American Homo: Community and PerversityJeffrey Escoffier traces the emergence of a gay and lesbian political identity over the last four decades in this wide-ranging collection of his most influential essays. Situating the development of gay and lesbian communities in a broad sweep of recent American history, Escoffier examines how an urban subculture created by stigmatized and invisible men and women evolved into a vital public community with an activist political agenda and an influential position in contemporary American culture. Detailing what he calls the "political economy of the closet," Escoffier argues that the market process often played a crucial role (for better or for worse) in the emergence of gay and lesbian communities, and conversely, that these new communities have significantly impacted the American marketplace. From the development of a camp sensibility in popular culture--inspired by the erotic exhibitionism of drag queens--to the public reformation of safer-sex guidelines, Escoffier demonstrates how the gay movement has gradually acquired both social authority and recognition as a booming market. Throughout the ongoing struggle for legitimacy, gays and lesbians have had to negotiate the historical tension between the homoeroticism that courses through American culture and periodic outbreaks of homophobic paranoia. Escoffier follows the lesbian and gay movement across the contested terrain of American political life between the poles of multiculturalism and the religious right, to reveal how sexual minorities constitute a challenge to American society even as they are thoroughly integrated as citizens and kin. From McCarthy-era witchhunts to the activism of Queer Nation, Escoffier vividly describes the characteristic American homosexual journey through the tangled political web of authenticity, identity, and community. Jeffrey Escoffier traces the emergence of a gay and lesbian political identity over the last four decades in this wide-ranging collection of his most influential essays. Situating the development of gay and lesbian communities in a broad sweep of recent American history, Escoffier examines how an urban subculture created by stigmatized and invisible men and women evolved into a vital public community with an activist political agenda and an influential position in contemporary American culture. Detailing what he calls the "political economy of the closet," Escoffier argues that the market process often played a crucial role (for better or for worse) in the emergence of gay and lesbian communities, and conversely, that these new communities have significantly impacted the American marketplace. From the development of a camp sensibility in popular culture--inspired by the erotic exhibitionism of drag queens--to the public reformation of safer-sex guidelines, Escoffier demonstrates how the gay movement has gradually acquired both social authority and recognition as a booming market. Throughout the ongoing struggle for legitimacy, gays and lesbians have had to negotiate the historical tension between the homoeroticism that courses through American culture and periodic outbreaks of homophobic paranoia. Escoffier follows the lesbian and gay movement across the contested terrain of American political life between the poles of multiculturalism and the religious right, to reveal how sexual minorities constitute a challenge to American society even as they are thoroughly integrated as citizens and kin. From McCarthy-era witchhunts to the activism of Queer Nation, Escoffier vividly describes the characteristic American homosexual journey through the tangled political web of authenticity, identity, and community. |
What people are saying - Write a review
American homo: community and perversity
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictIn the deconstructionist tradition of Foucault and Marcuse, this collection of essays and articles by gay writer and educator Escoffier spans 15 years in the author's attempt to "recode" the ... Read full review
American homo: community and perversity
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictIn the deconstructionist tradition of Foucault and Marcuse, this collection of essays and articles by gay writer and educator Escoffier spans 15 years in the author's attempt to "recode" the ... Read full review
Contents
jfrart V SEXUAL REVOLUTION | 29 |
Toward an Economic History of Gay | 65 |
frart btwo INTELLECTUALS AND CULTURAL POLITICS | 99 |
Generations Paradigms | 118 |
Intellectuals Identity Politics and the Contest | 142 |
Identity Politics and | 190 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
academic activists AIDS American authenticity bian camp Cherrie Moraga closet community intellectuals created critical critique cultural politics cultural studies D'Emilio debate Dennis Altman disciplinary discourse discussion dominant early economic emerged essay Esther Newton ethnic explored feminist forms gay and lesbian gay communities gay identity gay male gay movement gay political gay social gay studies Gayle Rubin hegemonic heteronormativity heterosexual homo homoeroticism homophobia homosexual homosexual emancipation homosexual identity identity politics institutions issues John D'Emilio Jonathan Ned Katz Kinsey Kinsey reports lesbian lesbian and gay lesbian communities lesbian or gay mainstream Michael mosexual multicultural munity norms organizations paradigm perverse popular sociology postwar public sphere published Queer Nation Queer Planet queer politics queer theory radical representation repression scholars sex/gender system sexual behavior sexual identity sexual revolution social world Socialist Review society stigma Stonewall Stonewall riots strategy tion University Press vernacular knowledge women York