Queer nationalism
Encyclopedia
Gay nationalism is a phenomenon related both to nationalism
and to the gay and lesbian liberation
movement. Adherents of this movement support the notion that the LGBT
community forms a distinct people due to their unique culture and customs
.
, a radical organisation best known for its slogan "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it."
A nation-state
for homosexuals
was suggested by, among others, William S. Burroughs
, who changed his views later towards an organised structure similar to the Chinese Tong community.
The first attempt to make territorial claims was made in 2004 by a group of Australian gay activists who declared the tiny islands of Cato to be the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea and Dale Parker Anderson to be the Emperor. Following the 2005 disagreements within the group, the Gay and Lesbian Commonwealth Kingdom and Unified Gay Tribe have cancelled their affiliation to Mr. Anderson. Some other groups with similar causes exist, e.g. the Gay Homeland Foundation and a micronation
called Gay Parallel Republic.
. In his article “Social Movements as Nationalisms, or, On the Very Idea of a Queer Nation” Walker points out that several features of the nationalistic creation of cultural identity
apply to the LGBT national movement as well. Walker classifies Queer Nationalism as one of the "new", cultural forms of nationalism which are distinct from the "old" ethnic and religious types of nationalism and concludes that the gay and lesbian community fulfils many criteria to be regarded as a people, because:
Walker regards modern communication technologies such as the Internet
as offering a chance for the LGBT community to further integrate as a non-territorial nation.
This thesis is supported by Paul Treanor who considers an alternative (non-nationalist) world order possible. In this context Treanor mentions the LGBT community as a "non-territorial nationalist movement".
Will Kymlicka acknowledges that Gays have developed a group identity and group culture similar to to those of ethnocultural groups, but argues in favor of integration instead of separatism.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
and to the gay and lesbian liberation
Gay Liberation
Gay liberation is the name used to describe the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement of the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s in North America, Western Europe, and Australia and New Zealand...
movement. Adherents of this movement support the notion that the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community forms a distinct people due to their unique culture and customs
Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures
Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of persons who have shared experiences, background, or interests due to a common sexual or gender identity. Among the first to argue that members of sexual minorities can constitute cultural minorities as well as...
.
Gay Nation
The homophobic aspect of many cultures has led to increasing frustration and a wish to separate from a perceived hostile heterosexual majority. These feelings found their expression in 1990 with the establishment of Queer NationQueer Nation
Queer Nation was an organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, USA by AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media...
, a radical organisation best known for its slogan "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it."
A nation-state
Nation-state
The nation state is a state that self-identifies as deriving its political legitimacy from serving as a sovereign entity for a nation as a sovereign territorial unit. The state is a political and geopolitical entity; the nation is a cultural and/or ethnic entity...
for homosexuals
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
was suggested by, among others, William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
, who changed his views later towards an organised structure similar to the Chinese Tong community.
The first attempt to make territorial claims was made in 2004 by a group of Australian gay activists who declared the tiny islands of Cato to be the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea and Dale Parker Anderson to be the Emperor. Following the 2005 disagreements within the group, the Gay and Lesbian Commonwealth Kingdom and Unified Gay Tribe have cancelled their affiliation to Mr. Anderson. Some other groups with similar causes exist, e.g. the Gay Homeland Foundation and a micronation
Micronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
called Gay Parallel Republic.
Research on Nationalism
An advanced analysis was published 1996 by Brian WalkerBrian Walker
Brian Walker is a toy inventor from Bend, Oregon who is known for attempting to build his own rocket and as the inventor of several toys, namely the air bazooka....
. In his article “Social Movements as Nationalisms, or, On the Very Idea of a Queer Nation” Walker points out that several features of the nationalistic creation of cultural identity
Cultural identity
Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics....
apply to the LGBT national movement as well. Walker classifies Queer Nationalism as one of the "new", cultural forms of nationalism which are distinct from the "old" ethnic and religious types of nationalism and concludes that the gay and lesbian community fulfils many criteria to be regarded as a people, because:
- All forms of nationalism began as social movements, which queer nationalism is – a group of people set apart from those around them by in-group attitudes and discrimination from others.
- The gay community has a culture, with distinct discussion groups, book stores, magazines, bars, cabarets and other such features.
- It possesses a shared historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and literatureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
.
Walker regards modern communication technologies such as the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
as offering a chance for the LGBT community to further integrate as a non-territorial nation.
This thesis is supported by Paul Treanor who considers an alternative (non-nationalist) world order possible. In this context Treanor mentions the LGBT community as a "non-territorial nationalist movement".
Will Kymlicka acknowledges that Gays have developed a group identity and group culture similar to to those of ethnocultural groups, but argues in favor of integration instead of separatism.
External links
- http://www.uofcpress.com/0-919491/0-919491-22-7.html "Rethinking Nationalism" [ISBN 0-919491-22-7].
- http://spruce.flint.umich.edu/~simoncu/385/Walker.htm Summary on Brian Walker's theses.
- http://www.unpo.org/ Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation.
- http://gayhomeland.org/ Gay Homeland Foundation.