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  • Bravmann - Queer Fictions of The Past

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    Bravmann - Queer Fictions of the Past

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    171 vues95 pages

    Bravmann - Queer Fictions of The Past

    Transféré par

    Flor Corsi
    -

    Droits d'auteur :

    © All Rights Reserved
    Téléchargez comme PDF ou lisez en ligne sur Scribd
    Signaler comme contenu inapproprié
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    ‘Cambridge Cultural Soctl Studies Queer fictions of the past Series tr: 6F9H0 ©. ALEXANDER, Deporte of History, culture, and difference Sociology, Univer of Calf, Loe Aes, and ST5VEN SEIDMAN, Department of Solo, Cater tba ‘State Unies of New York Ties in the series. LANA PRIEDRICH SILRER, Miri, carioma, and social ‘onder LINDA NICHOLSON abd STEVEN SEIDMAN (ds), Social ‘postmodernism wwittiase soGAKD, Te simulation of swvelance SUZANNE R KIRSCHNER, Te religious ond Romantic orgs of psjehoanass PAUL LICHTERMAN, Th search or politico! communtiy ROGER FRIEDLAND and RICHARD HECHT, To rude Jerusalem KENNETIC TUCKER, Fewch reoluonary dean andthe able sphere ERIK RINGMAR, It inerest and action Aubenro atentcen, The playing self ALBERTO MELUCCI, Challenging code SAnAILM. CORSE, Nationally ond ertare DARNELL M. HUNT, Screening the Los Angles “rio LYNETTE SPILLMAN, Naso and comonemeration IMKeHAEL MULKAY, The ely research dea Lywn Raraonr, devs Germany flr the Holocaust ‘cuanto atte, Tetra anions and he gardens of Versa Leow i, MAYHEW, The New Pubic VERA L. 20UBEKO and JONI M, CHERHO (eds), Outsider art Scot Bwana CAMBRIDGE URIVERSITY PRESS in Queer fcions ofthe par, Sok Bravmana explores te ‘compleiyof lesbian and gay engagement wih history fand considers how historical discourses spimate the presen. Characterizing historical represeatations as ‘ynamic conversations Letvee then abi aa he demon: steates their powecul role in constructing preset ident tas, ferences, polis, and communities In pil, isis the first book to explore the waysin which lesbians land gay men hve wed history 10 deine themselves as cial, ctrl, and pobtiea! subj. Ia his opening ‘haples Dr. Brivman elaborates the theoreti and pollial stakes of such «project before turing toa Bes of how historiography. ancient Greek history, the Stoaeval its, and postmodern historical txts both inform and rele the race. pene. class and poll dimensions to ques subjects: RE agra ten ‘Th tokinin oe Sart nny cet is puis 7 Patan Und Rigo te Uses Po Cie ‘Dyestin W124 MonoopeTine Arai ri hb a fa eB Li spf Coe Coln itn sgibalbetce Contents Preface Acknoledgenons Part Queer extra tds of history 1 Metanaratie and ay identity 2 Queer historia subjects act I Reodig past stores 2. Re: teudng queer history 4 Thelesbian and gay past i's Geek to whom? 5 Queer fictions of Stonewall {6 efwrting queer histories Part conclusion 7 Queer fitons for the fture Notes ‘Select biboraphy Indes bs ks 0 151 m Preface “Thin hook engages the aiding sgiianos of the past across a range of lesbian and gay dscurive practices Rather than endeavoring to sso stro any particular historia moment, srs of evens or social chan, Tengigein clos readings of rch and varied vextual evidence ond fe the fete elaboration to explore themaltipe complex andnconssent ways that hstorcl arguments metivate ay and sbian identities communities, and politics Because I teive these diverse prictces deserve and need 10 be taen seiouly a socaleultual ete that pode, cons, and desta ‘lize histocclly contingent Fee dentin, [ook to expand what counts ‘ehistory fr ay aod lpbian studies. Like much gay and esbian history ‘wing, bowever, ay argument reiterates te vale of bistrical inquiry as {ncans of addressing important, offen contested and sass con {fontng lesbian and gay communities nthe present. Yet Tals wan roetauate the terms of hat asection, For that reason, this study refises to {Gea “history” asthe a stabs, completed temporal locus oF as a value fe, mit representation of the pas. Recent scholarship both ia guy and lesbian history and in queee theory ts powerfully poblematized « wide range of socially constructed und arbitrary regimes ofthe “normal” and the “natural” Rather conse ‘iy, however thes inguiis have not een accompanied by an nterstn looking at the discourse of history itself as one soch regime, Nonetheless, ‘here are compeling theoretical, epstmologiea, and polit reasons to ‘enain skeptical of seadenie istry writings bas been demonstrated by ‘ocent real theoreti! work that has sought to make hstorigzaphy’s odes of representation as much an objet of anal as an instrument of |t-On the one hand, i response othe criss in historical stadies that tis ‘work bus responded to and helped prevok, the mode of analysis purse im this projet regards historiography asa eulturaly privileged system of signification and rethinks te familar conident invocations of history that ‘oimate mlpe gay and sbi cultural practices Oa the othr hand, ix light ofcopent critiques ofboth hums coneepions of subjectivity aad of identity polities, T reconsider questions of identi, community, aad story oar a perspective tha acknowledges mpl socal consid Aierences among gay and lesbian subjects in ode to ei the powerful pall of hisorelslerpeesenttions tht gravitate tonard “sameness In this double sense, thea, Lecomnize the oad to develop a projec of queer ‘tural tis of history that fotze onthe politica the poetics of his ‘eee dizourses- on, in other word quse tons ofthe ast. begin by icing the modernist narative logic of social onstrstonet historical accounts of 2) identity formation. Focssng onthe wo this logie eid the mulapedifeences aong ay nen and ksbins the ist hapir sss the wage forthe theoretical elaboration ana the sstantive arguments developed inthe following chapters The second chapter atco~ lates the prje’s double theoretical approach to what Lal quser ist calsubjee Drawing on gute feminist and clara theories foreground the iatraetablityof ie and ilferenoe that make te subjects of and lesbian studs — quer historical sebnets— problematic From thers. ‘move in the ater haf ofthat chapter to theoreti and pital entigues of historical representation in order to reas inde to queer the los of history i gay and sbi tai Developing these two themes trough analyses of historical practin, ‘chapters 4 $, and 6 read past histories to explore spel, abet age and ‘eighty astance of ga and lesbian histones! imaginations My trestinent of these highly consequential examples a tes of hermeneutic od pot ‘al strugale rather than as natura, rv, or inevitable s ntended to make Possible u substantially more priematie and problematically more sb ‘Sonal assessment of thelasting presence of gad lesbian pst. Before turning in that direction, Rowever, I consider in chapter 3 more recent _eaeation of lesbian ang gy historiography that has developed the heri- ‘cbreaktvough of socal constructions gpumentsn a more reid In chaptr 4 Tread past the sbiing resonance ofthe imagined clr szograpy of ancieat Greece ia white gay and lesbian iso Hixtions. ‘Arging that these conceptual models of Grok antiquity ae neither Inevitable nor innocent, I begin by looking tthe salience of pender acs ofdiferentation in these “etums"to ancient Gree; then, I move on to develop an expt non-estenilzed conception of cultural diference and postion through which we might consider the refexveconetitie tion of contemporary gay and lesbisn ents in relaion to racial for= ‘maton. Theaeut chapter examines the construction ofa paradoicl queer common senso” across social diferences effected though the symbolic dimensions ofthe Stonewall cots, tthe same ime that the work fo con- Struct collective gay and lesbian identity, 1 suggest epesentations of ‘Stonewall ao challenge that constrcton In pate, 1 Toews on ra, ‘gender, ad pois as eroial points of difrence and antagonism ang feet isioncal subjects Without diminshing. the sigifeance of Stonewall these particular diference lfletively challenge understandings ofthe riot that imagine them as moments ina marrative of queeredemp- ‘ion and that regard their yeary commemorations us periods of reconel- ation of queer ferences, rather tha as staging grounds fr insisting on ‘howe dileenees. “The sixth chapter pathos he poiet of queer cultural studies of ists further by uring to several provocative texts by lesbians and gay men of ‘oor, Contesting the elon of diferenoe in narativs of the gier past ‘ile aso explting the problematic nature of hstoral representations themselves to addres how those representations construct notions of sl, community, and politics, thee tens specie reiting of coromunty, ‘ation, and the body mike promising interventions ito the cultura pol ‘es of history and oflersagpetve alternative model for quer historical representation. Tend with Zetur to historical epresetation and the question of sub Sestivty athe vexing erosrouds been the pat and the ate wich we fall the present Dring the period of writing this book, ave continually buen struck by sn intent paradox. Although I Gemiy belove tat al wring in some Sense autobiographical, have lo fl that it would be naessry forme “acral study of queer eons ofthe patio tranepress the imation Imposed on and by kindof “autobiographical” writing in which my own subject position became the sole focus of my attention. In responding to shiing and pointed concerns about my attempt to write colletvely of ay ‘mle and lesan ison mapnations, Ihave found msl arguing that terete sbundon my attempt ~ no! to wrt aco-gendered revisoas 3) fd lesbian history, but rater to look at how gender matters to quact ction of the past ~ I ought to we up my inguiis into race matters as well and indeed nto any other category of sacl diferentition. Under {hese conditions the most inclusive Book could have writen woul hive ‘concerned isl exclusively with white gay male ultra practices the est expansive with some version of my personal istry. Although Ido think both autobiograty and stdin of white tale dentiy age valuable ad recettry, I seniously doubt whether the particlar form of “auobio- aphica” writing that 1 have tied to resistin his study woald have been slcient sustain aerial understanding of queer etions of the past, ‘The narrowness of such a projet seems to ms not ony untenable in ‘he world of complex an intersctng diflerences tht inform queer soca relations, buts albo unstable tomy private needs~ thus, the paradoxical return of autobiography Instead of curing narisiticaly slips ‘on myself. I wanted to write ~ and hope 0 have writen ~ a Book that imagines the subjects of fesbian and gay studies exembodied, mitp he oval, tive and, yes problema. return tothe question of autobio= raphical wring in chapter 6 For an important stay of white male Subject, ee Fred Pel (1995) "To image the subjects of lesbian and gay studies in this way isto propose avery paricalar kind of colctivedilecace. This quer heterouo- ‘lalay retain the ireducble ferences between gy men and lesbian as storia subjects fort fom diflerence sel that heteoeociaty derives stsown troubled and troubling identity: quer hetrosocaity’s queers is tobe ound init reaolute refs orerove difference (rom the necessary ‘istoviea enties it pusinc cosveration (have adsptd the er “et rosodaliy” frm Mare Sein who wedi na pape ented “Doing It ‘Together: When Homosexuals Heteosocalze” which he presented at conference on sbi, bisexual and gy tues atthe Univesity of Minos In 1992, In my revision, gender i a central but not the sole axis of| Aierentiation among queer historical subjets) The dalogicalrationship among queer histovcl subjects fostered by this understanding of cllke> {ve derence, Ibo, cam hlp reconstruct the late twentieth centry public spore by enabling us to look etal at the partular ways we ‘magia ouslis our communities, and ou elatonships to cach other: In her esay “Out ofthe Past," adessing the colstividing experiences of xy tnd lesbian poieal and ealtural development in the pos Stonewall period ewele Gomes fers the crucial reminds that "Tor mavemen is ferent trom others: we fave litle shared, pic history or elare™ ‘Without ever one allowing! to dnaish er ral stance tomardthe p= sistent race and seine that hve informed and undereut gay and Fsbian movements, Gomez manages as well to retain the special significance ofthe ways in which “our gyness ives usa conection we ‘woul otherwise never haven eteosewal society” (Gomes, 195: 1,2, er obserant hypothesis iI think, on istroctiveekample that ienpel is toward ents engagemente with the difiul hybridity of queer heteroso- aly. ‘Even a (guarded) view it as harboring ermceaic promise forthe future, Taso want to ibe voice to cevtaia reservations regarding such Prete st project. Feed, that i, t0 acknowledge not only my own conning imbjalenee (notwithstanding ny desire to move beyond “autobiogr ily”) als the very ealconcers of ther partiipaatsia his en com Teotiousdilogus In a powerful rerertion of the aed fra sustzined Faint ertique of "que studies” Jaqualyn Zita reads “the cosexual rare of lesbian and ay studies” as “anew heterosexual contract (Zt, 194,258). However cece such «maeinge” mie be for crea & Fld of inguiry that looks most elect at homosexual presi, she Annes thi if his fnew academic enterprise) entals sudmesing the fiferences between the ses and easing ver two docades of femis work fon gender, rc, las, and eteonezaity, the efor may’ ot be worth it" {p25 Though biter aad angry about exclusionary practices historical ‘mesa regarding feminist writings on the scial construction of pede, fe “potent” le drama nthe academy, Zita ends he ess 083 pote of cautious optimism, "fing ome hope nthe heal tensions and ontradisions of lesbian and gx intellectual endeavor: armel, he pos- ‘bli of reopninga wider discussion on gender, ena cas race end ‘other liferences inthe content of que expeence” p. 268). I share this hope, and tists a conhution to su a wider discussion that ofr this book, Acknowledgements |Atumber of readers ve ofeted a wide variety of belph if aot always eae eticismand advice a vaiou stage ofthis project For their ‘ary on. [ woul ike to thank Tomés Almaguer Gloria Anza, Jim Cif, ee Escofies, Jackie Goldsby, Donna Haranay, Katt Knapp, ‘Teresa de Lautetis ost Limon, Ming-Yeung Lu, and Carter Wilton Hayden White, ny diseration aor ia the History of Consciousness rogram atthe Univesity of Calfornia t Sanus Cruz, provided necessary sistance in developing, writing, and completing the projet from whieh ‘is book developed. Two people in particalar were estat fo the tans formation fom disertaion to book: Catherine Max at Cambridge University Press who provided nscesary guidance along the way, and ‘Avery Gordon, who sadam ofthe manuscript and olered enoemoushy Ielpul, provocative, a geneous comments nd suggestions fr revisions that spurred me toshaepen my argument ates its presentation, and expan itsope | would also ike otha Rex Ray for designing the cover image tnd Jo North for copyediting the manuscript, Powe my largest debe of ratte o Stove Sedma whos intl intrest in my pret, practically Sine before it wasbepun, and continued suggestions aad supprt hae been crt bringing this book to fruition, “The bay and archival collections of several astutions proved inal she to the esearch ofthis project. The Univesity of California libraries ‘at both the Santa Cruz and the Berkeley campuses, the library of Sa Francisco State University and both the Main and Fureka Valey/Harey ‘Milk branches of the San Francisco Public Library collectively provided tne with excellent opportunites to condvet my research, Tae Gay and Lesh Historical Society of Norther California (GLHSNO) gave me access to «numberof important dociments iste archives Bil Walker tthe GLHSNC was especialy helpfol and quite willing to share his Acknowledgments 31 knows he and Mary Boone Boling inthe manuscripts division of the [NewYork Puli Library went out of their way to fish me with opis ‘of severl key texts on very short tion. Several pices of this Book hive appeared as worksinprogres i a umber of pubeations Tam thankful fr the bap suggestions and fed tack thatthe eadersand editors ofthe follovingpublestons offered ad for pemsson to use that mera ere: Goer Place, and Car: A natal of Feminist Geography, Outlook Naonal Leshan and Gay ‘Quarters persons: The ternational Journal of Gay and Lesbian ‘Studies, Queer TheorsSocioloy, ed. Steven Sidzsan (Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 19965 and Soca Review. ily T never would have buen ae to complete tis book without the losing companionship and necessary distractions of Cashman Ker Prine ad the eine attentions of Mee (who wns alway ableto sleep eva hon ould aotand whose playful rosity explains one way of wading ep waph tochepter 7, Queer cultural studies of history Metanarrative and gay identity ‘An xcs fous on th cerns ofthe ian yen ses ar edeetandg ofthe compen of hanes expense ‘Susan Cay ees te he mas wo git eee ways ear pstione by nd poo ores wit, the arate ft past (Sta all? Towne sels on eyo Siferencs and refer out MY idee the ouemesuable Gent Fatpos La) ‘ery much an “esenial™ domain of quer discursive practies history as had persistent and mull signees in gay and lesbian studies both inside and outsdedeacademy: Yet weean ab discern vial and productive fngagements ih the past in the Lge eultual and poltical work of \esbitn and gay communities, Reciren fascination with various aspects of ‘cent Greek cure, biographis of famous homorxuals fom he pot, ind a tecovery of Native American berdaohe another thi: sender rae tions, af much as he yearly celebrations of he Stonewall othe cul tion of images and texts ofthe Harem Renaissance, lesbian relamations ‘at preStoneval bush-femme elaonships, and the redeployment of the “ink and increasingly Buck ~ tangle ava symbol of defiance of rather than acquisrnce to, the historical and contemporary oppression of ay fie and lesbians, to offer ust few eativety famibiar examples, permeate the themes and styles of gay and lesbian self-sepresentations* “This book retums to the shared point of depart of these disparate ‘uneven, and at tmes contradictory projects teersing the aroustecains Df lebian and ay sti and communities thet issent engagement with history, Yet eather than dong soto undertake a project of historia Feeonsracio, I retuen this complex site co begin a ential stay of 1 © Queercaltal sais of isons quer isto of the pastas important sociaeutura ext nthe articul- tion of lesbiun and gay denies and difleences. As historians Martin ‘Duberman, Martha Vilas and Geonge Chauneny suggest in their into ‘ution to an anthology of ties on “reclaiming the gay and lesbian prs"some of the ort important ius acing aptating, nd sometimes ‘nding (guy and lesbian communities) today, personally and colkectivey, fe best adres historically Ia addition to its ental, descriptive. ‘plano, ad strategie wes, howeve history also helps eirumvent the cori, dail and anaes that hee ontinoed to form so much of lesbian and gay existence. Publiccelzbrations suchas the commemorations Of the Stoneall ts, the annual Harvey Milk memorial mare in San Francico and vtious AIDS-related remor) projects such asthe Names rojct Quit provide gay men and lesbians wath powerful collective forms ‘of historical rcllecdon that ana the present ina varity of complex tay In other words though the study of gy nd lesbian stony provides cogent ways of addresing questions oF idem, politi, community, and ‘llferene historia events and memories of them also comin o imbue the present with maning aod give the past surplus of signification that is itself in need of etc anaysis Tn the chopers that low wil argue tha sbians and gay me, ind viually and collectively, havea relationship to history that i not only omplex bt also contsadicor. In making ht proposal and addresig its [mplestions for quer storia subjects, I wil red pas histories to look fat how some of the many cultural claims, pbc eléations and pliteal Sebates that terse animate, and divide gay and Isbin communities do hot merey reference the pat bat re etal strongly motivated by hisor- ical aegument, The importance of history’ to gay men and lesbians goes tend the lesons to be earned fom the events ofthe pst include the meanings goneate through retings of thse events and the agency those meanings ary inthe preset. Lesbian and gay store sl-representa- tions queer fictions af the post ~ elpcoosiruct, maintain, ad contest ‘dents ~ queer tions of the present, For this eason, we ned to Took ‘thon the mages ofthe gy and lesbian past cclaing among ws animate the present and to 098 lesbian an gay historical selFepresentations as ‘ies of ongoing hesmeneute nd politcal stragaeinthefomaton of ew, Social subjects and ae cultural possibities Thus, while Quer fevions of the pest reterates the vale of Bistory 8 meas to address a range of ‘resing ies conoating lesbian an pay communis talsoreevauates the terms of Hh assortion, Before prossing slong the double ajctry of this book principal argument, howove 1 need to look elsely at an importat generation of Metaarae and pay deauty —$ ay and lesbian historical scholarship that has recounted the story of the ‘modern homosexual and the rise of « specially gay identity In this ‘per, I use this complex and contradictory reltonthip to histor to ‘ethink the making ofthe modem homexexal” from position of tive skeptic towards such areatives that as been opened up by the several polis, cultural, and theoreteal projets of postwoderasa.* ‘ver the past decade and a half, numerous historical, sociological, and theoretical studies bave export the emergence of lesbian an ga) iett- ‘is subcaltures commoniies nd pote.” The hibtoricbing project of this generation of revearch hat reveled ot only. th. discontioltes ‘erween eltral eoneptions of homesexuality aerss tine and space but ‘lb the payin which the various eustained tempts to ain Knowledge of Sealy ae themselves constitutive of that bodily domain of please, ‘owe, and personal identity now regarded as sexuality While enabling 8 ‘more carefl and specied diachronic analysis ofthe development oon the one hind, heterosis and homophobic istitutions of domination and, on the other, elsbratory and rertant gay and lesbian cltral practices these tets have in turn tended tonal certain current eoncrp- tions of homosetuaity which are unified and sailed by contrasting them to thos of an utterly dierent past. That they hve created cate ‘ore of bodily psychic socal, and political experienc on eter side of thisdside beeween past and present that arenot ony Fundamentally ier. nt rom eat other but are aso fundamentally similar to themselves and thay have contracted coherenes,cobesion and stability against the mult Ply factred sect postions that consiue the ives of lesbian and guy Feividvls. Although social eonsructionst theory is dyamic and promis ing in relationship to understanding both tbe past and the preset thee ‘aie of the emergence of lesbian and gay entity hive Been relatively ‘neues a esogizing acs gender, and clas (aon other) antago isms within” that entity. Tn foreprounding slachvoni ov historical rup- tures between social constructions of "homosotualis” these related Projects hie underephasiod the syacone or contemporary Tupures fetsen social constructions of homoseauahty and ther own specie Histories, ie with contradictions of tei own. Moreovet, the develope ‘eal model of history on which these acounts are based paradoxically Unies the past stories of "gay det" proces tht thei genealogies strategy seemingly alempis to ess “Though varying in the emphasis they place o specie historcl processes social structures, erssaling vent and pulie and private discourses, 5 Quer cuter studs of history these arguments agros that a ditinctive homeserual identity has emerged ‘onl nthe lst eatry o thy ae thi argument of the comparatively recta formation of homosexual identity a a expression of individual ‘ire within the avaable discourse inorder to explain the emergence of ay and lesbian subcultures, communities, and social movements in Europe, the United States and elsewhere at diferent moments in the tweotieth century, Ax Joho D'Emilio has pointed ont in 0 sirey of research on gay bistory, hoxewr, “ofall ational histories being ive tated, that of the United States mast clay confirms the argument of {sfc Wesks and [Michel] Foucault concecning the emergence of dis Tints any identity" For this easoo, both the unajsis and the erie that follow are dss and purposely US-sntere. In these arguments several factors sand ovt among the various cond tions tat enabled the existence of gay and lesbian words, especialy the |romth of indurtril expats and it attendant impact on kinship ate Tamils gender roles urbanization, an ideologies of accumulation, ‘ownership, and individual. D'Enilio makes the angunent not free fully in is etcle "Captalsm and Gay Identity” (a force that pesbaps seflet the greater tide for eitgueaforded by is site of publeaton. {that esa. mio “argues that esbinns and gay men have not always cnted "Rather “wearea prodvet of a parla historia period whore “emergence associated with the reltons of xptalinm,” Spicy the fee labor syste “hatha allowed large numbers of men and women inte late twentieth century fo cal themselves ga)" (p. 102) The growth oF capitalism andthe spread of wage labor. D'Enliand others argue, ans- firmed the sructure, fuetions and elationshipe of family lie Having retously Been Botha system of consumption anda sstem of household reduction, de family began to lose is economic sel-suiiency by the rineteenth century when men and women Deere nreesingy vod in fn dependent on the capitalist ee labor aptem. (Of cours, his ono thie version of the “Family” i also highly contest and reteeates the Jong esting ideology’ ofthe yeoman farmer in Amevic which marginal” ‘acrouch central fama eonome forms slave fale the whit plants tion economies dependent on the slaedabor system, and the US government's attempt to construct patriarchal, landowning. Native ‘American nucear families with the implementation of the General Allotment Act in 1877) This change elected shit in he sgifiance of ‘he family away from & materially productive institution tonards_an affective unit which brought with it changes inthe meaning of sexual ela- tions between men and women. As D'Emio points et, whereas ofspang had once Been necessary contributors tothe househeld economy, withthe growth of wage lbor and the scializaton of production "it besame posible to release sexuality from the “imperative to prosrete”(p. 108) ‘Within thisnew set of experiences hetemsecal expression gradually began to be conceived of asa way to achieve intimacy, happiness. nd plasore father than substantially and perhaps most important a e)prodactive act By removing the produce aspet fom te household economy and foxtering separation of (heterosexuality from peocration, capitalism, Emile contends madet possible for"somemen und women to erganize a personllife around thir erticlemotionalatractionotheironasex"(. 104) and "survive beyon the cones ofthe fam” (105) “These new possbities for personal ifs however, wer nsribd with and through highly salient marks of diference In her ate "Patan, Sex deny sti the Seal Revolution,” Ann Ferguson focus dec fon the question of how thxe new and ehtngingcconomte posites ‘Mlctod the lie choices availabe to and pursued by women. Ferguson aso fies the importance of “ninetcnth entry dtl capitals fo ‘some fn particular] in that iteventaly weakened the patarchal over tt Taters nd eons” While “ths lative gain in redo Was not asta ‘Met of capitalism,” se argues not only dd the “sequisiton ofan income te women new options" but so too did “commercial capital’ growth [peu the growth of urban areas which intra gave feminist aod deviant ‘toma the possiblity of escaping the cones of sgl wadtional, pat ‘chal arm communities for an independent, fff impoverished, hein ‘he ets” fp. 15). Ferguson attoton tothe particular place of women ‘nthe economy points to set of ruptures scoss ay and Labi denies that undermine tele ofthese theoretical accounts I illetusa othe problems at the end of this chapter. These accounts af a peel “gay ientiy” contrasted to past constrae- tions of homoseruaity emphasize and reinterpret broad-based tans- formations inthe soil structure that are past of much longer, mich larger proces of modernization, and they provide foesad discussions of the changes both in such “personal” aspects of le a sexual, gender, ideo, and love and such “publ” aeae ai, the economy, medicine, ‘adele In hat Sold Mes ino Aan approving reappraisal oF the experince of modernity." Marshall Berman ienties these less specie presses and posits "truth about modernity that anteiates the problems of the guy Kent thesis “Modern environments and expe “ences” Denman proclaims in an wnioni Byprtol, ut across al bound fies of aeograpy und ens, of lass aad ational of eeligion and ‘ology i this seme, modernity can be sid to une all mankind." 8 vere stair history [Utimaey hea on Berman's, modernity i afore dference, ‘The experince of modernity however + aot marked soy by vastly ae snd profound changin socal orzanization and material Fores carving bul theiechanges on an impersonal soci and unwiting pasive aman The “worl-hstorca proses” of change have als enable, ern required, Wide range of cura responses, These cultural sponses Which Berman identifies as “moderniam” consist of "an aoazng variety ‘of visions and ideas tha aim to make men and women the sujet wll, & objects of mederaizaton, o give them the power to change the work that i ehinging them, to mae tei way tough the maelstrom (of ‘moder fe and mae thir om” (p16). Several pont in Beran’ reconstructed story ofthe inteteated pro- Jeet of modemization, moderism, aad modeeity parallel the serie ‘accounts of gay and lesbian identity formation insocal constructionist his ‘orical-heoretca work. The most diet fink betwosn Berman's anaes and the arguments of this wy and lesbian research fe “the process of ‘economic and social development [which] genertes new modes of a= development, ideal for men and women who cat gro int te emerbng sword” (p66). Roth arguments ao fous onthe vast rur-to-abn migra Vion tht has caused as wel as merged rom lazze-scale socal dsption ‘over the pust 200 years The individual move from the "sowed social ‘stem (p66) of smal communities to the unreal urban prow of “great itis" (p $9), Berman argues, has been motivated by the desire or “oeton, adventure, an envronmeat in which one cn Be. fe to ac, fely active (p66). related feature of this ban promise, both for ‘Bernas’ view of modernity a an undifereitiated projet anor he more focused histor of guy ent formation as an aspect of modernity, isthe change in consciousneseleed by the collapse of "order and compete fonten” that had been provided by small-town “ite worlds” (p55). han environment, Berman argue as do gay historians, have forded ‘onymiy through which one can escape “the surveiliance of family, neighbors, pists al the suffocating pressures ofthe lose small-town ‘won (n 5), In part the collective cultural projects of modernism, a Berman sees tem, promise the security of individual development and sabes ‘dem in “de macisvom’ af aneverchanging world. For many 3) men nd lesbias, coming out ofthe lost has eet thes win desis tnd hs plyed a decisive role in the poitiation of homosexuality since Stoneval. As poserfl way te develop and elim “who we cell at” coming out mets the modernist promise of stably ina world character: ize by change. Homever, the security ofa stale, “eal” 2 of sbi el Metnurtiveand ey deity 9 ‘san itsion produced through the strong personal and political valve invested in the proces of coming out la ation fo fostering thi ioe sory personal safes, coming ox contributes to the sotion of stable, une, uncontradicted “community” and suggests a larger emergence of "gy ident" which econseut the histori past sound moderns teria of authenticity and development. As elrey Week explains Coming otis uly see at «personal poe, acepan, and pbc emotion, othe dy fone Brose, But ican a beeen ase "hone rou the raul energy sa aruliton of bomoseaal enty sd public prance By emphasing the fondameatalstrctural reorganization of society sociated with the nse of capitals economies a8 grad, uiveralizing historical proces, this generation of raearch om homosexuality has obscured recognition of festive ad meaning diference within that ‘overarching proces of change Ee Sedgwick hs righly pointed ou that “these hsoreal projects. il risk enforsinga dangerous consensus of ‘nowingness about tbe genuinely wk, more thao vestigial contr fietory stroctorings of contemporary experience” This gencttion of resarh, she ages has “counterpose gaits the ati of the pot 9 ‘latively united homosexuality that "we doko tody.”" Additonal, however, these texts han eounerposed aaiast the atenty the diferense, the newness of eureet conceptions of homosexuality x eatiely nied pst that “they” did "know ten.” The paradis of “the making of the ‘modern homesexual” denies o subsumes under the riled sign of 8 ienity whatever antecedent forms deren might bar existed: that i within the opie of thes accounts, thse ferences re jute in ths historical developmen of guy and lesbian Metis asthe dilleences ismised by Berman are to moderity il, want o suggest, However, that We bez thinking about the making of ‘the modem Homosexual” not as u “act” bu as an agument, funda ‘ncotally a a naraive with serious implications Tor addesing irae Fistor. Rather than simply describing an historical process, these coon ofthe past themselves elp “make” or“consteut” the Gton of ‘he moder homosexual a this see, they are themselves pat of what Foucault has termed the ers discourse (eriousy problematical. and ‘nacurately in the singular) on homosexuality and are theme gets ‘in the reformulitons and conestations of the meunings of homosexual. ‘iy! Spiel, we ted to regard the modernist tendencies within this solleeve body of rseurch as a rhetorial practice closely ali! with those experiences of modernity the work inesiates 10 users of tory Moatimportanty hes agus abou entity nee be ead in scton to Berman tyre ement on moder ine ‘Romp, etm, dass maton, sigs and elope difeesces ‘The tel etc ths ry direnc odiferenes, Bera’ rae ‘ork for ascbing create sgn othe human jects moderation ous not cogs the ways in wich thee il derences inform the “Smuing vaio vows nde” of tenders clr! poet he champions indiferenos to leech tong seep of tmoemst hsv sd lua thoris anchors preset see ina Stable coherent petonal snd soil pas (he fam ital, ei) rere allows and dens ter experience and plc grounds Concpion of ey ienity within the speiie expec of urban, cass while mon For the itory of ndstieton the mati Te ofthe modernity championed Becmaa an teeta tht pro Palle the wholesale change in family He preceding the cmespence of {ibn ny subalus as acne, expoiane "underside hat ees the mevtaby of "the el socal ovement toward exnonie develop ‘mon (0), thus problenatiig “the cola! of -development {> 40) whose sdeclgeal underpinnings are i fet coaoeted tothe ‘onomic undrdvlopnet of whole popelaton of people While these fay htry texts meount somewhat dierent versions ofthe rodeniy Felded by moderation, ne ned Yo lke berosly Beran eminet Ua thes pose ston change reconnected elt aan! ‘res by modest calaral ratios More thansinpy devebingthe modern of the past the lationship brween moderation and ‘moder i aso retested he itor martes the coun AS Bera uy the, too at "son ad ens htm to make men ad ‘tommen the subjete aswell bjt of mederaization” (p16) "Within hese madera arate, the ela and pelial const sions ofp ent anda socal monet arbi upn bert expe tiene of homoseaiy, vmwtal experience sje to (een) ‘etation By mull dee, ntoding tone of ase, sone, hss fn naonlty which the xen "unity" of modesty cts bees Sette Eso, for stance, makes the fling observation abou the ‘noi emerzne of life” within ay ad san Wet-ased Politi movers in eer 1980). ny polis motel ste afirmaton fst expres real te heslton of bomoscal iene tu he ian abd sma ‘Stina dee imation dire box pd ameng emer of ‘et commit tha aot beet." Motanartie und py Mentty 1 "scoli’s observation, howeve suggests contemporary facturing ofan Pastorcly und gy idetity asf there ad been no past heteropeaiy. confit, and autonomy within thse "eommninit.” This assent Fetaias modernism’ indiflecace by renetanine difrence a an emerge ‘lemon within its dialectical Beton and thus preventing the destablivation of te narrative ofthe emergence of pay deity” “Two principal categories of soca “dilferens” ~ gender and race — rise fandtnental questions about the inlet logic of hese accounts Permanently inscribed in dscusions of lesbian and gay history, the mark of gender” makes problematic any effort to locte storia energences folly in changes inthe toil sions of production, economic develop ‘ments and resrcturing of family ie! As Martha Vieims has recetiy rgd, this stuctral models inadequate for explining the histone roots of the modeen lesbian denis” lesbian Meni ot ea fn economic indpesens, or rom a el Sy of indus, gor om th formation of womens communion sous ‘Mot tas cents wer npr fo enbancig woman coie Vici also angus that developing “an explanation of the sources af 3 lesbian enya batig projet “because there i no areement about that constitutes aban” (p 177. This lack of consenes on the (his: ial) meaning of the substantive “lesbian” abo dear compounds the complex prblons of uying lo locate the historia relationship between the construction of lesbian and gay male dentition In addition to reframing the question of the historical development ofa lesbian identity within @ gender-based, Female-specite etic anal, Vins insistence on this point uses another veting problem. If 2 pay ‘denis for men a lesbian identity for women reve fom diferent Nstorical, materia and ieolonielTators, a her enty wuld seem tO suggest wy tha ise separate sd dierent denies bein to appeat fat roughiy the sume period ~oF dd they? How, in other words, 60 we recognize what these (partly sng denis might share in terms of their historical development without either reiterating a postion that denis gender speiety and difereace or regarding this signicant ston details purely coincidental? How “erent isthe diference of sgzoder? Further we aed to addres the etent to which "ference" is Salient wih the historia! development of these two genderbsed Categories of sexual identity. How have such social expriness end ‘sconomic ereumstanes as those structured by age clas ras and tie 12 Quercus sais of history iycamong others nflcted the spect stories of gy and lesbian ident tieemot only across” gender but aso “within” each gender? Though only recive brief and indiet mention, the existence of @ lesbian and gy subeultre in arom during the Renssince~ complex moment in Blick gay hitory that has recived a relatively significant mount of attention ~ is eearly problematic for D'Eni' narrative fcvount of the deselopinent of ery fein the USA." In an ates to ‘xplain the ces-bound possiblities forthe creation of lesbian and gy Sil spaces i thecal part of thi century, Dio posits the ealtaral Vale of the fami (ater than the materia factors such a8 a ack of Privy ia overcrowded living conditions which would make mote obvious Seve ‘within his argement) asthe primary restriction facing women and ‘men who might bere have sought anche in which they could safely urs ther sme desires In-Captaisn and Gay dent" contrast fo workings, white immigrant eompvanitis, he wes: For mans ot eget ba ac consis pyar rainy oe {Sivofhososecaty The poplin the 920s and 18s songs with bin Sd gay male thes", D. Woman” “Prove og Me “Sis Man “Futey Bes" auggot on opnncs sbou bool tenon a ade wih be res thie Ip 16ers led) ‘Without explicit eaumernting them, Eno makes to (pot ness iy related) points hee: (1) cettn measure of tletance of homesexua- ity in urbe back communities sich x Harlem during the 1920 ad 1930s ‘which sugassts hat, ane the casein Eazopean immigrant communities, {syncs was somehow not “a dificult option to purse” Black comm fies: and (2) in ight of hi lative tolerance, the acta pursuit ofthat Cption by meh and women within those communities What mast needs to ‘eroted about this brief reference to aban Black constructions of homo Sealy, howeve isthe problem it poses fr D'Emio’ argument, both bistorsaly an theoretically: ‘ott urbun black gay subcultures of the 1920s and 19305 andthe ela tive tolerance they apparent were met within he larger lack communi tie are-anomaows features aot only in elatonship 10 “standard hetrosexist and act storie which would ignore or deny both lack and sy experiences bul als ia lationship to D Emilio sown revisionist seca history" Perhaps ional, DE calls attaion to the inadequacy of his acount for mk sense of the “eontas” between white and Black ‘Communities hy marking his surprite atthe ater’ ostensible tolerance {Towards homoseruality with the pase Yor reasons not altogether ear.” ‘From one perspective, ont that the reasons why an orb lack sbi and gay subculture could exist during the 1928 and 190s the USA are “rot altoetber clear” reveals the teacityof his paradign by suggesting that Ftureeoscarch might not only reveal what these rotons wee But ‘woul ls scone he paradigm’ explanatory power From a dierent Perspective, howe the "Tale" of D'Emiio® account to make cleat ‘at these reasons Were could be viewed a a partially eet chal- Jeng tothe prodigy’ implicit reinforcement of te idea that “recs” and epecnlly dlfeence of ros the most sient organizer of pois, seca ses and identity inthe USA throughout the centary in which “the ‘aking ofthe modems homosexual” occured as not vay been eral {o the multiple suatgis of the revere discourses (emphatically in the ural) on homoseualiy.” Although soil consiractionist arguments have made significant there ‘caf contributions to our understanding of sexuality and above all hve worked to destabilize ahistorieal, atwraliing,etnoecie, and ulintey Fomophobic sesdings of lesbian and gay setualites, the presence of “erence” n conteriporary Iebian and gay community “moments” frown the quer past that ate facomnmensurable with thee abeteact anv rents anda (developing) discourse of "ieeence” wii lesbian and) ‘Studies rise presi questions ubout the linear ajetory ofthese maer- alist soca stories sw way to reoeater“dilerence” nay and Hsban history and to draw ot the recent valuable work on "qe ifetenes” in the present, [want to suggests tur tomar a postmodern writing of the past that would make such sagula neu, nareaely complete ascot ofthe construction of “ay identiy” impossibly problematic by diecthy fallenging the moderis dive for units ia Berman’ terms, “actos the bounds of ethnicity and nationality of sox and lass and uc (p. 6) “These questions of identity and difrence- metaphyseal, pistemolos- ‘eal, atologiea, even political ~ also provoke reflection on how historia "spresentation “works "In part the shortcomings ofthis generation of his- ‘ori scholarship are to be explained ~ although not explained away by {he Limited but sil important scope of tee projet Rather than fering fal historiographical stds, those studies sl oa to develop, a8 Emilio pts iin “Captalim and Gay Meni" new, more aceate sherry of fy history” (p. 101, emphasis added) that would replace the invented mythologies of the ay liberation era. The importance of hex)” to historical representation howe, pont to anther cetralaspet of post ‘modern history-writing, Such a project seek also to retheorize histone representation i onde io problamatize snd ream the very meaning of Ison tel something thai already powerfully present in queer cer 14 Qusercatralsti of Hatory practices Inthe next ehaptr 1 ook atthe problem of identity and dike- ‘ence and at the question of theory ad history, both of which are integral to my proposal for postmodern queer culteral satin of History that tures thee larger questions of historia! representation i ration to Specie practices n queer content, 2 Queer historical subjects denies, ferences, an quer heteoscily er, the problematic objects of sian and ay sales ext mat oninally be stu nid ele ino question “dane Cop asia and yeni are oth cost aise, ostie nthe ‘ere az storaly mold and thor chang een ‘Ste partulrsense that heya necesry andi the ed escape ‘ate Wee? “The primary am of this book's project of quer cultural tude of history isto look at how identities and ference construct and are consiracted through quer fetions of the pst These intractable and manually consti ‘ive aspects of queer heteroscial subjectivity identities and dieenses are the very substance of lesbian and yay communities movement, ad ‘eores and they at ce inorm and disrupt a myriad of elt, pit scl, and inllecual pacts Completa partial these quer fon of {he prevent must be sen as oatradletory and supplemental eho as vel as bothiand. As hybrid und synertic cultural formations, however, ‘jee identities apd dlereaes pont dzety tothe problemas abject of ksbian and gay statis ‘Whea I speak ofthe problematic subjects of lesbian and gay studies ref most obvious tothe question of gender rae bythe wa these po jects are named. Although itscurrent wage osensbl remarks the (sede ‘ised ferences between gay men and soins, the practice of linking lesbians and ay men together can just as efleively ele the very der: ens i intends to point out. Because lesbian snd gay studies ix permt- neatly inserted with “the mark of gender” any hypothetical fentity 15 Guerre sie of bisory ascibed tots problematic subjects ix slays aleady vexed by ference ‘When undsralen at separate, genderspesicendemvors, ROWE, Ey sie and lesbian ties ave east partly reproduced “sexual ier. ‘enc inthiscae the ference of (23) men from lesbian) women ~ and Fave made other difeeces certain similarities, and a vaiety of pelitieal Alianes and clara ainsi if not impossible to concepwaize fad pure, Peas less obviows bose not remarked by the process of taming such 2 projet, my unspeaied suggestion of “other ilerences” farther problematizes the robsets of lesbian nnd gay stadies in ways hat ‘will occupy much ofthe argument and analysis presented in the chaptecs that flo turn now toto tempts ores the problem of gender for qe heterosciity a problem wbich canbe read a the paradigmatie, though secidedly pot exclusive instanceof ifrences among quest historical sub Jets From that dsassion I move on to lok atthe prodetve and wor ome relationship of "goer to sian and gay theory and plies Nex, Toonsider the pari and specifi nature of identity 8 tion that enables the unsettled certainty with which I eognize quae historia subjects. ‘aegor of people that the tcadings developed in subsequent chapters bth “ssume and deeply peoblematize. Finally | dra on theoretical and poli ical eiguss of historiography to suggest the Kind of quededundet- Standing of historical representation thats ental to my projet of queer ‘ural suis of history, Eve Kosfsky Sedgwick and Diana Fus hve drawn out some of the key Aineasions of pay and lesbian studies _geader-matked inscription. ‘Although not entirely sussssfal af mapping the tain of quer betero- Sciaity, an les soils democratic promise, thir arguments hae impor tant implications for the development of lesbian and gay polities and theory ai are usefl for rethinking detty and ieence. deity ross ference, even dents iference, For both Sedgwick nd Fuss the rla- ona between gn and abiansubjecss is a conflicted but nonstless~ breve for tht very ison ~a crucial point for aveatigaton. I spite of ertain significant ileeaces Between them, cach of thee analyses delin~ ents ways that theoretical arguments on homoseaualiy have reproduced the gender dence Between (gy) men and (sbian women, Pehaps the ‘nos sigifeantdesiilrity between thei frmulations i Fuss wiling ess fo old both gay male and lesbian studies acountable forthe short ‘comings of thet gendersepartst inguines while Sedgwick seems Unwiling or unable to ind aut with gay male theories of sexuality Focusing squarely of the presampive relationship Between gay sad quer hse bees 17 lesbian subjects, Sedgick ssks 10 inate “gay theory” that moves yond the impase of gender-separatistingury. a separatism which be Josie funtamentaly within kxbian-feninit theory and practice whout, tas locating aaything similar to within gay tale theory, Sedgwiee’s Torrltion ofthe bass Fortis new project of gy theory substantia dis- puces the usefulness of (a remarkably unpecied though implicitly cul tual feminist theory toy ties This csplncement x both posible and ees, Sedrick argues becaase feminist theory sam optic ealibeted inte fist place othe corer stigmata of gee dference™ Sedgwick’. ‘ow ejector of gay hoor is iplusive of eban theory othe extent that the later") ia spl coextensive with feminist deory (Le, dest ‘heume sexuality ll under gender) and () dost prior deny al heo- ‘elcal continuity between male homoeealcy and fexbianism” (p39) ‘Bese the toy of serait and the tay of geneva diferent areas, ‘Sedgwick trum a aiomnti heimpossbity of "ana prion decison ‘bout how far it wll make sense to conceptalze lesbian and gay male denies ope. Or separately" (39 “Though ll of her subsequent chapters focus centrally on male sexu

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