Cheshire Calhoun
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199257669
- eISBN:
- 9780191598906
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257663.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This book is about placing sexual orientation politics within feminist theorizing. It is also about defining the central political issues confronting lesbian and gay men. It brings the study of ...
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This book is about placing sexual orientation politics within feminist theorizing. It is also about defining the central political issues confronting lesbian and gay men. It brings the study of lesbians from the margins of feminist theory to the centre by critiquing the analytic frameworks employed within feminist theory that render invisible the difference of lesbians from heterosexual women. The basic features of lesbian and gay subordination are also addressed by exploring the differences between heterosexual dominance and gender and race relations. Throughout the book, the aim is to re‐centre lesbian and gay politics away from concern with sexual regulations and towards concern with the displacement of gays and lesbians from the public sphere of visible citizenship and from the private sphere of romance, marriage, and family.Less
This book is about placing sexual orientation politics within feminist theorizing. It is also about defining the central political issues confronting lesbian and gay men. It brings the study of lesbians from the margins of feminist theory to the centre by critiquing the analytic frameworks employed within feminist theory that render invisible the difference of lesbians from heterosexual women. The basic features of lesbian and gay subordination are also addressed by exploring the differences between heterosexual dominance and gender and race relations. Throughout the book, the aim is to re‐centre lesbian and gay politics away from concern with sexual regulations and towards concern with the displacement of gays and lesbians from the public sphere of visible citizenship and from the private sphere of romance, marriage, and family.
Amy C. Steinbugler
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199743551
- eISBN:
- 9780199979370
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199743551.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This book examines interracial intimacy in the beginning of the twenty-first century, an era rife with racial contradictions in which interracial relationships are increasingly seen as ...
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This book examines interracial intimacy in the beginning of the twenty-first century, an era rife with racial contradictions in which interracial relationships are increasingly seen as forward-thinking symbols of racial progress, even as old stereotypes about illicit eroticism endure. With extensive qualitative research, this book examines the racial dynamics of everyday life for lesbian, gay, and heterosexual Black/White couples. It disputes the notion that interracial partners are enlightened subjects who have somehow managed to “get beyond” race. Instead, for many partners interracial intimacy represents not the end, but rather the beginning of a sustained process of negotiating racial differences. This research reveals the ordinary challenges that partners frequently face and the myriad ways in which race shapes partners’ interactions with each other, as well as with family members, neighbors, coworkers, and strangers.This book analyzes contemporary interracial lives through the lens of “racework”: the everyday actions and strategies by which individuals maintain close relationships in a society with deeply rooted racial inequalities. It explores how racework operates in three realms: public spaces, the internal dynamics of relationships, and in the construction of interracial identities. Comparing the experiences of gay and lesbian partners with heterosexual partners, it argues that sexuality and gender play a significant role in how partners use racework in negotiating public spaces and identities, but a minor role in how partners deal with inequalities inside their relationship. With a focus on racework, this book positions interracial intimacy as an ongoing process, rather than as a singular accomplishment.Less
This book examines interracial intimacy in the beginning of the twenty-first century, an era rife with racial contradictions in which interracial relationships are increasingly seen as forward-thinking symbols of racial progress, even as old stereotypes about illicit eroticism endure. With extensive qualitative research, this book examines the racial dynamics of everyday life for lesbian, gay, and heterosexual Black/White couples. It disputes the notion that interracial partners are enlightened subjects who have somehow managed to “get beyond” race. Instead, for many partners interracial intimacy represents not the end, but rather the beginning of a sustained process of negotiating racial differences. This research reveals the ordinary challenges that partners frequently face and the myriad ways in which race shapes partners’ interactions with each other, as well as with family members, neighbors, coworkers, and strangers.This book analyzes contemporary interracial lives through the lens of “racework”: the everyday actions and strategies by which individuals maintain close relationships in a society with deeply rooted racial inequalities. It explores how racework operates in three realms: public spaces, the internal dynamics of relationships, and in the construction of interracial identities. Comparing the experiences of gay and lesbian partners with heterosexual partners, it argues that sexuality and gender play a significant role in how partners use racework in negotiating public spaces and identities, but a minor role in how partners deal with inequalities inside their relationship. With a focus on racework, this book positions interracial intimacy as an ongoing process, rather than as a singular accomplishment.
Denise Tse-Shang Tang
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789888083015
- eISBN:
- 9789882209855
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888083015.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
Dense living conditions in Hong Kong do not provide much privacy for lesbians and other sexual minorities living with their families. As a result, lesbians often locate alternative spaces to develop ...
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Dense living conditions in Hong Kong do not provide much privacy for lesbians and other sexual minorities living with their families. As a result, lesbians often locate alternative spaces to develop support networks with other women. Others reject the notion of lesbian spaces and instead assert their visibility in different aspects of everyday life. Based on life-history interviews with several dozen lesbians living in Hong Kong, this book maps the complex relations between personal subjectivities and spatialities as they emerge and interact with various social-justice movements and alternative communities. It explores how the impossibly dense spaces of neoliberal Hong Kong enable and curtail the emergence of lesbian life.Less
Dense living conditions in Hong Kong do not provide much privacy for lesbians and other sexual minorities living with their families. As a result, lesbians often locate alternative spaces to develop support networks with other women. Others reject the notion of lesbian spaces and instead assert their visibility in different aspects of everyday life. Based on life-history interviews with several dozen lesbians living in Hong Kong, this book maps the complex relations between personal subjectivities and spatialities as they emerge and interact with various social-justice movements and alternative communities. It explores how the impossibly dense spaces of neoliberal Hong Kong enable and curtail the emergence of lesbian life.
H. L. Meakin
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198184553
- eISBN:
- 9780191674297
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198184553.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, 17th-century and Restoration Literature
This chapter sums up the key findings of this study on John Donne's articulation of the feminine in his prose and poetry. It suggests that Donne is more than the masculine monolith which has been ...
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This chapter sums up the key findings of this study on John Donne's articulation of the feminine in his prose and poetry. It suggests that Donne is more than the masculine monolith which has been part of the almost casual observance in criticism of his prose and poetry. It argues that there are valid grounds for extending Donne's reputation for originality and iconoclasm to his construction of gender. This is particularly true in his exploration of lesbian love and the fluidity of gender boundaries in his poems and early verse letters.Less
This chapter sums up the key findings of this study on John Donne's articulation of the feminine in his prose and poetry. It suggests that Donne is more than the masculine monolith which has been part of the almost casual observance in criticism of his prose and poetry. It argues that there are valid grounds for extending Donne's reputation for originality and iconoclasm to his construction of gender. This is particularly true in his exploration of lesbian love and the fluidity of gender boundaries in his poems and early verse letters.
Cheshire Calhoun
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199257669
- eISBN:
- 9780191598906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257663.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
The first two sections of this chapter summarize feminist and lesbian critiques of the family, marriage, and motherhood. The third section critiques lesbian‐feminist reasons for eschewing a political ...
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The first two sections of this chapter summarize feminist and lesbian critiques of the family, marriage, and motherhood. The third section critiques lesbian‐feminist reasons for eschewing a political agenda that endorses family, marriage, and mothering. The fourth section traces the historical construction of lesbians and gays as outlaws to the family. In the concluding section, it is argued that making the family a political priority is not, as sometimes argued, a conservative move.Less
The first two sections of this chapter summarize feminist and lesbian critiques of the family, marriage, and motherhood. The third section critiques lesbian‐feminist reasons for eschewing a political agenda that endorses family, marriage, and mothering. The fourth section traces the historical construction of lesbians and gays as outlaws to the family. In the concluding section, it is argued that making the family a political priority is not, as sometimes argued, a conservative move.
Ching Yau
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789622099876
- eISBN:
- 9789882206625
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789622099876.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Asian Studies
This volume poses new challenges to queer studies and demonstrates the study of Chinese sexuality as an emergent field currently emanating from multiple disciplines. Issues related to sexuality have ...
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This volume poses new challenges to queer studies and demonstrates the study of Chinese sexuality as an emergent field currently emanating from multiple disciplines. Issues related to sexuality have acquired a new visibility in China in the past several years. The growth of religious fundamentalists and global gay discourses, heightened media attention and even more intense censorship, LBGTIQ activist movements, and the struggles of sex workers, have all contributed to this visibility. There is an urgent need for intellectual work to articulate and analyze the complexity of issues of sexuality, and the ways in which different norms line up and become synonymous with one another, in order to build situated knowledge in strengthening the discursive power of non-normative sexual-subjects-in-alliance. This book showcases the work of scholars working mostly outside Euro-America and focuses on cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. It is a sustained collections on Chinese non-normative sexual subjectivities and contemporary sexual politics published in English. It highlights the various ways in which different individuals and communities — including male sex workers, transsexual subjects, lesbians, and Indonesian migrants — negotiate with notions of normativity and modernity, fine-tuned according to the different power structures of each context, and making new and different meanings.Less
This volume poses new challenges to queer studies and demonstrates the study of Chinese sexuality as an emergent field currently emanating from multiple disciplines. Issues related to sexuality have acquired a new visibility in China in the past several years. The growth of religious fundamentalists and global gay discourses, heightened media attention and even more intense censorship, LBGTIQ activist movements, and the struggles of sex workers, have all contributed to this visibility. There is an urgent need for intellectual work to articulate and analyze the complexity of issues of sexuality, and the ways in which different norms line up and become synonymous with one another, in order to build situated knowledge in strengthening the discursive power of non-normative sexual-subjects-in-alliance. This book showcases the work of scholars working mostly outside Euro-America and focuses on cities including Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. It is a sustained collections on Chinese non-normative sexual subjectivities and contemporary sexual politics published in English. It highlights the various ways in which different individuals and communities — including male sex workers, transsexual subjects, lesbians, and Indonesian migrants — negotiate with notions of normativity and modernity, fine-tuned according to the different power structures of each context, and making new and different meanings.
Cheshire Calhoun
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199257669
- eISBN:
- 9780191598906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257663.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This introductory chapter lays the groundwork for future chapters by suggesting that feminist theorizing must make a methodological shift from thinking that heterosexism is just a by‐product of ...
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This introductory chapter lays the groundwork for future chapters by suggesting that feminist theorizing must make a methodological shift from thinking that heterosexism is just a by‐product of sexism, to thinking of lesbian and gay subordination as a separate axis of oppression that intersects with gender, race, and class axes of oppression. It also introduces the two central features of lesbian and gay subordination. The first of these is that the principal damaging effect of a heterosexist system is that it displaces lesbians and gays from both the public and private spheres of civil society so that they have no legitimated social location. The second is that the principal ideologies rationalizing lesbian and gay displacement are that there are only two natural and normal sexes/genders; that lesbian and gay sexuality is excessive, compulsive, and disconnected from romantic love; and that, for a variety of reasons, lesbians and gays are unfitted for marital and family life. The last part of the chapter makes general remarks on how the book fits into the essentialist–constructionist controversy.Less
This introductory chapter lays the groundwork for future chapters by suggesting that feminist theorizing must make a methodological shift from thinking that heterosexism is just a by‐product of sexism, to thinking of lesbian and gay subordination as a separate axis of oppression that intersects with gender, race, and class axes of oppression. It also introduces the two central features of lesbian and gay subordination. The first of these is that the principal damaging effect of a heterosexist system is that it displaces lesbians and gays from both the public and private spheres of civil society so that they have no legitimated social location. The second is that the principal ideologies rationalizing lesbian and gay displacement are that there are only two natural and normal sexes/genders; that lesbian and gay sexuality is excessive, compulsive, and disconnected from romantic love; and that, for a variety of reasons, lesbians and gays are unfitted for marital and family life. The last part of the chapter makes general remarks on how the book fits into the essentialist–constructionist controversy.
Cheshire Calhoun
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199257669
- eISBN:
- 9780191598906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257663.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter focuses largely on lesbian feminist theorizing in the 1980s. It is argued that feminist theorizing on gender oppression has worked to conceal, rather then reveal, lesbian specificity. An ...
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This chapter focuses largely on lesbian feminist theorizing in the 1980s. It is argued that feminist theorizing on gender oppression has worked to conceal, rather then reveal, lesbian specificity. An attempt is made to determine what it is in feminist thinking that makes it difficult to see the lesbian in the feminist subject of woman, so that she is regarded as a ‘not‐woman’, and also as the quintessential form of feminist revolt against patriarchy because she refuses to be heterosexual. It is argued that this placement of resistance to patriarchy at the heart of what it means to be a lesbian is wrong.Less
This chapter focuses largely on lesbian feminist theorizing in the 1980s. It is argued that feminist theorizing on gender oppression has worked to conceal, rather then reveal, lesbian specificity. An attempt is made to determine what it is in feminist thinking that makes it difficult to see the lesbian in the feminist subject of woman, so that she is regarded as a ‘not‐woman’, and also as the quintessential form of feminist revolt against patriarchy because she refuses to be heterosexual. It is argued that this placement of resistance to patriarchy at the heart of what it means to be a lesbian is wrong.
Cheshire Calhoun
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199257669
- eISBN:
- 9780191598906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257663.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
This chapter focuses largely on lesbian feminist theorizing in the 1990s, and argues that although it was committed to articulating differences between women, it nevertheless failed to make room for ...
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This chapter focuses largely on lesbian feminist theorizing in the 1990s, and argues that although it was committed to articulating differences between women, it nevertheless failed to make room for fully lesbian feminist theorizing. The assumption is challenged that if only feminist thinking began from the right conception of ‘woman’, it would then be adequate to the task of theorizing lesbians.Less
This chapter focuses largely on lesbian feminist theorizing in the 1990s, and argues that although it was committed to articulating differences between women, it nevertheless failed to make room for fully lesbian feminist theorizing. The assumption is challenged that if only feminist thinking began from the right conception of ‘woman’, it would then be adequate to the task of theorizing lesbians.
Cheshire Calhoun
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199257669
- eISBN:
- 9780191598906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257663.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
It is argued that lesbian and gay subordination differs substantially in form from gender and racial oppression. In particular, it does not materialize in a disadvantaged place that would sharply ...
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It is argued that lesbian and gay subordination differs substantially in form from gender and racial oppression. In particular, it does not materialize in a disadvantaged place that would sharply reduce the access of lesbians and gay men as a group to basic social goods. Instead, lesbians and gays are systematically displaced to the outside of civil society so that they have no legitimized place, not even a disadvantaged one. The displacement occurs because of the requirement that all citizens adopt at least the appearance of a heterosexual identity as a condition of access to the public sphere. Various aspects of this displacement are addressed in detail.Less
It is argued that lesbian and gay subordination differs substantially in form from gender and racial oppression. In particular, it does not materialize in a disadvantaged place that would sharply reduce the access of lesbians and gay men as a group to basic social goods. Instead, lesbians and gays are systematically displaced to the outside of civil society so that they have no legitimized place, not even a disadvantaged one. The displacement occurs because of the requirement that all citizens adopt at least the appearance of a heterosexual identity as a condition of access to the public sphere. Various aspects of this displacement are addressed in detail.
Cheshire Calhoun
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199257669
- eISBN:
- 9780191598906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199257663.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
The positive arguments for same‐sex marriage are discussed. The first argument links marriage rights to a normative ideal of long‐term, monogamous, sexually faithful intimacy, and defends marriage ...
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The positive arguments for same‐sex marriage are discussed. The first argument links marriage rights to a normative ideal of long‐term, monogamous, sexually faithful intimacy, and defends marriage rights based on the value of that ideal. The second argument presses the connection between homophobia and sexism, stressing the way that securing same‐sex marriage rights might reduce sexism. The third argument links the denial of marriage rights to the cultural construction of gay men and lesbians as outsiders to the family, who are for that reason defective citizens. In pursuing this third line of argument, the US House and Senate arguments supporting the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) of 1996 are addressed.Less
The positive arguments for same‐sex marriage are discussed. The first argument links marriage rights to a normative ideal of long‐term, monogamous, sexually faithful intimacy, and defends marriage rights based on the value of that ideal. The second argument presses the connection between homophobia and sexism, stressing the way that securing same‐sex marriage rights might reduce sexism. The third argument links the denial of marriage rights to the cultural construction of gay men and lesbians as outsiders to the family, who are for that reason defective citizens. In pursuing this third line of argument, the US House and Senate arguments supporting the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) of 1996 are addressed.
Amin Ghaziani
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691158792
- eISBN:
- 9781400850174
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691158792.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
Gay neighborhoods, like the legendary Castro District in San Francisco and New York's Greenwich Village, have long provided sexual minorities with safe havens in an often unsafe world. But as our ...
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Gay neighborhoods, like the legendary Castro District in San Francisco and New York's Greenwich Village, have long provided sexual minorities with safe havens in an often unsafe world. But as our society increasingly accepts gays and lesbians into the mainstream, are “gayborhoods” destined to disappear? This book provides an incisive look at the origins of these unique cultural enclaves, the reasons why they are changing today, and their prospects for the future. Drawing on a wealth of evidenc—including census data, opinion polls, hundreds of newspaper reports from across the United States, and more than 100 original interviews with residents in Chicago, one of the most paradigmatic cities in America—the book argues that political gains and societal acceptance are allowing gays and lesbians to imagine expansive possibilities for a life beyond the gayborhood. The dawn of a new post-gay era is altering the character and composition of existing enclaves across the country, but the spirit of integration can coexist alongside the celebration of differences in subtle and sometimes surprising ways. Exploring the intimate relationship between sexuality and the city, the book reveals how gayborhoods, like the cities that surround them, are organic and continually evolving places. Gayborhoods have nurtured sexual minorities throughout the twentieth century and, despite the unstoppable forces of flux, will remain resonant and revelatory features of urban life.Less
Gay neighborhoods, like the legendary Castro District in San Francisco and New York's Greenwich Village, have long provided sexual minorities with safe havens in an often unsafe world. But as our society increasingly accepts gays and lesbians into the mainstream, are “gayborhoods” destined to disappear? This book provides an incisive look at the origins of these unique cultural enclaves, the reasons why they are changing today, and their prospects for the future. Drawing on a wealth of evidenc—including census data, opinion polls, hundreds of newspaper reports from across the United States, and more than 100 original interviews with residents in Chicago, one of the most paradigmatic cities in America—the book argues that political gains and societal acceptance are allowing gays and lesbians to imagine expansive possibilities for a life beyond the gayborhood. The dawn of a new post-gay era is altering the character and composition of existing enclaves across the country, but the spirit of integration can coexist alongside the celebration of differences in subtle and sometimes surprising ways. Exploring the intimate relationship between sexuality and the city, the book reveals how gayborhoods, like the cities that surround them, are organic and continually evolving places. Gayborhoods have nurtured sexual minorities throughout the twentieth century and, despite the unstoppable forces of flux, will remain resonant and revelatory features of urban life.
Sonja Tiernan
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781526145994
- eISBN:
- 9781526152145
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7765/9781526146007
- Subject:
- Sociology, Marriage and the Family
Ireland was the first country to extend marriage to same-sex couples through a public vote. This book records the political campaign and strategy that led to this momentous event in 2015, from the ...
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Ireland was the first country to extend marriage to same-sex couples through a public vote. This book records the political campaign and strategy that led to this momentous event in 2015, from the origins of a gay rights movement in a repressive Ireland through to the establishment of the Yes Equality campaign. The story traces how, for perhaps the first time in the history of the Irish State, the country shed its conservative Catholic image. Ultimately, this is the account of how a new wave of activism was successfully introduced in Ireland which led to a social revolution that is being fully realised in 2019 and beyond through subsequent campaigns, activism and further referenda. The marriage equality movement is best explored through the stories of the main campaigners, including those already well known in the Irish movement, such as David Norris, Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan, as well as individuals who inspired the founding of vibrant new groups such as NOISE and Marriage Equality, or reactivated established groups such as GLEN. This social revolution is detailed through accounts of how political lobbying was used and court cases launched that brought about necessary legal and political change which now showcases Ireland as a progressive country continually working towards achieving full equality.Less
Ireland was the first country to extend marriage to same-sex couples through a public vote. This book records the political campaign and strategy that led to this momentous event in 2015, from the origins of a gay rights movement in a repressive Ireland through to the establishment of the Yes Equality campaign. The story traces how, for perhaps the first time in the history of the Irish State, the country shed its conservative Catholic image. Ultimately, this is the account of how a new wave of activism was successfully introduced in Ireland which led to a social revolution that is being fully realised in 2019 and beyond through subsequent campaigns, activism and further referenda. The marriage equality movement is best explored through the stories of the main campaigners, including those already well known in the Irish movement, such as David Norris, Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan, as well as individuals who inspired the founding of vibrant new groups such as NOISE and Marriage Equality, or reactivated established groups such as GLEN. This social revolution is detailed through accounts of how political lobbying was used and court cases launched that brought about necessary legal and political change which now showcases Ireland as a progressive country continually working towards achieving full equality.
Joanna L. Grossman and Lawrence M. Friedman
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149820
- eISBN:
- 9781400839773
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149820.003.0015
- Subject:
- Law, Family Law
This chapter briefly traces the history of adoption law and takes a look at some of the more tricky issues that surround this institution—cross-racial adoption and the role adoption plays in the ...
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This chapter briefly traces the history of adoption law and takes a look at some of the more tricky issues that surround this institution—cross-racial adoption and the role adoption plays in the formation of gay and lesbian families. It also shows how adoption reflects the major cultural trends in American life. Americans generally, in the age of expressive individualism, try desperately to fashion for themselves unique and satisfying selves; and discover, in a sense, who they really are. For adopted children, this can include a search for their “real” parents and the discovery of their true genetic code. Men and women can decide to have children or not. Adopted children, uniquely, have in a way the right to decide to have parents or not, or more accurately, to decide which parents to cling to.Less
This chapter briefly traces the history of adoption law and takes a look at some of the more tricky issues that surround this institution—cross-racial adoption and the role adoption plays in the formation of gay and lesbian families. It also shows how adoption reflects the major cultural trends in American life. Americans generally, in the age of expressive individualism, try desperately to fashion for themselves unique and satisfying selves; and discover, in a sense, who they really are. For adopted children, this can include a search for their “real” parents and the discovery of their true genetic code. Men and women can decide to have children or not. Adopted children, uniquely, have in a way the right to decide to have parents or not, or more accurately, to decide which parents to cling to.
Jerome Murphy‐O'connor
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199564156
- eISBN:
- 9780191721281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199564156.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Biblical Studies
This chapter argues that 1 Cor 11: 2–16 has nothing to do with the veiling of women. The man is criticized for letting his hair grow long, because it was the overt sign of the active male homosexual. ...
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This chapter argues that 1 Cor 11: 2–16 has nothing to do with the veiling of women. The man is criticized for letting his hair grow long, because it was the overt sign of the active male homosexual. The woman, on the contrary, is blamed simply for not dressing her hair in the conventional manner. If she will not be feminine, she might as well go the whole way and appear ‘manish’ by cutting off her hair. Lesbians were known by their short hair. The point of Paul's argument from creation in Gen 2 is that, if God intended no difference between male and female, he would have created them in the same way. The difference between the sexes, in consequence, is important. Since Jews deduced the inferiority of women from Gan 2, Paul affirms their full equality by pointing out that the chronological primacy of man in creation is negated for contemporary man by the simple fact that he has a mother.Less
This chapter argues that 1 Cor 11: 2–16 has nothing to do with the veiling of women. The man is criticized for letting his hair grow long, because it was the overt sign of the active male homosexual. The woman, on the contrary, is blamed simply for not dressing her hair in the conventional manner. If she will not be feminine, she might as well go the whole way and appear ‘manish’ by cutting off her hair. Lesbians were known by their short hair. The point of Paul's argument from creation in Gen 2 is that, if God intended no difference between male and female, he would have created them in the same way. The difference between the sexes, in consequence, is important. Since Jews deduced the inferiority of women from Gan 2, Paul affirms their full equality by pointing out that the chronological primacy of man in creation is negated for contemporary man by the simple fact that he has a mother.
Peta Mayer
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781789620597
- eISBN:
- 9781789629927
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781789620597.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century Literature and Modernism
Anita Brookner was a best-selling women’s writer, Booker Prize winner and an historian of French Romantic art. However she is best known for writing boring, outdated books about lonely, single women. ...
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Anita Brookner was a best-selling women’s writer, Booker Prize winner and an historian of French Romantic art. However she is best known for writing boring, outdated books about lonely, single women. This book offers a queer rereading of Brookner by demonstrating the performative Romanticism of her novels to narrate multiple historical forms of homoerotic desire. It draws on diverse nineteenth-century intertexts from Charles Baudelaire to Henry James, Renée Vivien to Freud to establish a cross-historical and temporal methodology that emphasises figures of anachronism, the lesbian, the backwards turn and the woman writer. Delineating sets of narrative behaviours, tropes and rhetorical devices between Brookner’s Romantic predecessors and her own novels, the book produces a cast of Romantic personae comprising the military man, analysand, queer, aesthete, dandy, flâneur, degenerate and storyteller as hermeneutic figures for rereading Brookner. It then stages the performance of these personae along the specified narrative forms and back through six Brookner novels to reveal queer stories about their characters and plotlines. This new interpretation offers ways to think about Brookner’s contemporary female heroines as hybrid variations of (generally male) nineteenth-century artist archetypes. As a result it simultaneously critiques the heterosexual and temporal misreading that has characterised Brookner’s early reception.Less
Anita Brookner was a best-selling women’s writer, Booker Prize winner and an historian of French Romantic art. However she is best known for writing boring, outdated books about lonely, single women. This book offers a queer rereading of Brookner by demonstrating the performative Romanticism of her novels to narrate multiple historical forms of homoerotic desire. It draws on diverse nineteenth-century intertexts from Charles Baudelaire to Henry James, Renée Vivien to Freud to establish a cross-historical and temporal methodology that emphasises figures of anachronism, the lesbian, the backwards turn and the woman writer. Delineating sets of narrative behaviours, tropes and rhetorical devices between Brookner’s Romantic predecessors and her own novels, the book produces a cast of Romantic personae comprising the military man, analysand, queer, aesthete, dandy, flâneur, degenerate and storyteller as hermeneutic figures for rereading Brookner. It then stages the performance of these personae along the specified narrative forms and back through six Brookner novels to reveal queer stories about their characters and plotlines. This new interpretation offers ways to think about Brookner’s contemporary female heroines as hybrid variations of (generally male) nineteenth-century artist archetypes. As a result it simultaneously critiques the heterosexual and temporal misreading that has characterised Brookner’s early reception.
Helena Michie
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195073874
- eISBN:
- 9780199855223
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195073874.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, Women's Literature
The chapter discusses sororophobia and sisterhood in relation to lesbian communities. The chapter opens with a discussion on Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle, which is credited as the first ...
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The chapter discusses sororophobia and sisterhood in relation to lesbian communities. The chapter opens with a discussion on Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle, which is credited as the first lesbian-themed novel to make it on the bestseller list. The novel highlights the chapter's assertion that lesbianism or homosexuality is rooted in a constantly evolving interrelationship between sameness and difference, the definitions of which change over time—for both lesbian-feminists and their homophobic counterparts. Differences in beliefs and practices within these feminist and lesbian communities regarding such issues as sado-masochism, butch-femme role playing, and race are discussed, along with their potentially divisive danger to the community. In the remainder of the chapter, the manifestations of these themes of sameness and difference are identified and examined in lesbian-feminist poetry. The chapter highlights the lesbian poet's struggle to represent this “otherness” while celebrating identity—which also mirrors the dilemma of lesbian practice.Less
The chapter discusses sororophobia and sisterhood in relation to lesbian communities. The chapter opens with a discussion on Rita Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle, which is credited as the first lesbian-themed novel to make it on the bestseller list. The novel highlights the chapter's assertion that lesbianism or homosexuality is rooted in a constantly evolving interrelationship between sameness and difference, the definitions of which change over time—for both lesbian-feminists and their homophobic counterparts. Differences in beliefs and practices within these feminist and lesbian communities regarding such issues as sado-masochism, butch-femme role playing, and race are discussed, along with their potentially divisive danger to the community. In the remainder of the chapter, the manifestations of these themes of sameness and difference are identified and examined in lesbian-feminist poetry. The chapter highlights the lesbian poet's struggle to represent this “otherness” while celebrating identity—which also mirrors the dilemma of lesbian practice.
Jacqueline S. Weinstock
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195326789
- eISBN:
- 9780199870356
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326789.003.0008
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter reflects upon the author's changing experiences and understandings of lesbian friendship in relation to the prevailing story lines evident in the literature on lesbians' friendships. It ...
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This chapter reflects upon the author's changing experiences and understandings of lesbian friendship in relation to the prevailing story lines evident in the literature on lesbians' friendships. It begins by examining select early childhood and adolescent experiences that informed her initial views about the nature and power of friendship. From there, it examines select young adulthood experiences, through college, graduate school, and postdoctoral years, with a focus on her coming out as a lesbian, connecting with lesbian and feminist communities, and making her initial decision to direct her scholarly attention to lesbian friendships. The chapter briefly reviews her published writings in this area, and the connections between these works and her own experiences, beliefs, and questions about friendship. Finally, it identifies and explores several emerging side plots, evident throughout her friendship experiences and writings, but now transforming the story and challenging the validity of the friendship narrative she has told to date.Less
This chapter reflects upon the author's changing experiences and understandings of lesbian friendship in relation to the prevailing story lines evident in the literature on lesbians' friendships. It begins by examining select early childhood and adolescent experiences that informed her initial views about the nature and power of friendship. From there, it examines select young adulthood experiences, through college, graduate school, and postdoctoral years, with a focus on her coming out as a lesbian, connecting with lesbian and feminist communities, and making her initial decision to direct her scholarly attention to lesbian friendships. The chapter briefly reviews her published writings in this area, and the connections between these works and her own experiences, beliefs, and questions about friendship. Finally, it identifies and explores several emerging side plots, evident throughout her friendship experiences and writings, but now transforming the story and challenging the validity of the friendship narrative she has told to date.
Mary M. Read
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195326789
- eISBN:
- 9780199870356
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326789.003.0015
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter uses narrative identity theory to describe and facilitate an understanding of issues regarding the formation of a positive lesbian identity among a particular cohort of women: midlife ...
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This chapter uses narrative identity theory to describe and facilitate an understanding of issues regarding the formation of a positive lesbian identity among a particular cohort of women: midlife North American lesbian women who were born between approximately 1940 and 1965. The life experiences and recollections of North American lesbians of the baby boom cohort reflect the integration of multiple aspects of the self, continually emerging and re-forming across diverse settings. The goal of the chapter is to display the narrative identity processes midlife lesbians—who experience at least three forms of diminished privilege in North American society (being women, older, and of stigmatized sexual orientation)—have used to create lives of meaning and fulfillment. These issues are explored through the lens of a conceptual model created by analyzing narrative data gathered from life story portions that were available in existing literature.Less
This chapter uses narrative identity theory to describe and facilitate an understanding of issues regarding the formation of a positive lesbian identity among a particular cohort of women: midlife North American lesbian women who were born between approximately 1940 and 1965. The life experiences and recollections of North American lesbians of the baby boom cohort reflect the integration of multiple aspects of the self, continually emerging and re-forming across diverse settings. The goal of the chapter is to display the narrative identity processes midlife lesbians—who experience at least three forms of diminished privilege in North American society (being women, older, and of stigmatized sexual orientation)—have used to create lives of meaning and fulfillment. These issues are explored through the lens of a conceptual model created by analyzing narrative data gathered from life story portions that were available in existing literature.
Amin Ghaziani
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691158792
- eISBN:
- 9781400850174
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691158792.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
This chapter examines why the residential repertoire of gays and lesbians has changed in recent years. Drawing on a comprehensive archive of more than 600 media reports, it takes a look at those ...
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This chapter examines why the residential repertoire of gays and lesbians has changed in recent years. Drawing on a comprehensive archive of more than 600 media reports, it takes a look at those lesbian and gay residents who live in gayborhoods, those who once did but have since moved out, and those who reject them outright. Like all news reporting, and judging from some dramatic headlines, journalists who write about gayborhoods contend with their own preconceptions and drama. It is possible that they consciously or unconsciously interview residents whose proclamations of gayborhood demise make for a captivating pitch. The chapter uses the perspectives of the media to elucidate how the assimilation of sexual minorities is affecting where they choose to live, and how those decisions can change the significance of gayborhoods across the country. These perspectives offer important insights on the lived realities of urban change in America.Less
This chapter examines why the residential repertoire of gays and lesbians has changed in recent years. Drawing on a comprehensive archive of more than 600 media reports, it takes a look at those lesbian and gay residents who live in gayborhoods, those who once did but have since moved out, and those who reject them outright. Like all news reporting, and judging from some dramatic headlines, journalists who write about gayborhoods contend with their own preconceptions and drama. It is possible that they consciously or unconsciously interview residents whose proclamations of gayborhood demise make for a captivating pitch. The chapter uses the perspectives of the media to elucidate how the assimilation of sexual minorities is affecting where they choose to live, and how those decisions can change the significance of gayborhoods across the country. These perspectives offer important insights on the lived realities of urban change in America.
