off after remarking that its a shame they are Spacers. Instead of being part of this world, they’re often pushed away by all except the Frelks. The Spacers, despite their nature, actively seek out Frelks because they’re the only people that welcome their presence. As the pretty female Frelk explains, “you don’t choose your perversions.”

The relationship between Frelks and Spacers called to my mind that of trans sex workers and their Johns. This story was written in a time where homosexuality was not seen as legitimate sexuality and more of a crime. While things have since gotten “better” since then, there’s still a lot of internalized homophobia that all too often results in the death of members of the LGBTQ community. Specifically, that of trans sex workers. Due to the constant push from society to shun trans peoples, they’re often forced into more dangerous lines of work- prostitution being the most common. Just as Spacers cannot stay in one place for too long, trans sex workers often have to move/flee to survive. Their only refuge is the people that seek them out for their own perversions. 

“Aye, and Gomorrah” is a wonderfully written story that stuck with me long after my initial read. It is melancholic, yearning, and just sad. There’s an intense desire for some connection interwoven with the prose which makes this piece a far more emotional experience. I became a Delaney fan immediately after reading this and I was excited to continue diving into his work.