Lauren Daley has a short but immensely important piece in the City Paper- an interview with Judith “Jack” Halberstam who will be in Pittsburgh as a Short Term Fellow. Daley’s piece is a very good read, so check it out, but this question was especially interesting:
How do we bridge the gap between LGBT communities that are so varied?
There has to be a different kind of politics. It’s not going to be an “identity politics” of what we do as a group — what do certain factions of LGBT community agree on? … [I]t’s time to rethink what we mean by queer politics and queer culture.
That’s a real mouthful- rethink queer politics and queer culture! I’m interested in knowing more about what she feels that might look like or entail, but in general, I totally agree. Even how we refer to our collective “community” brings with it problems and short comings. To some we are “gay” with gay meaning everyone, and for others, calling us gay leaves as invisible women and many others who identify differently. In some regards, our politics has been shaped as a movement that has sought to work witbhin the system, rather than chanbge the system where that base system is heterosexist and male dominated. Here is also a link to where and when Halberstam will be speaking:
via On the Record with Judith “Jack” Halberstam – News – On The Record – Pittsburgh City Paper.