The Cost of Visibility and Safety

Sor Juana's publications made her visible—celebrated by some, condemned by authorities. That visibility protected her (the viceregal court's patronage provided some shield) but also endangered her (critics used her own words as evidence against her). The more visible you become as a marginalized person, the more you may be scrutinized, critiqued, and targeted. This is an intersectional reality often ignored in calls for visibility and representation. Black leaders face threats; trans activists face violence; immigrant scholars face deportation threats. Visibility is not simple good. In practice, this requires: supporting people's right to choose visibility or privacy, providing safety infrastructure for those who become visible, not pressuring marginalized people to be visible against their judgment, understanding that visibility has differential costs, and recognizing that some people's safety comes from remaining in community rather than being 'the face' of a movement.