A compelling explanation of the American public's acceptance of LGBT freedoms through the lens of pop cultureHow did gay people go from being characterized as dangerous perverts to military heroes and respectable parents How did the interests of the LGBT movement and the state converge to transform mainstream political and legal norms in these areasUsing civil rights narratives,pop culture,and critical theory,LGBT Inclusion in American Life tells the story of how exclusion was transformed into inclusion in US politics and society,as pop culture changed mainstream Americans thinking about "non-gay"issues,namely privacy,sex and gender norms,and family. Susan Burgess explores films such as Casablanca,various James Bond movies,and Julie and Julia,and television shows such as thirtysomething and The Americans,as well as the Broadway sensation Hamilton,as sources of growing popular support for LGBT rights. By drawing on popular culture as a rich source of public understanding,Burgess explains how the greater public came to accept and even support the three central pillars of LGBT freedoms in the post-World War II era: to have consensual adult sex without fear of criminal penalty,to serve openly in the military,and to marry legally. LGBT Inclusion in American Life argues that pop culture can help us to imagine unknown futures that lead beyond what we currently desire from contemporary politics,and in return asks now that the mainstream public has come to accept LGBT freedoms,where might the popular imagination be headed in the future
Publisher: New York University PressISBN: 9781479819720Number of pages: 208Dimensions: 229 x 152 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
"A fascinating and path-breaking account of how pop culture reflected and produced the dramatic sea-change in American attitudes and policy towards LBGTQ+ persons. A rare combination of sophisticated theory and page-turning writing. A book you can assign in class and take to the beach.""This dazzling volume explains the recent trajectory of LGBT inclusion in American law,politics,and institutions through pop culture. By'queering political time,'Susan Burgess builds a satisfying,nuanced explanation for the successes and failures of LGBT politics. Her work helps us to acknowledge fully the current dangerous resistance to LGBT rights and inclusion,but ultimately issues a compelling-and kind-invitation to imagine and build a just,inclusive,and democratic future. The hopeful book we need now!""Burgess brilliantly integrates analysis of popular cultural narratives with traditional theories of progressive social change to explain how LGBT rights and liberties came to be accepted in mainstream politics. The book offers creative,often surprising,and always edifying interpretations of movies,television series,musicals,and other manifestations of pop culture to develop her argument. All in all,Burgess once again demonstrates that she is one of the most astute and provocative contemporary analysts of American political culture. Highly recommended!""The exchange of influence between pop culture and American politics flows in both directions,and sometimes becomes knotted in complex ways.... The book is a kind of gauntlet thrown down before the author's colleagues,challenging them to think outside the ballot box."
Kommentar