Pride Parade - Studies On Sexuality and Space

Studies On Sexuality and Space

In the geographic discipline, there has been an increased, but still limited, focus on ‘sexuality and space’ since the 1970s. ‘Queer Theory’ is slightly more recent and has been seen as a post structuralist response to the gay and lesbian studies contemplated in works of ‘sexuality and space’. Emerging during the Cultural Turn of the 1990s, 'Queer Theory' set to deconstruct what had previously been thought of as ‘universal truths’ within the identity markers of sexuality, and provide a critique of hetero-normative society. It is within this queer studies sub discipline that many academic pieces have been produced to analyze the theoretics which underpin events such as Pride Parade, dealing with concepts of assimilation, intersectionality and the role of sexuality in shaping space.

Pride Parade has been seen as an opportunity to celebrate homosexuality and challenge hetero normative space. Space is actually neutral, however it has been actively produced by society to be hetero normative. This can act as a societal constraint for gay communities as it creates a notion of being ‘other’ and different. Once occupied by homosexual individuals however, the space becomes fluid rather than static and subject to the sexualities acting upon it. Not everyone who is queer will act on ‘straight’ spaces in the same way. Some individuals may believe that assimilating with such hetero normative spaces will allow for progress- these are known as assimilationalists, and while they maintain their queer identity they do not allow it to exclude them from society. Liberationalists are considered to be individuals or communities who, once settled in a new place are unlikely to assimilate with others outside of their sub sect- they are happy to maintain a certain degree of non- assimilation. Such different approaches show the role of intersectionality in sexuality studies.

Many of the early studies of ‘sexuality and space’ took an essentialist viewpoint whereby individuals within one social grouping are assumed to posses similar, if not the same, identities. A generalization as such is dangerous, as by focusing on just one identity marker, all other markers are considered less important and therefore erased. Intersectionality counters this- it instead recognizes that an individual identity is a culmination of many different markers, and neither one should be privileged above the others. In the case of sexuality, Nash and Bain (2007) conducted studies in Toronto which highlighted divisions and contestations within the lesbian community which had previously been thought of as an essentialism group.Pride Parade is a more obvious expression of such intersectionalities. Certain types of LGBT individuals or groups may dominate the event, whilst other queer bodies appear marginalised depending on where the parade takes place. As Johnston (2007) argues, Parades are an expression of collectivities which may homogenise the experience whilst excluding those who don't conform the expected norms. With the rise of post structuralism, more studies now consider intersectionality and adopt anti-essentialist perspectives.