Queer Politics: Identity, Culture, and American Democracy

In a very short time, LGBTQ issues have moved from the margins to the mainstream of American political life. The 1969 Stonewall Riots are commonly considered the start of the modern gay rights movement in the United States and within a few short years the number of gay groups and gay magazines precipitously increased. As gay civil society expanded, homosexuality transformed from a social identity to a political identity. On the basis of that identity, gay and lesbian activists engaged the political system to secure social and political rights in direct competition with religious traditionalism.

This book investigates the development and the political implications of the LGBTQ rights movement in the United States. Oldmixon, Blackstone, and Watson aim to understand and explain the role of this movement in pluralistic, contemporary political life in the United States. Highlighting the cultural narrative, the book considers how the rights movement emerged and developed historically, at the mass level, and in the context of political institutions. First examining the science of sexuality, the book then discusses the development of an equal rights movement and the public’s attitudes on gays and lesbians. LGBTQ voting and representation, policies that involve gay rights, and a comparative perspective are also addressed. The book makes sure to not only examine lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights, but to also include discussion of transgender rights and the broader queer community.

Queer Politics is a comprehensive, much-needed text for LGBTQ politics classes. Using the lens of cultural theory, the book examines how exactly such a marginalized group moved from the fringes to the mainstream of American political life.