Dan Lasure

ENG 3270
Dr. Ryerson
25 March 2020
Intersectionality & Gender Norms in Moonlight

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘intersectionality’ as: “the complex, cumulative

manner in which the effects of different forms of discrimination combine, overlap, or intersect”.

Barry Jenkin’s film Moonlight aims to show the true gritty nature of intersectionality as his film

depicts numerous factors such as race, sexuality, class, historical context and gender norms as he

follows the protagonist Chiron. Chiron is cis-male who is growing up Miami and tries to come to

an understanding of his own sexual orientation all while still following the stigma of being a

young black man. The film follows a three-act structure in a very literal way, as it shows

Chiron’s life in three different stages labeled i. Little ii. Chiron & iii. Black. In Little, Chiron is

an elementary school aged child, then he goes through the difficulties of high school in the

Chiron act, then he is finally shown as an adult in Black. These three acts the film depicts show

Chiron’s character evolve his intersectionality, shown through cultural & gender norms begin to

be placed on him.
 Firstly, looking at the film through a cultural perspective, Jenkins depicts Chiron having a

very challenging childhood, as he is surrounded by gang members, drug dealers and even has to

deal with a neglective, crack-addicted mother. A young, black & queer author Iriowen Ojo,

describes Chiron’s life as, “Chiron against the crack epidemic, the rise of hustling, the

homophobia of black culture and the expectation of failure. It pulls you into a world that

encapsulates, entirely, a black experience”. The intersectionality of blackness and queerness are

addressed very early in the film as the audience is shown Chiron being bullied by other kids, and

Chiron’s fascination he seems to have with his best friend, Kevin. The cultural perspective of the

crack epidemic and hustling is shown the most not just by Chiron’s crack addicted mother, but

by his only fatherly-figure Juan, a Afro-Cuban drug dealer. Juan plays a crucial role in Chiron’s

life as he fulfills very parental roles for Chiron such as paying for his meals, teaching him to

swim and even talks to him of what it means to be “gay”. The hustling and crack epidemic issues

are shown in their darkest nature when Juan attempts to confront Chiron’s mother about her poor

parenting, as she then reveals to the audience that Juan was the one that sold her crack in the first

place. She then proceeds to yell at Juan and asks if he’s going to continue raising her son for her,

then she speaks about Chiron’s identity when she asks Juan, “are you going to tell him why all

the other kids pick on him?”

 These cultural and racial issues are constant throughout all three of acts of the film, as the

make up Chiron’s intersectionality. Chiron is constantly reminded of these cultural pressures in

ii. Chiron as his identity is addressed by most other characters in the film. His mother,

encourages him to get a job, preferably in selling drugs so that she can have more money to feed

her addiction, the other boys in high school pick on him for being a “sissy” and not being

involved with any gangs or athletic teams. Teresa, now widowed, thinks he needs to become

more accepting of his queerness. All of these characters come together to enforce a form of

cultural norm onto Chiron. As both of Chiron’s classmates and mother, see that he is outside of

the norm for a boy his age, by not being a part of a gang or selling drugs. The only person that

stays outside of the cultural norms is Teresa, who is the predominant nurturing role for Chiron,

and she wants him to stray away from these norms. In the “Journal of Family Theory &

Review”, the following quote is made regarding cultural norms presented in literature. “A review

might be situated historically, exposing the literature on families during the crack-cocaine

epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, or couched in the literature on the street life of some young

Black men. It could be considered from a resiliency perspective, in the literature on social
support provided to youth who are sexual and/or racial minorities” (Allen pg. 597).

Outside of cultural norms, Chiron faces many issues regarding his gender, as a cis-male.

These norms are enforced mostly through ii. Chiron and especially iii. Black. As previously

mentioned, in ii. Chiron, Chiron is made fun of for being a “sissy” by his actions or lack thereof.

During this act is when the audience first sees Chiron truly act upon his sexual orientation as he

and Kevin share an intimate moment on the beach in the moonlight one night after school. After

their moment, the following day at school, the main unnamed bully in the school pressures Kevin

to beat up Chiron to prove that he isn’t gay too. Kevin falls under the pressure and attacks

Chiron, initiating a change in Chiron’s demeanor. Especially since the next day, Chiron picks up

a wooden chair in his classroom and attacks the main bully mercilessly before he is escorted out

by the police. As the film transitions to iii. Black, a large muscular man is shown waking up in

his high-end apartment as he ends out into the alley to check in on a drug dealer. It is then shown

this man is a completely altered Chiron as he talks to the drug dealer, mimicking Juan’s routine

from the opening act of the film. As the third act progresses, Chiron, who goes by Black now,
meets up with Kevin for the first time in years, and he and the audience see just how much

Chiron has changed himself.

Where gender norms play into this, is in that key moment where Chiron physically

attacks his school bully. This plays into gender norms as Chiron becomes exactly what is

expected out of him. As the gendered norm towards men are to become the toughest and

successful man instead of one who is in connection with his feelings. For the first couple acts,

Chiron is seen on the opposite of this norm as he is very open with his feelings, doesn’t want to

fight or lash out at anyone and is just trying to be himself. But due to how he is treated by other

characters in the story, Chiron seems to feel there is only one way to live his life, and that is to

follow the gendered norm provided for him. This transformation also incorporates cultural and

even racial/societal norms as well. Cultural is shown as growing up in a poorer end of Miami, a

job of selling drugs seem to be the only successful occupation. Then tying towards the racial

norm, there is always a presented stereotype towards black men depicted in society. Especially

from more conservative aspects, Black men are often perceived as violent, drug dealers that are

always getting in trouble with the law, and this seems to be the life Black has given himself. By

changing who he is, Chiron truly shifts his identity of who he is to who society’s gendered and

racial norms want him to be.

 Throughout the narrative, it is clear to the audience that Chiron starts off apposing gender

and cultural norms, but as he grows older, he falls more and more in line with them. Director

Barry Jenkins does a great job of addressing intersectionality outside of just the films narrative,

as Moonlight is often praised over its cinematography and color pallet. The color pallet is

probably the most recognized aspect that opposes gender/cultural norms of masculinity as

majority of the film features bright and vibrant colors such as purple, light blue and light orange.

These colors are not often associated with the gendered norm of masculinity and the play well

into the narrative as the bright colors begin to dissolve as Chiron changes himself more and

more. Now in regards of the cinematography, the film often does close ups of both Chiron and

Kevin throughout the three acts. Towards the very end of iii. Black, Chiron and Kevin are sitting

at a table together and the film switches between a close up of each character, and the way in

which the camera catches their eye movements and emotions, gives a romantic feel between the

two characters, through cinematography alone. In an academic analysis written on Moonlight

author Farihah Zaman, wrote this regarding Jenkin’s directing and writing. “This is Jenkins’s

triumph: he neither evades the sometimes difficult realities of poor black communities nor does
he bind his characters reductively to them. Moonlight reminds us that, as people of color, we so

rarely get to have these stories too—tales of epic romances, traumatic hurts, minor blessings. Yet

while Chiron’s identity is integral the story, the film’s most meaningful moments occur when

cultural assignations like “black” or “gay” or “poor” drift away in the tide of human feeling,

flirtation, longing, love, desire” (pg. 42).

Overall, Moonlight’s narrative does not fall shy of the gendered and cultural norms that

are placed onto its intersectional protagonist, and that is exactly meant to capture the harsh

reality of the film. The characters and the audience get to watch as a young, queer black man,

denies who he truly is in order to follow with the societal norms. This use of gendered/societal

norms are the sole basis of the narrative, as the entire film revolves around Chiron trying to

understand who he is. So once he changes himself, this acts as the climax of the film. The only

real glimpse of who Chiron’s true identity lies in the films use of color and excellent

cinematography, along with a key moment at the films end. As Chiron and Kevin sit with one

another, Chiron reveals that no other man has ever touched him the way Kevin has, and he

begins to cry. Then the film ends as the audience sees the backs of Kevin and Chiron as Chiron

has his head placed on Kevin’s shoulder, much like he did back in the second act. Then, right

before the film fades to black, Chiron is shown as a young boy again, standing by the ocean, in

the pale blue moonlight.

 Works Cited
Allen, Samuel H. Moonlight , Intersectionality, and the Life Course Perspective: Directing
Future Research on Sexual Minorities in Family Studies: Moonlight Review “Journal of Family
Theory & Review”. Dec. 2017.
Ojo, Iriowen. Reflection on Moonlight: The Power of Intersectional Representation.
“Harvard Political Review”. March 2017.
Zaman, Farihah. Song of Myself. “Film Comment – Film Society of Lincoln Center”. Sep. 2016