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normativity:
Queer musings on politics,
identity, and the
performance of therapy
Julie Tilsen and Dave Nylund
What are some of the hazards of the modern gay rights movement? The
authors propose that in attempting to secure equal rights in various
aspects of public and private life for example, marriage, military service,
and health insurance modern gay rights engages in homonormativity
which seeks to limit the options for queer people by having them replicate
aspects of mainstream, neoliberal, heterosexual lifestyles. Instead of this
approach, the authors propose a queer utopia based on ideas of sexual
freedom and honouring diversity.
dismiss our queertopia world as impractical. Yet we Foucault, M. (1978). The history of sexuality, Vol.1, An
introduction (R. Hurley, Trans.) New York, NY:
contend that these queer ideals, along with a
Pantheon. (Original work published 1976).
critique of the present LGBT movement, are of
Halberstam, J. (2005). In a queer time and place:
significant and essential value if real justice is to
Transgender bodies, subcultural lives. New York, NY:
occur. We are not content to just describe these New York University Press.
ethical principles. More important, we advocate that Madigan, S. (2010). Who has the story telling rights to
queer utopian possibilities of freedom, liberation, the story being gold: Narrative therapy theory and
and collectivity are more than what could be, but practice. Chicago, IL: American Psychological
what should be. Can you think of your own Association Press.
queertopian ideas to add to our list? Please join us Munoz, J. E. (2007). Queerness as horizon. Utopian
in escaping the straightjacket of homonormativity hermeneutics is the face of gay pragmatism. In M.
McGarry & G.E. Haggerty (Eds.), A companion to
and embracing this queertopia. Thank you.
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies
(pp. 452464). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Notes Rubin, G. (1993). Thinking sex: Notes for a radical theory
1. Proposition 8 (or the California Marriage Protection of the politics of sexuality. In H. Abelove, M. Barale,
Act) was a ballot proposition and constitutional & D. Halperin (Eds.), The lesbian and gay studies
amendment passed in the November 2008, California reader (pp. 344). New York, NY: Routledge.
state elections (US). The measure added a new
provision to the California Constitution, which provides Rudy, K. (2000). Queer theory and feminism. Women
that only marriage between a man and a woman is Studies, 29, 195216.
valid or recognised in California. Spivak, G. (1987). In other worlds: Essays in cultural
2. Iowa, a modest agricultural state in the Midwest not politics. New York, NY: Routledge.
generally known for progressive politics, legalised Sycamore, M. B. (2008). Thats revolting: Queer
same-sex marriage in 2009. strategies to resist assimilation. Berkeley, CA: Soft
3. Cisgender is a neologism meaning not transgender, Skull Press.
that is, having a gender identity or performing in a
Warner, M. (1991). Fear of a queer planet. Social Text,
gender role that society considers appropriate for ones
sex. The prefix cis- is pronounced like sis. The term 29, 317.