Homosexuality, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, LGBTQ, sexual identity, history, politics, public policy, narrative, script, discourse, critical psychology

Sodomy and Gay Men’s Lives by John Erickson

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project

How do we begin to deconstruct the word sodomy so that it no longer associates and elicits hateful propaganda... more How do we begin to deconstruct the word sodomy so that it no longer associates and elicits hateful propaganda regarding the sexual activity of consenting gay/queer adults?

Meaning if often produced, not through a one-to-one relation to things in the world, but by establishing the difference you or a particular group of people have in relation to the activity/object you are distancing yourself from. The word sodomy is inextricably linked to the Old Testament (Genesis 19:1-11) and has become a popular manifestation for conservative and fundamentalist social and religious critics to use whenever they are critiquing why gay men are different or deviant from normal, heterosexual adults.  Furthermore, sodomy has been and still is highly involved in constructing both positive and negative sexual ethics that often define and rule over the lives of those who participate not in sodomy but other forms of non-vaginal intercourse.

Bareed Mista3jil: Negotiating Gender, Sexuality, and Religion in Lebanon by Amy Levin

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on Feminism and Religion project

It’s not often (enough) that I (have the time to) come across non-academic books that articulate and reflect some of... more It’s not often (enough) that I (have the time to) come across non-academic books that articulate and reflect some of the most complex intersections between religion, gender, and sexuality. Those that do are commonly produced in the Western hemisphere, often representing the voices of Euro-American cultures and religious traditions. That is why I want to give voice to Bareed Mista3jil, a book, or collection of “41 true (and personal) stories from lesbians, bisexuals, queer and questioning women, and transgender persons from all over Lebanon.” Bareed Mista3jil was published in 2009 by the organization Meem, a community of lesbian, bisexual, queer women and transgender persons (including male-to-female and female-to-male) in addition to women questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity in Lebanon. The purpose of the book is to give voice to those in Lebanon with non-conforming sexualities and identities in order to give hope to this under-represented, often silenced population. Here is a description from Meem on the origin of the book:

No Tolerance to Intolerance! We are different but we are all equal!

by Tornike Metreveli

Yesterday in Tbilisi  a peaceful protest for LGBT rights to mark the International Day Against Homophobia ended... more Yesterday in Tbilisi  a peaceful protest for LGBT rights to mark the International Day Against Homophobia ended in a physical scuffle when religious groups violently disrupted the gathering. In this letter, I try to search for reasons for intolerance and explain the calamity of certain actors by structural factors.

Los Invisibles': Hacia una historia de la homosexualidad masculina en Espana, 1840-2000

by Francisco Vazquez Garcia

'Los invisibles': a history of male homosexuality in Spain, 1850-1939

by Francisco Vazquez Garcia

On Being a Gay Male Theologian During the War on Women by Dirk von der Horst

by Feminism and Religion

originally published on the Feminism and Religion project.

or some time, a prominent strand of gay and feminist theory and theology has taken it almost as axiomatic that gay... more or some time, a prominent strand of gay and feminist theory and theology has taken it almost as axiomatic that gay men, lesbians, and straight women have a common stake in dismantling patriarchy.  While I have always understood my own work as a gay theologian in terms of that common struggle, recent developments point to a significant challenge to keeping that bond intact in the larger sphere of political activism.

At the end of last year, National Public Radio deemed 2011 an extraordinary year for gay rights.    Buzzfeed listed 40 reasons why it was the best year for gays ever, beginning with a Gallup poll showing that for the first time a majority of Americans supported same-sex marriage.  The list also included the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and several firsts for openly gay elected officials.  Even the world of professional sports is becoming more accepting: in a recent tweet, Ravens’ linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo equated support for same-sex marriage with playing in a Super Bowl when asked about his life’s greatest accomplishments.

Simultaneously, we saw a steady legislative assault on women’s reproductive freedom. 

Nietzschean Philosophy: The Possibility for Positive Gender Relationships

by Nicholas Locke

Čitanka istopolnih studija

by Miodrag Kojadinovic

Queer Studies Reader in Serbian (edited, wrote an article and an editor's foreword) Queer Studies Reader in Serbian (edited, wrote an article and an editor's foreword)

Jones, T. and Hillier, L. (2012). Sexuality education school policy for Australian GLBTIQ students. Sex Education, ifirst http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681811.2012.677211 Accessed 10.05.12.

by Tiffany Jones

Education is state-run in Australia, and within each of the eight states and territories there are both government and... more Education is state-run in Australia, and within each of the eight states and territories there are both government and independent schooling systems. This paper details the position of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) students within Australian education policy documents nationally, focusing on the three largest states and educational sectors in Australia. Survey data are used to report on the schooling experiences of over 3000 Australian GLBTIQ young people aged 14–21 years. Data from interviews with key policy informants identify both the obstacles to implementing policies, and how such obstacles have been overcome. Much official policy sees sexuality education as promoting inclusive, protective and affirming messages around GLBTIQ students. There exist significant correlations between policy and a variety of well-being and psycho-social outcomes for GLBTIQ students, including lowered incidence of homophobic abuse and suicide, and the creation of supportive school environments. Ideal policy visions are outlined, along with practical recommendations of relevance to a variety of stakeholders.

The Finishing Touch and the Tradition of Homoerotic Girls' School Fictions

by Corinne Blackmer

I matrimoni same-sex di fronte alla Corte di Cassazione [Same-Sex Marriages before the Cassation Court]

by Matteo Winkler

A short comment to Cass. civ., March 12, 2012, No. 4184, appeared in 11 Int'l Lis 7-8 (2012).

Staging legitimacy: theorising identity claims in anti-homophobia Theatre-in-Education

by Stephen Greer

Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, Volume 16, Issue 1, 2011.

This paper offers a queer-theory inflected reading of identity practices in British Theatre-in-Education (TIE) work... more This paper offers a queer-theory inflected reading of identity practices in British Theatre-in-Education (TIE) work seeking to address sexual identity and, more specifically, homophobic bullying. Noting the potentially unmarked or socially invisible quality of queer identities, this discussion seeks to reconsider the status of ‘coming out’ as the primary formative narrative of gay subjects, and draws on Peggy Phelan's critique of visibility to examine the tensions between performance work which offers opportunities for public identification and the competing (legal and ethical) expectations of confidentiality and disclosure within educational settings.

As such, this re-examination of the closet is read within the context of a wider British cultural and political landscape – recognising both efforts to directly address the issue of homophobic bullying, and the persistence of cultural anxieties about the supposed ‘promotion’ of homosexuality to the young. In response to those concerns, the paper draws together readings of recent TIE works – the Spare Tyre Theatre Company's Burning (2006) and Robert Higgs' Gay (2007) – with Stonewall's current Education for All campaign to explore performance representations of identity and identification, before suggesting – through the work of Judith Butler and Alexander Düttmann – the possibilities of a fluid relationship between recognition, legitimacy and cultural visibility.

Polish Literature

by Alessandro Amenta

glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture, April 9, 2004

As For Chelsea, Goodbye to All That

by Michael Carosone

Co-authored with Joseph LoGiudice.  Originally published in The Huffington Post. 

Feminists Be Silent! Making a Stand in Solidarity with our LGBT Friends Against Bullying and Harassment By Michele Stopera Freyhauf

by Michele Stopera Freyhauf

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion Project

“A Day of Silence” occurs tomorrow, April 20th.  Created in 1996, University of Virginia students wanted to raise... more “A Day of Silence” occurs tomorrow, April 20th.  Created in 1996, University of Virginia students wanted to raise awareness of the bullying and harassment of issues that LGBT students faced on campus.  Since then, A Day of Silence makes a statement against those who have tried to silence LGBT teens and young adults in school through harassment, bias, abuse, and bullying. Participating students, led by GLSEN, will hand out cards that read the following:

“Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?”

“Something Notably Erotic”: Politics, “Arab Men,” and Sexual Revolution in Post-decolonization France, 1962–1974, , The Journal of Modern History March 2012, Vol. 84, No. 1: 80-115

by Todd Shepard

L'institut de science de la sexualité de Magnus Hirschfeld et le féminisme

by Agathe Bernier-Monod

Commentary: Imedi TV’s “Hope” for Cheap Ratings

by Tornike Metreveli

Obstinate Essentialism: Identity transformations amongst gay men living with HIV

by Paul Flowers

In press Psychology and Sexuality

This paper explores the ways gay men living with HIV talk about their identities in relationship to ideas concerning... more This paper explores the ways gay men living with HIV talk about their identities in relationship to ideas concerning essentialism in the boarder context of biomedicalisation. Data were collected from 36 HIV positive gay men between 2001-2005 from two studies. All interview material was initially collected and analysed using broadly speaking thematic analysis. Identity oriented themes were then further explored with a critical lens examining resonances with essentialism. We detail three related themes; ‘The intersections of homosexuality, HIV and the biomedical’; ‘Being HIV: Ontological crisis and obstinate essentialism’; ‘Identity and treating HIV’. These outline the ways in which both HIV- and gay- identities are often interwoven (utilising shared narratives and concepts), embraced and/or resisted. We discuss the concept of essentialism within the wider transformation, or the ‘normalisation’, of both male homosexuality and HIV and draw attention to the salience of biomedicalisation and concomitant biopower within accounts of gay men living with HIV.

“I was terrified of being different”: exploring gay men's accounts of growing-up in a heterosexist society

by Paul Flowers

This study examined retrospective accounts of gay identity formation during adolescence. Twenty in-depth interviews... more This study examined retrospective accounts of gay identity formation during adolescence. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with working-class gay men from a small town in the north of England. Themes salient to understanding their adolescent experiences of identity formation were identified: “defined by difference”, “self-reflection and inner conflict”, “alienation and isolation”, “living a lie”, “telling others”, and “wholeness and integrity”. We illustrate how the socio-cultural context of compulsory heterosexuality is central in understanding accounts of both reported minority stress and identity construction. The implications of the research for future interventions designed to tackle homophobia and heterosexism are discussed.