The paradox of inclusion: how 'diversity' can mask systemic exclusion
In short: When we celebrate new rights, do we actually create a more inclusive world? Dr. Yvette Taylor explores how the rhetoric of 'community' and 'diversity' can be strategically used to build a dominant majority while still leaving marginalized voices on the outside.
Dr. Yvette Taylor examines the evolution of sexual citizenship in the US and UK, focusing on how LGBT campaigning groups and institutional reactions shape public life. She argues that while milestones like the UK Civil Partnership Act (2004) and the repeal of the US military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy marked significant gains in visibility, these victories are complex. Often, the success of these movements helps construct a dominant 'we'—a version of progress that may still be rooted in specific class and racial structures.
A core tension in this research is the strategic deployment of 'diversity' and 'community.' Taylor suggests these terms can be used to imply inclusivity while simultaneously exercising exclusion. This is particularly evident when looking at how citizenship is claimed or lamented. For instance, the movement for 'rights' and 'safety' in the US gained momentum following the deaths of queer youth, such as the suicide of Tyler Clementi, highlighting how the absence of protection can be as defining as the presence of legal status.
Taylor's work emphasizes the importance of intersectionality, noting that sexual citizenship cannot be separated from position and identity. By comparing UK empirical fieldwork on lesbian and gay parents with her research in the United States, she seeks to map the 'ethical entanglements' of these stories. The goal is to move beyond a simple narrative of progress to understand how sexual citizenship is constantly being made and remade, often neglecting the dimensions of race and class in the process.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Queer Presences and Absences: Citizenship, Community, Diversity, or Death - Dr Yvette Taylor
- Also: Queer Presences and Absences: Citizenship, Community, Diversity - or Death
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