Paul,
>5. In some cases they engage in right-wing propaganda: [...], or the
quasi->ethnic group identity
>promoted by gay and lesbian academics.
As others have said, please name names and quote the offending articles.
let's have a real debate.
The geographical study of sexual dissident groups is still a realtively new
field. It was important initially to make space for such studies within a
(largely) homophobic academe and now that that space has been created the
work is getting more sophisticated.
For sure, a lot of fairly dire work has been written in the name of queer
theory, but at its best queer theory has destabilised and undermined the
notion of a unity 'quasi-ethnic group identity' based soley around the
experiences of middle class gay *men* on either side of the north Atlantic
and demonstrated the fluidity of sexual desire.
Perhaps you should read "The Sexual Citizen" (2000) by David Bell and Jon
Binnie and come back for a proper discussion of the issues after that? I'd
put money on you slating the book (even though it exposes the class
interests at the core of the whole gay rights agenda, questions the validity
of notions of 'sexual citizenship' and proposes that the future of sexual
politics should pay more attention to the needs and interests of working
class queers), but at least we'd have something concrete to debate then
Gavin Brown
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