The Lesbian and Gay Movement and the State: Comparative Insights into a Transformed Relationship

by David Paternotte, Carol Johnson, Manon Tremblay

Overview

By analyzing the relationship between lesbian and gay movements and the state, this ground-breaking book addresses two interconnected issues: to what extent is the lesbian and gay movement influenced by the state and, to a lesser extent, whether the lesbian and gay movement has somehow influenced the state, for instance by altering forms of sexual regulation.

Given the diversity in national trajectories, this book covers fifteen countries. This enables the volume to shed light on different kinds of relationships between these groups and the state, as well as on the way they have evolved in recent decades.

The Lesbian and Gay Movement and the State: Comparative Insights into a Transformed Relationship fills an important gap in the literature on lesbian and gay activism. However, this book also provides important and innovative insights into broader issues in international political science, public policy and comparative politics, as well as issues in social movement studies. These include the role of the state in constructing citizen identities, the heteronormative way in which many traditional citizen entitlements and benefits were constructed, state - civil society relations, judicial activism, the impact of federalism, and the increasing globalization of sexual identities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781409494577
Publisher:	Ashgate Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	01/28/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Professor Manon Tremblay, Université d'Ottawa, Canada, Dr David Paternotte, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium; Professor Carol Johnson, University of Adelaide, Australia

David Paternotte, Manon Tremblay, Carol Johnson, Jordi Díez, Sarah Maddison, Emma Partridge, Juan P. Marsiaj, Miriam Smith, Alankaar Sharma, Arpita Das, Gert Hekma, Jan Willem Duyvendak, Agnès Chetaille, Baden Offord, Sheila Croucher, Kerman Calvo, Kelly Kollman, Matthew Waites, Mary Bernstein.

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction, David Paternotte, Manon Tremblay and Carol Johnson; Argentina: a queer tango between the lesbian and gay movement and the state, Jordi Díez; Australia: parties, federalism and rights agendas, Carol Johnson, Sarah Maddison and Emma Partridge; Belgium: the paradoxical strength of disunion, David Paternotte; Brazil: from AIDS to human rights, Juan P. Marsiaj; Canada: the power of institutions, Miriam Smith; India: from tensions to transformation, Alankaar Sharma and Arpita Das; The Netherlands: depoliticization of homosexuality and homosexualization of politics, Gert Hekma and Jan Willem Duyvendak; Poland: sovereignty and sexuality in post-socialist times, Agnès Chetaille; Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia: arrested development!, Baden Offord; South Africa: opportunities seized in the post-apartheid era, Sheila Croucher; Spain: building reciprocal relations between lesbian and gay organizations and the state, Kerman Calvo; United Kingdom: changing political opportunity structures, policy success and continuing challenges for lesbian, gay and bisexual movements, Kelly Kollman and Matthew Waites; United States: multi-institutional politics, social movements and the state, Mary Bernstein; Conclusion, David Paternotte, Manon Tremblay and Carol Johnson; Index.

Editorial Reviews

'The lesbian and gay movement is perhaps the most successful of modern social movements. This powerful and insightful book throws unprecedented light on the different historical contexts in which national movements have developed and confronted or collaborated with the state. Its richness and diversity reflects the richness and diversity of what is now a global movement. This is an essential read.' Jeffrey Weeks, London South Bank University, UK 'The real contribution here is the impressive array of settings that are given informed analysis. Especially valuable are overviews provided of countries in Latin America, Asia, and other regions where the relationship between activists and state authorities has been in such dramatic flux. Readers committed to serious comparative understanding of sexual diversity politics will find this volume immensely useful.' David Rayside, University of Toronto, Canada and author of Queer Inclusions, Continental Divisions: Public Recognition of Sexual Diversity in Canada and the United States. 'A significant contribution to the field of sexuality and politics, this impressive collection offers thoughtful consideration of the dynamic and fluid relationship between the lesbian and gay social movement and institutions of the state - well timed as the treatment of lesbian and gay citizens takes root as a key issue on national and global political agendas.' Angela R. Wilson, University of Manchester, UK

From the Publisher