CAPITALISM AND GAY IDENTITY BY JOHN DEMILIO 1960

CAPITALISM AND GAY IDENTITY BY JOHN D’EMILIO 報告：小小虎隊

1960 – gay liberation movement began at the end of 1960 s constructed the myth of silence, invisibility and isolation the myth of eternal homosexual 1970 – for gay and lesbian, they were years of achievement 1980 – resurgence of right wing gay men and lesbian faced the oppression

Free labor and Capitalism nuclear family What is free labor system? 1. free laborers have the freedom to look for a job 2. free laborers have the ability to sell their laborer power 17 th Colonial family 1. family was an interdependent unit of production 2. the home was the work place

18 th no longer independent but still interdependent 19 th wage labor became more common men and women are drawn out of the self-sufficient household family became an affective unit (work and production- personal life)

Heterosexual Relations Changed Colonial New England─Sex was harnessed to procreation. Men and women needed the labor of children for producing grain. ↓ By the 1970 s, with the spread of capitalist relations of production, the birth rate dropped. Heterosexual expression is for establishing intimacy, promoting happiness, and experiencing pleasure.

Homosexual Behavior and Homosexual Identity In the seventeenth century, homosexual behavior existed, but they had no “social space, ” and no identity. Homosexual behavior─sodomy among men, lewdness among women ↓ By the second half of the nineteenth century, homosexual identity appeared as capitalism took hold.

Group Life of Gay Men and Lesbians Early twentieth century： Male homosexual gathered in gay bars in large cities, also public bathhouses and YMCAs. Lesbians formed literary societies and private social clubs. By 1920 s and 1930 s, big cities contained lesbian bars. Simultaneously, doctors developed theories about homosexuality, describing it as a condition, a part of his or her “nature. ”

The Division between Male Sphere and Female Sphere Among whites, gay men have been more visible than lesbians. Streets, parks, and bars, especially at night, were “male space. ” Ø Reason: According to Kinsey studies of the 1940 s and 1950 s, capitalism had drawn far more men than women into the labor force, and at high wages By 1940 s in the rural West, Kinsey found extensive incidence of homosexual behavior, but, in contrast with the men in large cities, little consciousness of gay identity.

Scapegoats Capitalism: contradictory relationship Capitalism weakens the bond which holds family together vs. Capitalism still needs the family to reproduce stability in the system

How to move toward liberation? Supporting issues that broaden the opportunities for living outside traditional heterosexual family Affirming rights of young people Building an “affectionate community” where autonomy and security coexists to provide support for gays and lesbians

THANKS YOU ALL FOR LISTENING