A community united? Understanding the role of gender and sexuality in the Queer Community
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Date
2015-06-24
Authors
Leger, Sarah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
Description
Excerpt from introduction: "Every year in June, communities all around the world stop to celebrate the
anniversary of the Stonewall riots that occurred in New York in 1969. When the police
raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, that fateful night, queer men and women rebelled
against the authorities and created a massive stir in the city for days afterwards. This
famous event is world-renowned and has even been referred to as the “…birth of the gay
liberation movement” (Hall, 2010, pp. 546). While nearly everyone is aware of the
Stonewall riots, they are especially important to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer community (LGBTQ), as they signify the turning point from
secrecy and oppression to openness and acceptance. However, the LGBTQ community is
not a homogenous one, and the riots and other liberation movements have affected
members in vastly different ways. Although the term “community” connotes a certain
sense of solidarity and togetherness, past research has shown that this may not be the
reality, as LGBTQ members have been found to judge other members based on factors
such as gender identity, gender performance, or race (Berkowitz, Belgrave, &
Halberstein, 2007; Giwa & Greensmith, 2012).
Therefore, I have chosen to explore how queer men, queer women, and transidentified
individuals perceive and negotiate the gender order of the community. In this
same context, I am also interested in determining the extent to which a sense of male
privilege exists within this community. My aim is to contribute to the literature that
relates to the LGBTQ community and how members of that community perceive and
interact with fellow, but differently identified, members. It is important that we promote
acceptance between LGBTQ members as well as the acceptance of LGBTQ members if
we are to continue to progress. There are still tensions and struggles that exist within this
community, and progress is not a naturally occurring movement, nor is it ever
guaranteed. It is easy to look back and think that women would have been allowed to
vote and formal segregation would have ended at some point, regardless of the effort put
into these movements. This is certainly not the case, and the same can be said about the
queer liberation: it is not an inevitable or linear movement and it cannot be treated as
such."
Keywords
Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgendered, Queer (LGBT) community , Social groups , Queer liberation