Homocons: The Rise of the Gay Right - Softcover

Goldstein, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1859844146 ISBN 13: 9781859844144

Publisher: Verso Books, 2003

Synopsis

For most of its history, the American gay movement has been part of the democratic Left. Gay liberation’s founders were Communists, and its activist core is still overwhelmingly progressive. But in recent years, a more affluent group of gay men has begun to make its mark. Though they are a minority in the queer community (which includes people of all races, classes and genders), conservatives have become the loudest gay voices in the mainstream media. With their withering contempt for feminism and radical politics, these ‘gayocons’ are changing the movement’s public image. Unless their rise is met by a persuasive critique, they may also alter its heart and soul. Homocons offers such a critique. It describes how the gay Right agenda differs from the one the queer community has long embraced. Never abandoning its analysis of the complex relationship between homosexuals and liberal society, the book examines the conflict between liberationists and assimilationists that has raged since the Stonewall era, and explores how political success tipped the balance and facilitated the rise of the gay Right. Finally this book offers an alternative to gay conservatism grounded in queer humanism, a distinct sensibility that has been a major force in progressive thought for more than a century.

About this title

About the Author

Richard Goldstein is an executive editor of The Village Voice and the author of several books including The Poetry of Rock, Goldstein’s Greatest Hits, and Reporting the Counterculture. He is the winner of the 2001 GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination) columnist of the year award.

Edition details

• Publisher: Verso Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1859844146
• ISBN 13: 9781859844144
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 108