Acclaimed for his trite, cisive, and often ntroversial exploratns of art, lerature, and society, Leo Bersani now addrs homosexualy morn culture. In his chapters on ntemporary queer theory, on Fouult and psychoanalysis, on the polics of sadomasochism, and on the image of "the gay outlaw" works by Gi, Prot, and Ge, Bersani rais the excg possibily that same-sex sire by s very nature n dispt opprsive social orrs.
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PIERRE D'ALANISEZTWTERFACEBOOK WRGTERVIEWSREARCHCURATGSAY NO TO ART SEARCHGAY TIME, MEMORY, AND THE ATH DRIVE15 NOVEMBER 2021MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN HAS NO MEMORY. THE FE SCROLL OF TORSOS AND FAC ON GRDR ALONE IS ENOUGH TO DUCE SHORT-TERM AMNIA TWNED WH AN OBLIV SENSE OF DéJà VU. MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN HAS NO MEMORY BEE NNOT IMAGE WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BE GAY THE TIME OF THEIR FATHERS SCE, FOR THE MOST PART, THEIR FATHERS WEREN’T GAY. MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN HAS NO MEMORY BEE S TEENAGE REBELLN NFLATED AGE, HETEROSEXUALY, AND PARENTHOOD AS PLIC EVILS. MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN BORN THE 1980S HAS NO MEMORY BEE GREW UP WH NO ROLE MOLS AND NO BLUEPRT OM WHICH TO BUILD A FUTURE OF S OWN. MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN HAS NO MEMORY BEE SCEND OM THE LAST GENERATN TO BE DRIVEN BY AN ALL-PERVASIVE ATH DRIVE FOR WHOM PASSG ON MEMORI WAS OF LTLE E. I’M BEG MELODRAMATIC HERE: THE MID-LIFE’S CRISIS V REFLECTN ON ONE’S PLACE THE SUCCSN OF GENERATNS. JUDGG BY WHAT I KNOW OF MY PARENTS’ GENERATN, THE EASIT WAY TO ASSERT AGENCY OVER ONE’S TIME IS TO NMN SUCCEEDG GENERATNS AS LACKG CHARACTER AND TO POSN ONELF AS THE TE RIGHTFUL HEROR OF THE GENERATN BEFORE. FOR MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN, THE FORMER WILL BE NO STGGLE. THE LATTER, HOWEVER, REQUIR BEG ACQUATED ANEW WH A GENERATN WHOSE TIME ME AND WENT LEAVG A MERE RITURE AS A HISTORIL RERD. HOWEVER MUCH MAND THEY MAY BE, SOME STORI SIMPLY DON’T AGE WELL AND ARE FOTTEN EVEN WHILE THEY’RE STILL PROGRS. IT’S HARD, FOR EXAMPLE, TO IMAGE THAT THE HISTORGRAPHY OF THE COVID PANMIC WILL BE OF ANY MORE E TO FUTURE GENERATNS THAN THAT OF THE SPANISH FLU HAS BEEN TO . OTHER STORI MAY BE FOTTEN PRECISELY BEE THE REACH A TERM. AS MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ SAID OF COVID-19: THIS VIS IS “BANAL”. “IT’S NOT EVEN SEXUALLY TRANSMTED.”[1]‘WORLD WILL BE SAME BUT WORSE AFTER “BANAL” VIS, SAYS HOUELLEBECQ’, FRANCE 24, 4 MAY 2020, PANMIC, EPIMICFOR MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN, THAT HERANCE IS ALSO A STORY OF AN EPIMIC, THE AIDS CRISIS THAT PLAGUED THE LAST TWO S OF THE 20TH CENTURY. IT’S A STORY THAT HAS BEEN TOLD MANY TIM (OM ANGELS AMERI TO PHILALPHIA), RECENTLY THE REVIVAL OF LARRY KRAMER’S 1985 STAGE PLAY THE NORMAL HEART. KRAMER’S TEXT, WH THE MA CHARACTER NED WEEKS IS BASED ON THE WRER’S OWN EXPERIENCE AS AN AIDS ACTIVIST AND FOUNR OF THE ADVOCY ANISATN GAY MEN’S HEALTH CRISIS, TRACKS THE ACUTE EPIMIC POLICS. THE PLAY BRGS TOGETHER THE FEARS AND SIR OF THE NEW YORK GAY MUNY H OM THE STONEWALL VICTORY, THE MORAL AND SCIENTIFIC AMBIGUY OF MEDICE, AND THE POLIL APATHY AND NSERVATISM OF POWER THAT ME TOGETHER THE CY THE EARLY YEARS OF THE 1980S. EACH ELEMENT AND CHARACTER TAK A MOMENT THE SPOTLIGHT TO REVEAL THEIR ULTIMATE FALLIBILY AND POWERLSNS WHEN FACED WH THE UNKNOWN KILLER: NED IS SO ANGRY THAT HE NNOT BRG HIS PEERS ALONG WH HIS E, HIS HETEROSEXUAL BROTHER HARBOURS A LGERG ANXIETY AT NED’S LIFE, THE CY HALL’S DIFFERENCE BARELY MASQUERAS HOSTILY, AND THE DOCTOR EMMA BROOKNER’S PASSN SAV NO LIV AND HAS NO SWAY ON THE POLICS OF REARCH FUNDG. THERE’S PLENTY OF GRIEF, RAGE, AND RENTMENT, BUT KRAMER GIV LTLE TO NAVIGATE THE WH BEE AT THE TIME THE PLAY IS SET AIDS BARELY HAD A NAME.DO FETSCHER AND BEN DANIELS THE NORMAL HEART AT NATNAL THERE, LONDON. PHOTO BY HELEN MAYBANKSAS FOR NED’S IENDS, THE GAY MEN WHO JOED WH HIM THE ACTIVISM OF PICKETS, OP-EDS, AND SUPPORT SWCHBOARDS, THEY ARE PORTRAYED AS LS TERRIFIED BY THE PROSPECT OF SEXUALLY TRANSMTED ATH THAN BY THE CHOIC REQUIR OF THEM. WHEN MEDICE’S ONLY REALISTIC SOLUTN IS TO ADVOTE FOR A MORATORIUM ON THE UNPROTECTED AND PROMISCUO GAY SEX THAT FED THE LIBERATED GAY CULTURE OF THE METROPOLIS, THE PLAY’S CHARACTERS DISPLAY AN AMBIVALENCE ROOTED THEIR SEXUALI AND THEIR IAS OF PERSONAL EEDOMS AS MUCH AS THEIR SOCIAL STAT. IN THE ENSUG TACTIL BATTLE BETWEEN THE FIERY NED AND HIS MORE DIPLOMATIC ACTIVIST PATRT AND WALL STREET BANKER BCE NIL, BE APPARENT THAT THE DISTCTN BETWEEN EEDOM AND ATH IS NOT EQUALLY CLEAR-CUT TO EVERYONE. KRAMER NEVER SAYS EXPLICLY, BUT SEEMS THAT HE IS AWARE THAT SOME OF THE MEN WHOSE LIV NED TRI TO PROTECT MAY BE UNR THE SPELL OF AN EXTCTN DRIVE. FSTRATGLY, THE TEXT IS UNABLE TO ENGAGE WH THE OF SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL MISUNRSTANDG, VTG STEAD EXTERNALISG ALL THE BLAME AND ANGER THAT ACPANIED THE HORRORS OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE EPIMIC.THE POLICS OF REMEMBERGWHY REVIVE THIS SCRIPT NOW? IN THE AGE OF COVID, THE QUTNS OF RISK, EEDOM, DIVIDUAL AND MUNAL RPONSIBILI, AND THE DIFFICULTY OF TRANSLATG A LIMED UNRSTANDG OF A THREAT TO NVICTN POLICS ARE RONANT AND THERE ARE MOMENTS BEN COOKE’S STAGG THAT MAKE THLY-VEILED GTUR TO 2021’S PANMIC POLICS. EXCEPT THAT WHEN THEY RAISE A LGH OM THE DIENCE, IS FOR THEIR TWTER-LIKE BANALY: DISAPPOTGLY, MANY OF THE QUTNS THAT KRAMER RAISED HAVE SEEN MORE NUANCED TREATMENT THE PUBLIC SPHERE THE PAST TWO YEARS THAN HE GRANTS TO HIS CHARACTERS THE HEAT OF A CRISIS. AS A PANMIC MORALY TALE, THE NORMAL HEART HAS BEEN SUPERSED BY CURRENT EVENTS.THIS STAGG OF THE NORMAL HEART WAS PLANNED BEFORE THE PANMIC AND PERHAPS REVEALS THE TERTS OF A GENERATN OF GAY MEN THAT FLUENC, IF NOT NTROLS WHAT APPEARS ON THE BILLS OF LONDON’S THEATR. JUDGG BY THE TEARFUL REACTNS OF THE PLAYS’ DIENCE, FOR THE MOST PART AS YOUNG AND AS DASHG AS THE STS AND FOR WHOM THE AIDS CRISIS ULD WELL HAVE BEEN NEWS, THE STORY IS PELLG AS A PIECE OF STUME DRAMA. BUT AS A CULTURAL NARRATIVE THAT FORMS A LEAGE OF ‘QUEER HISTORY’, THE SCRIPT FEELS AT BT A HISTORGRAPHIC EXERCISE THAT MAY AS WELL BE SET TUDOR ENGLAND. CAN MY GENERATN AND THE NEXT WHO NARROWLY PED HAVG TO UNRSTAND WHAT AIDS IS NTEND WH THE FACT THAT ONLY TWENTY YEARS AGO, HIV WAS AN EXTRIBLE PART OF GAY SEX AND GAY LIFE AND THAT IF THERE WAS SUCH A THG AS A GAY MUNY, HIV WAS S PRIMARY NCERN? DEREK JARMAN, BLUE, 1993 (EXCEPT).THE ARTEFACTS LEFT BEHD BY THOSE WHO DIED THE AIDS CRISIS LIKE DAVID WOJANROWICZ’S MEMOIRS CLOSE TO THE KNIV[2]DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, CLOSE TO THE KNIV: A MEMOIR OF DISTEGRATN (NEW YORK: VTAGE BOOKS, 1991). OR DEREK JARMAN’S ELEGY BLUE[3]DEREK JARMAN, BLUE, 1993. APPEAR AS RAREFIED RELICS THAT N HARDLY RONATE WH THE POST-MILLENNIAL MASTREAM. SOME RECENT ATTEMPTS TO WRE A GAY HISTORY FOR THE PRENT HAVE FAILED BEE THEY RELY ON A SHARED UNRSTANDG OF A TRMATIC MOMENT THAT MOST BORN AFTER 1990 DON’T REMEMBER. THE INHERANCE, A SPRAWLG 2018 STAGE PLAY BY MATTHEW LOPEZ LOOSELY BASED ON E. M. FORSTER’S HOWARDS END THAT OVER SIX HOURS LAYS THE CRISIS OVER THE GENERATNS THAT SURVIVED , FAILED TO NVCE BROADWAY DIENC EVEN SPE THE ODD REFERENCE TO GRDR NTEMPORANEY. CAN ONE BLAME LOPEZ, ONLY A UPLE OF YEARS MY SENR, FOR FAILG TO OWN FORSTER’S 1910 NOVEL AND THE GHOST OF A GENERATN HE NEVER KNEW AS HIS OWN? LIVG OUTSI HISTORYLIKE ME, LOPEZ LIKELY NAVIGATED HIS G OF AGE BETWEEN A SERI OF ACTIVIST VICTORI AND CULTURAL SHIFTS. PERHAPS, LIKE ME, HE LED A RAREFIED EXISTENCE THAT DISPLAYS WHAT IS NOW TERMED ‘PRIVILEGE’ AND THAT BY THE TIME HE WAS READY TO MAKE ANY CLARATNS ABOUT WHO HE WAS, HIS WORLD WAS READY TO ACCEPT HIM. I, FOR ONE, SEEM TO HAVE REPEATEDLY BEEN AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME SO AS TO JT REMA ALMOST UNAWARE OF THE STGGL AROUND ME.BY 2017, WHEN ACTIVIST GROUPS WERE CELEBRATG THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARTIAL CRIMALISATN OF HOMOSEXUALY, EFFECTIVELY THE MOMENT OF GAY LIBERATN THE UK, I FELT NEW GUILT FOR HAVG NTRIBUTED SO LTLE TO THE FIGHT. I HAVE EXC: I WAS AT BOARDG SCHOOL THE 1990S WHERE NOTHG OF ANY SEXUAL NATURE WAS PROMOTED, SO SECTN 28 PASSED ME BY. WHEN THE ADMIRAL DUNN PUB SOHO WAS BOMBED 1999, I WAS STG EXAMS AND NCERNED MYSELF WH LTLE ELSE. AT UNIVERSY, THE DREAMG SPIR MA EVERYTHG SEEM PERFECTLY SY. CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS AND GAY MARRIAGE ME BEFORE I HAD ANY E FOR THEM. AND AIDS? BY THE TIME I MOVED TO THE PROVERBIAL SODOM THAT IS CENTRAL LONDON, THE BATN OF VELOPMENTS THE ANTIRETROVIRAL TREATMENT OF HIV, THE BY THEN S-LONG SAFER SEX MPAIGNS, AND THE NATURE OF MY OWN SEX LIFE MA THIS A MARGAL WORRY. THE INHERANCE AT THE YOUNG VIC, 2018. PHOTO SIMON ANNAND.UNLIKE THOSE IENDS WHO ARE TEN YEARS MY SENR OR WHOSE LIV DIDN’T SPARE THEM THE ANXIETY OR GRIEF OF HIV, MY G-OF-AGE TRMA WAS PURELY DIVIDUAL: I HAD TO BE REMD THAT I WAS THROWN OUT OF MY FAY HOME BY A HOMOPHOBIC FATHER BEFORE I STOPPED BLAMG MYSELF FOR NOT HAVG BEEN A MEMBER OF ACT UP. SUCH EXPERIENC, PRENT AS THEY ARE REALY AND THE LOPEZ SCRIPT, ARE NO MATTER TO BUILD A GENERATNAL LEGACY ON.THE ATH DRIVE AND EROSMT , THEREFORE, E DOWN TO STORYTELLG SUCH AS RSELL T. DAVI’ HIGH-ENERGY, HIGH-LOUR TV DRAMA IT’S A S[4]PETER HOAR, IT’S A S, 2021. WHICH, UNLIKE THE NORMAL HEART, PLACE THE AIDS EPIMIC THE MIDDLE OF A MUNY FOR WHOM LIVG AND DYG ARE MORE THAN TELLECTUAL OR ACTIVIST PURSUS? DAVI SPOKE OF THE ‘JOY OF REPRENTATN,[5]NICK LEVE AND RSELL T. DAVI, ‘IT’S A S CREATOR RSELL T DAVI: “CAST GAY AS GAY”’, ANOTHER, 20 JANUARY 2021, … SEE MORE THE IA THAT IS THE SUBJECTS OF A STORY THAT N REPRODUCE BT AND PERHAPS THE FACT THAT THE ST OF HIS TV SERI BEME CULTURAL GAY INS FOR THE INSTAGRAM GENERATN ATTTS TO THIS. BUT IT’S A S SHOWS SOMETHG THAT THE INHERANCE DON’T AND THAT THE NORMAL HEART NARROWLY SHI AWAY OM: PICTS THE NFED ATH DRIVE THAT LED THE BEHAVUR OF SOME GAY MEN AMID ALL THE CHAOS, LOSS, PA, AND FEAR OF THE AIDS EPIMIC. IN DAVI’ ACUNT, THE GAY MEN ARE FOR THE MOST PART LEFT TO DO THE DANCG, FUCKG, AND DYG, WHILE THE RE AND ACTIVISM IS THE DOMA OF THE STRAIGHT FEMALE IEND.IT’S A S, DIR. RSELL T. DAVI, 2021.HOUELLEBECQ’S SUGGTN THAT SEXUAL TRANSMISSN IS A CULTURALLY ‘REEMG’ FEATURE OF A VIS MAY PLAY TO THE IA OF THE ATH DRIVE, A NCEPT VELOPED BY FRD AS STANDG OPPOSN TO EROS, THE PROPENSY TOWARDS REPRODUCTN AND SURVIVAL.[6]SIGMUND FRD, BEYOND THE PLEASURE PRCIPLE, TRANS. C. J. M. HUBBACK, 4 (LONDON, VIENNA: THE INTERNATNAL PSYCHO-ANALYTIL LIBRARY, 1922), . FRD EXPLAED THE ATH DRIVE BY REFERENCE TO TRMAS LIKE WAR OR SIMPLY CHARACTERISED AS A PATHOLOGY, BUT HE WAS NOT NCERNED WH HOMOSEXUALY HERE. IN HIS TERMS, HOWEVER, THE GAY EXPERIENCE LI AT THE VERY MUTUAL NTRADICTN OF ATH AND EROS: GAY SEX, A MANIFTATN OF THE LIFE-AFFIRMG DRIVE SHARED BY MOST HUMANS, DO NOT ULTIMATELY LEAD TO PROCREATN AND THEREFORE FORHADOWS THE END OF A GEIC LE. FOR UNTLS GAY MEN, WHETHER PARTICIPATG SEXUAL REPRODUCTN BY OTHER MEANS, GAY LIFE MEANT SOCIAL OSTRACISM AND PERSECUTN, ANOTHER FORM OF EXTCTN. NO FUTURETHE BLOGIL AND SOCIAL NDNS WERE FORCE LONG BEFORE AIDS, ALTHOUGH PERHAPS THE EPIMIC WAS THE LAST MOMENT WHEN THE GAY ATH DRIVE ULD TAKE A CISIVE CULTURAL TURN. IN HIS THEORISATN OF THE QUEER ATH DRIVE NO FUTURE,[7]LEE ELMAN, NO FUTURE: QUEER THEORY AND THE DEATH DRIVE, SERI Q (DURHAM: DE UNIVERSY PRS, 2004). LEE ELMAN ARGU THAT NOT ENOUGH ATTENTN WAS PAID TO THE ‘CULTURE OF ATH’. WHEN HE C KRAMER’S LL “TO REFE HOMOSEXUALY AS SOMETHG FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WE DO WH OUR GENALS”,[8]LARRY KRAMER, ‘GAY CULTURE, REFED’, NEW YORK TIM, 12 DECEMBER 1997. HE FDS NAïVE THE IMPLITN THAT GAY MEN SHOULD RETURN TO BEG UNRSTOOD AS ‘ARTISTIC’ OR ‘GENTLE, LOVG PEOPLE’ WORTHY OF MUNG WH EROS. WHERE THE ATH DRIVE FOUND REGNN AND EVABLY SPIRALLED OUT OF NTROL WAS THE LENS OF THE NEWS MERA. ELMAN RELLS THAT THE STORY OF ANDREW CUNANAN, A “GAY CLUB KID TURNED SERIAL KILLER OF (MOSTLY) GAY MEN” WHO CLUD GIANNI VERSACE GAVE THE MEDIA A SORT OF ECSTATIC JOUISSANCE. ONE MENTATOR OBSERVED THAT BEE “YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE E FACE TO FACE WH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR OWN LIV ARE BLIGHTED AND DOOMED”, THEY WOULD “NOW WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE SH OF KILLG MORE TRADNAL WAYS.”[9]ELMAN, NO FUTURE, CHAP. 2.AND OM HERE, ’S ONLY A SHORT TRIP TO THE LIK OF DENNIS COOPER, WHOSE NOVELS ARE FILLED WH ACTS OF SEXUAL CELTY THAT WOULD TURN JEAN GE’S STOMACH. COOPER’S ANTIHERO MAKE ATH THE MOST EXPLIC AND IRRISTIBLE OF APHRODISIACS AND FOR MANY OF THEM, THE ACT OF KILLG IS SYNONYMO WH BEG KILLED. I AM AGA, HOWEVER, AGA UNABLE TO JUDGE THE HISTORGRAPHIC VALUE OF SUCH FICTNS, PART BEE THE NAM OF COOPER’S CHARACTERS FRISK,[10]DENNIS COOPER, FRISK (NEW YORK: GROVE PRS, 1992). THAT OF THE SERIAL KILLER DENNIS AND OF HIS WOULD-BE VICTIM HTLER PIERRE, BEAR AN OUTSIZED SENTIMENTAL SIGNIFINCE FOR ME. NO WONR THAT FRENCH, THE ASM IS REFERRED TO AS UNE PETE MORT. TODD VEROW’S 1995 FILM ADAPTATN OF THE NOVEL, THANKFULLY, CHANG SOME OF THE NAM TO MAKE FOR A MMERISG EXPONENT OF THE ATH DRIVE; EVEN THOUGH (OR BEE) MAK NO MENTN OF AIDS, OFFERS A CLEARER AND ALARMGLY PELLG SIGHT TO THE THRILL OF SEXUAL ANNIHILATN THAN ANY OF THE MASTREAM REPRENTATNS.[11]TODD VEROW, FRISK, 1995. TRAILER FOR TODD VEROW’S ADAPTATN OF DENNIS COOPER’S ‘FRISK’, 1995.MURR IS A MORAL TRANSGRSN RERVED FOR ONLY A FEW. AIDS, ON THE OTHER HAND, MA THE EXULTED ACT OF SACRIFICE OR KILLG ACCSIBLE TO ALL. FOR MANY YEARS, THE UNRGROUND CULTURE OF BUG-CHASG, THAT IS OF HIV-NEGATIVE MEN LIBERATELY SEEKG UNPROTECTED SEX TO BEE FECTED WH THE VIS, HORRIFIED ONLOOKERS. WHO THEIR RIGHT MD WOULD SEEK TO NTRACT HIV? DOCUMENTARI LIKE THE GIFT[12]LOUISE HOGARTH, THE GIFT, DOCUMENTARY (DREAM OUT LOUD PRODUCTNS, 2003), . MA EXPLIC THE SURPRISGLY WISPREAD NATURE OF THE PRACTICE: WASN’T JT A GE ‘KK’ FAR OFF TO THE SI OF THE KSEY SLE. INSTEAD, ALL THE PREDICTNS THAT FRD AND LATER LAN MA CHECKED OUT AND AS MUCH AS PART OF THE BUG-CHASG PHENOMENON WAS DRIVEN BY ABANDON RPONSE TO GENERALISED ANXIETY, ANOTHER PART OF WAS EXTRIBLY NNECTED TO S EROTIC APPEAL. RISK IS HOT. LOUISE HOGARTH, THE GIFT, DOCUMENTARY (DREAM OUT LOUD PRODUCTNS, 2003)IN THE PAST , NCERNS OVER THE SPREAD OF HIV HAVE FAD TO THE BACKGROUND AS THE KEY POLIL NCERNS OF THE GAY MUNY. THE AVAILABILY OF PREP, THE NOW NEAR UNAFFECTED LIFE EXPECTANCY OF HIV-POSIVE MEN, AND THE NFIRMATN THAT WELL-MANAGED FECTNS DO NOT TRANSFER DURG SEX MEAN THAT THAT HIV HAS BEE PART OF A GENERAL BACKGROUND OF SEXUAL HEALTH THE GAY POPULATN. SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF GAY LIV IS HIGHER THAN EVER. MY GENERATN OF GAY MEN THAT ONLY GLANCED AT THE EARLIER CRIS PASSG IS NOW BY THKG ABOUT MORTGAG AND MARRIAG. NOT MANY APPEAR TO HAVE YET NONTED THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NOT PRODUCE OFFSPRG. ELMAN FOLLOWS BDRILLARD SUGGTG THAT THE LACK OF REPRODUCTIVE VARIATN NTRIBUT TO A STATE OF STALE SAMENS. I EXPECT, HOWEVER, THAT THE ABOVE-AVERAGE OWNERSHIP OF PET DOGS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED AMONG GAY MEN IS ONLY PART OF AN ONGOG TRANSN TO AN EXISTENCE WHERE EVEN THE REPRODUCTIVE ASPECT OF THE GAY ATH DRIVE TO AN END, EVEN IF IS THROUGH SIMULACRAL REPRODUCTN. IT’S NOT AS THOUGH, AS NA POWER OBSERV,[13]NA POWER, NON-REPRODUCTIVE FUTURISM: RANCIèRE’S RATNAL EQUALY AGAST ELMAN’S BODY APOLIC. BORRLANDS, JACQU RANCIèRE ON THE SHOR OF QUEER THEORY, 8, NO. 2 … SEE MORE CHILDREN ARE SYNONYMO WH POLICS.PART OF A ER PROFILE ON THE HGE DATG APPTHE STRAIGHT TVADAWAS THE ATH DRIVE A PRODUCT OF CIRCUMSTANC THAT AFFLICTED GAY MEN FOR CULTURAL REASONS OR IS SOMEHOW ALIENABLE TO MALE HOMOSEXUALY? ASSUMG THAT FRD’S GENERALISED DIAGNOSIS WAS RRECT, WHERE DO THE DRIVE MANIFT SELF WHEN THE GAY MAN GAS MORE SATISFACTN AS A PERFECTLY FORMED NEOLIBERAL SUBJECT THAN AS A SACRIFICIAL FANTASIST? IN THE DIS VIO UBI: THE STRAIGHT TVADA,[14]DIS, UBI: THE STRAIGHT TVADA, 2018, VIO, 4’52″, 2018, . CHRISTOPHER GLAZEK PARED PREP TO THE NTRACEPTIVE IUD THAT PROMISED WOMEN LIBERATN OM THE EVABILY OF REPRODUCTIVE BLOGY, AT THE ST OF TURNG THEM TO ENOMIC SUBJECTS. “WHAT GOOD IS A SEXUAL REVOLUTN WHOUT AN ENOMIC ONE?” THE PSIMISM OF THE EMERGENT GENERATN OF ANTI-PALIST ACTIVISTS REPRENTED BY GRETA THUNBERG’S MPAIGN FRIDAYS FOR THE FUTURE WHICH BIZARRELY SE THE FUTURE THE BLEAKT OF TERMS SUGGTS THAT YOUR ‘THE END IS NIGH’ PLARD MAY STILL E HANDY. BUT WHEREAS THUNBERG’S PERFORMANCE OF THE ATH DRIVE IS INSTAGRAM-IENDLY, THE GAY ATH DRIVE WAS SENTIALLY A CLANSTE, CLOSETED AFFAIR. DIS, UBI: THE STRAIGHT TVADA, 2018, VIO, 4’52″, 2018,PERHAPS THE GAY MAN’S ATH DRIVE HAS MIGRATED TO OTHER ARENAS OF QUEER CULTURE. IF KRAMER’S UNAMBIGUO FEAR OF ATH HAS ONGOG CULTURAL RELEVANCE, MAY BE THE IMAGATN OF A NEW GENERATN OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY. THIS FORCIBLY ASSEMBLED POLIL MUNY, DISTCT MANY DIMENSNS OM THE EARLIER GENERATNS OF LGB RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, SEEMS UNED BY THE BELIEF THAT S MEMBERS ARE SUBJECT TO MORE EXTREME THREATS THAN S PRECSORS. REPORTS OF HATE CRIM ABOUND AND NTRIBUTE TO THE UNRSTANDG THAT THE RISK OF HARM IS AN ALIENABLE PART OF BELONGG.[15]LIBBY BROOKS AND JSI MURRAY, ‘SPATE OF ATTACKS ACROSS UK SPARKS FEAR AMONG LGBTQ+ COMMUNY’, THE GUARDIAN, 29 AUGT 2021, SEC. UK NEWS, … SEE MORE WHEN TO ATH, IS TRANS ACTIVISTS WHO POT TO THE SHOCKG NUMBER OF MURRS (43 THE FIRST TEN MONTHS OF 2021 THE US ALONE)[16]TDY RG, ‘HERE ARE THE 43 TRANS AMERINS KILLED 2021 SO FAR’, ADVOTE, 31 OCTOBER 2021, . WHICH ONE RECENTLY SCRIBED AS A ‘HOLOT’.[17]GREAME MASSIE, ‘WHISTLEBLOWER AND TRANSPARENT CREATOR JOS HUNDREDS NETFLIX WALKOUT’, THE INPENNT, 20 OCTOBER 2021, SEC. CULTURE, … SEE MOREDEATH, PERFORMEDTO ECHO THE QUTN I POSED TO BUG-CHASG GAY MEN: WHO THEIR RIGHT MD WOULD DARE TO PUT THEMSELV AT SUCH GREAT RISK? IT TAK NO GREAT VTIGATIVE EFFORT, HOWEVER, TO UNRSTAND THAT THIS NEW QUEER ATH DRIVE IS THE MOST BDRILLARDIAN OF SIMULATNS: THE HARMS AND ATHS MOURNED BY SURVIVORS OFTEN ACT AS MERE SYMBOLS FOR EVENTS THAT MAY AS WELL NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE. STORI OF HATE CRIME ARE RARELY ACPANIED BY NTEXT, SUCH AS THE RECENT CHANG STATISTIL METHODS FOR RERDG WHAT ARE FACT CLG RAT OF HATE CRIME THE UK,[18]‘HATE CRIME, ENGLAND AND WAL, 2019 TO 2020’ (HOME OFFICE, 28 OCTOBER 2020), NOR DO THEY RRELATE WH SURVEYS OF CREASGLY LIBERAL SOCIAL ATTUS.[19]EIR NOLSOE, ‘INTERNATNAL SURVEY: HOW SUPPORTIVE WOULD BRONS BE OF A FAY MEMBER COMG OUT?’, YOUGOV, 31 AUGT 2021, . A CURSORY GOOGLE NEWS SEARCH OF THE NAM OF TRANS MURR VICTIMS REVEALS THAT THE VAST MAJORY DIED FOR THE VERY SAME REASONS THAT CIS-GENRED PEOPLE DO: DGS, ROBBERI, CRIM OF PASSN, SEX WORK AND THAT THEY DIE AT RAT LOWER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATN.[20]GEA LEE, ‘FACTCHECK: HOW MANY TRANS PEOPLE ARE MURRED THE UK?’, CHANNEL 4 NEWS, 23 NOVEMBER 2018, . WHERE A MOTIVE IS INTIFIED AS HOMO- OR TRANSPHOBIA, STICKS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB. THE GAY MUNY HAS BEEN PLIC PERPETUATG SIAR FICTNS TOO, FOR EXAMPLE, BY CLGG TO THE MEMORY OF THE INIC 1998 HOMOPHOBIC MURR OF MATTHEW SHEPARD SPE THE SIGNIFINT EVINCE FOR S MORE QUOTIDIAN MOTIV OF DGS AND BT.[21]STEPHEN JIMENEZ, THE BOOK OF MATT: HIDN TTHS ABOUT THE MURR OF MATTHEW SHEPARD (HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: STEERFORTH PRS, 2013). LIKEWISE, MANY MAY REFE TO ACCEPT THAT THE 2016 PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTER OMAR MATEEN DID NOT SEEK OUT GAY MEN FOR HIS TARGETS.[22]JANE COASTON, ‘NEW EVINCE SHOWS THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG WASN’T ABOUT ANTI-LGBTQ HATE’, VOX, 5 APRIL 2018, . EVEN IF SEEMGLY UNSTOPPABLE ATHS HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN MYTHS AS KRAMER’S PLAY BTERLY ATTTS AND ALL ARE TRAGIC, THE LACK OF A PARTICULAR ‘HATE’ OR BLOGIL E THAT UNRLI THEM SHOULD BRG SOME MUTED RELIEF.MATTHEW SHEPARDMUCH HAS BEEN WRTEN ABOUT THE PLOYMENT OF VULNERABILY THE INTY POLICS OF THE LGBTQ+ MUNY, SOMETIM NEEDLSLY BATIVE TERMS,[23]MADISON SMH, ‘NEHER MARGALISED, ABED NOR VULNERABLE’, THE CRIC MAGAZE, 21 OCTOBER 2021, . AND IS NO FAR STRETCH TO SUGGT THAT A ATH DRIVE SIMULATN IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR CREATG MUNY BONDS AND ENSURG A BROADLY EMPATHETIC HEARG THE PUBLIC SPHERE. BUT AS ELMAN AND GLAZEK SUGGT, THE SEXUALISED NATURE OF TODAY’S PERFORMED ATH DRIVE IS A DISTRACTN OM THE REALY OF THE NEXT OBSTACLE WH WHICH THE DIVIDUALISED SEXUAL SUBJECTS MT NTEND. THE PERFORMANCE ALSO RISKS GRAG A KD OF FANTILE ROMANTICISM THE AT-RISK SUBJECT, PATG THEM AS SOMEONE PABLE OF FLIRTG WH ATH FOR EVERYONE’S ENTERTAMENT. THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THIS HISTORY SHOULD PERHAPS BE WRTEN BY MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ.EVEN IF MY PERSONAL AND LIMED READG OF A HISTORY TO WHICH I BARELY BORE WNS, ONE MOTIVE SEEMS UNCHANGED: THE HETERONORMATIVE LIBERAL DREAM OF A UNTRY HOE AND A LIFE FILLED WH LOVE UNRP THE NORMAL HEART AS MUCH AS THEY REPRENT THE SIR OF TODAY’S LGBTQ+ ACTIVISTS. IN KRAMER, THE ONLY CHARACTER WHO IS ALLOWED TO REMA APOLIL IS NED’S PARTNER, AN ATTRACTIVE AND SUCCSFUL FASHN MENTATOR. IRONILLY, HE’S THE ONLY ONE WE GET TO SEE DIE ON STAGE. MA IMAGE: LIZ CARR AND BEN DANIELS THE NORMAL HEART, NATNAL THEATRE, 2021. PHOTO HELEN MAYBANKS.NOT[+]NOT⇡1‘WORLD WILL BE SAME BUT WORSE AFTER “BANAL” VIS, SAYS HOUELLEBECQ’, FRANCE 24, 4 MAY 2020, ⇡2DAVID WOJNAROWICZ, CLOSE TO THE KNIV: A MEMOIR OF DISTEGRATN (NEW YORK: VTAGE BOOKS, 1991).⇡3DEREK JARMAN, BLUE, 1993.⇡4PETER HOAR, IT’S A S, 2021.⇡5NICK LEVE AND RSELL T. DAVI, ‘IT’S A S CREATOR RSELL T DAVI: “CAST GAY AS GAY”’, ANOTHER, 20 JANUARY 2021, ⇡6SIGMUND FRD, BEYOND THE PLEASURE PRCIPLE, TRANS. C. J. M. HUBBACK, 4 (LONDON, VIENNA: THE INTERNATNAL PSYCHO-ANALYTIL LIBRARY, 1922), .⇡7LEE ELMAN, NO FUTURE: QUEER THEORY AND THE DEATH DRIVE, SERI Q (DURHAM: DE UNIVERSY PRS, 2004).⇡8LARRY KRAMER, ‘GAY CULTURE, REFED’, NEW YORK TIM, 12 DECEMBER 1997.⇡9ELMAN, NO FUTURE, CHAP. 2.⇡10DENNIS COOPER, FRISK (NEW YORK: GROVE PRS, 1992).⇡11TODD VEROW, FRISK, 1995.⇡12LOUISE HOGARTH, THE GIFT, DOCUMENTARY (DREAM OUT LOUD PRODUCTNS, 2003), .⇡13NA POWER, NON-REPRODUCTIVE FUTURISM: RANCIèRE’S RATNAL EQUALY AGAST ELMAN’S BODY APOLIC. BORRLANDS, JACQU RANCIèRE ON THE SHOR OF QUEER THEORY, 8, NO. 2 (2009). .⇡14DIS, UBI: THE STRAIGHT TVADA, 2018, VIO, 4’52″, 2018, .⇡15LIBBY BROOKS AND JSI MURRAY, ‘SPATE OF ATTACKS ACROSS UK SPARKS FEAR AMONG LGBTQ+ COMMUNY’, THE GUARDIAN, 29 AUGT 2021, SEC. UK NEWS, ⇡16TDY RG, ‘HERE ARE THE 43 TRANS AMERINS KILLED 2021 SO FAR’, ADVOTE, 31 OCTOBER 2021, .⇡17GREAME MASSIE, ‘WHISTLEBLOWER AND TRANSPARENT CREATOR JOS HUNDREDS NETFLIX WALKOUT’, THE INPENNT, 20 OCTOBER 2021, SEC. CULTURE, L.⇡18‘HATE CRIME, ENGLAND AND WAL, 2019 TO 2020’ (HOME OFFICE, 28 OCTOBER 2020), ⇡19EIR NOLSOE, ‘INTERNATNAL SURVEY: HOW SUPPORTIVE WOULD BRONS BE OF A FAY MEMBER COMG OUT?’, YOUGOV, 31 AUGT 2021, .⇡20GEA LEE, ‘FACTCHECK: HOW MANY TRANS PEOPLE ARE MURRED THE UK?’, CHANNEL 4 NEWS, 23 NOVEMBER 2018, .⇡21STEPHEN JIMENEZ, THE BOOK OF MATT: HIDN TTHS ABOUT THE MURR OF MATTHEW SHEPARD (HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE: STEERFORTH PRS, 2013).⇡22JANE COASTON, ‘NEW EVINCE SHOWS THE PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTG WASN’T ABOUT ANTI-LGBTQ HATE’, VOX, 5 APRIL 2018, .⇡23MADISON SMH, ‘NEHER MARGALISED, ABED NOR VULNERABLE’, THE CRIC MAGAZE, 21 OCTOBER 2021, .WRGGENR, HEALTH, LGBT, REVIEWJO MY NEWSLETTERIF YOU’RE ENJOYG MY WORK, SIGN UP FOR OCSNAL UPDAT. PIERRE D'ALANISEZ
My generatn of gay men has no memory bee never unrstood the generatn that left a mere riture as a historil rerd. * death homosexual drive *
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While the ath of a person intifyg as heterosexual is generally felt as unbearable, that of a person intifyg as homosexual is experienced as bearable. Based on field rearch nducted Cameroon, this article analys the way which ntemporary Central Ain societi experience the ath of persons intifyg as homosexual.
Drawg on Grg Agamben's notn of homo sacer, the article argu that, as a rult of the pervasivens of anti-homosexual iologi and procreatnist doctr promotg valis moralis or the ethics of life, childls persons intifyg as homosexuals have bee ‘hom sacri’ whose aths aroe ltle grief om the muny bee their existence was perceived as ‘bare’ or els even before their ath.