Homosexuals, dykes and queers: political positions in the lesbian and gay movement

Abstract

In this article I aim to explore conflicts among the variety of political projects in the lesbian and gay movement.

I base the article on Alberto Mira’s (2004) proposed models for the expression of homosexuality: decadentist, homophile and camp. I discuss the main theoretical and political debates that arise from these models. Firstly, I ask whether life on the margins of mainstream social rules allows gays and lesbians to live a freer existence or merely means internalised homophobia (using Jean Genet’s and Michel Foucault’s approaches as examples). Secondly, I question whether the demand for “normality” entails the creation of new exclusions (following Judith Butler’s approach to normality): Finally, I consider whether camp culture reproduces and/or subverts gender rules (introducing a discussion between Sheila Jeffreys and Judith Butler’s positions).

On the basis of this exploration of Mira's three cultural models, I develop a typology of political positions ('normalization of homosexuality', 'transformation' and 'queer'), which I apply to the case study of the Catalan lesbian and gay movement.