Mainstreamed into Oblivion? LGBTIQ+ Cultures in the UK Today Rainer Emig (University of Mainz)
The State of Things her bisexuality, is a typical example.
n 2014 marriage was opened up to same- he present essay wishes to shed Isex couples in England, Scotland, and Tsome light on the background Wales (though not in Northern Ireland). and consequences of this seeming This seemingly final amelioration after normalisation, but it also wants to centuries of legal discrimination against challenge it. The challenges come from at lesbian and gay people was greeted least three trajectories. Firstly, how ‘real’ is with much public and media attention. this normalisation? If being gay, lesbian, Prominent couples, first and foremost or bisexual is now considered normal, how the old stalwart Elton John, who – since does one explain the following Guardian his somewhat torturous coming out in report from 12 December 2018? 1988 – has become a figurehead of the LGB 16- to 21-year-olds are four times Gay and Lesbian Rights Movement, more likely to have felt depressed, but also younger celebrities, such as the harmed themselves and thought about diver Tom Daley, have since tied the killing themselves, according to a study knot and even fathered children with based on interviews with 4,800 young people from in and around Bristol. the aid of surrogate mothers. Lesbian relationships are still much less frequently xperts said the numbers were linked reported in the media, but if they are, Eto the bullying, stigma and abuse they are now generally portrayed as that some young people experience as a perfectly acceptable and even as adding result of their sexuality. (Campbell 2018) glamour to a personality. The media history of the model and actress Cara econdly, does this supposed Delevingne, who actively publicises Snormalisation only have positive Page 48 Hard Times 102 (2/2018) Rainer Emig effects? Does it not also lead to the The Impact of the Social Media and disappearance of the dissenting groups the Supposed Death of the Gay Bar in the eyes of the public and therefore to a decreasing awareness of their ays, lesbians and bisexuals spend remaining problems? Thirdly, is being Gmore time on the Internet than gay and lesbian perhaps now the ‘new other groups of the population (Harness normal’, while other forms of sexuality, 2017). This is also true for Britain. In e.g. those labelled queer, or other gender terms of visibility and lifestyle, though, issues, such as those of transgender this contributes both to integration and and transsexuality, have moved to the to the increasing invisibility that was forefront of debates? After all, a BBC suspected of being the accompaniment report from 7 August 2017 already of this assimilation into the supposed mentions a remarkable rise of British mainstream. Old meeting places, be they children experiencing unhappiness with illegal or semi-legal, such as cottages their biological sex and social gender: (public toilets used for sex by gay men), swimming pools and saunas (again, mainly In the last two years, the number of the haunt of gay men and sometimes children aged 10 or under who were marketed exclusively at them), but also referred to the NHS because they were unhappy with their biological gender cafes, bars, and restaurants catering has risen from 87 to 216, including 32 exclusively for LGBTIQ+ people, are aged five or under over the last year. It on the decline. London and Manchester is something psychologists at the trust were traditionally the most LGBTIQ+- admit surprised them. They say it is impossible to know for sure why so friendly metropolises in Britain, though many more children are being referred, most other cities had a quarter or at least but that it is clear there is much greater a pub catering for non-heterosexuals. awareness and acceptance in society for When rural Gloucester lost its only young people to be able to talk about questioning their gender. (Bell 2017) gay bar in 2015, this even provoked a headline in The Independent: “What xamples illustrating these issues happens when a county of 590,000 Ewill cover the realm of the media, people loses its only gay bar? That’s what education, but also information has just happened in Gloucestershire concerning the daily ‘infrastructure’ – but do we need them any more?” of non-heteronormative lives, e.g. (Lusher 2015). The second half of the meeting points, pubs, bars, etc. headline refers exactly to the questions of normalisation and assimilation raised above. Brighton remains another hotspot of LGBTIQ+ life, as does
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(remarkably) the West Yorkshire market are now ‘LGBTIQ+-friendly’ rather town of Hebden Bridge for lesbians. than exclusively gay, lesbian or whatever, which is, of course, also a n London and Manchester, the areas result of considerable rent increases. Iaround Old Compton Street in Soho and Canal Street respectively became hat Soho is not the only place party heavens for the LGBTIQ+ crowd Tin London where LGBTIQ+
Leeds Pride © Bryan Ledgard on weekends. Yet once the British original life takes place, and that the decline of the TV series Queer as Folk (Channel through the impact of the social 4, 1999-2000) had begun to promote the media and ever rising overheads is not supposed excesses around Canal Street, an inevitable destiny, however, was the area also started swarming with strongly emphasised in a comprehensive heterosexual revellers eager to participate assessment by King’s College London in the fun. Stag and hen parties began in 2016. It questioned both customers taking over, and with them the decline and proprietors of LGBTIQ+ venues of LGBTIQ+ life began. The Manchester throughout London in a study entitled Evening News, in a line of reports that “LGBTQI Nightlife in London from started as early as 2011, printed an 1986 to the Present: Interim Findings” article with the headline “There are fears (“I” stands for “intersex” in this use of the Gay Village is losing its identity” the acronym). In the survey one reads: (Williams 2018) on 28 June 2018. A strong misconception is that LGBTQI nightlife in London equates to ‘gay bars’, ondon’s ‘bermuda triangle’ in and more specifically, to Soho. This is a LSoho proved little more resistant sign of the success of Soho as a branded to such a straight ‘touristification’, so ‘gay village’ or ‘gaybourhood’: an that even there pubs and restaurants important super cluster of bars, clubs and
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other businesses. But it overlooks the way asexual, pansexual, kinks, i.e. fetishes; in which LGBTQI nightlife, in its diverse some of these labels have multiple forms, has been dispersed across the capital and integrated into the fabric of meanings, such as queer or questioning, many neighbourhoods and communities. pansexual or polyamorous), before Our surveys and mapping of venues and homogenizing them again for marketing events has emphasised that London is purposes also goes hand in hand with distinctive because of the diversity of its LGBTQI nightlife scenes: surely the the virtualisation of sexual dissidence. most diverse in the world. The range of Dating platforms such as Grindr cater spaces in which LGBTQI nightlife is largely for a gay crowd and are infamous accommodated – from shopping centres for their superficiality: if your profile to theatres and art galleries – is remarkably picture lacks sex appeal, one swipe to the wide. (Campkin & Marshall 2016) left will eliminate you from the game. he opening up towards straight (Its lesbian equivalent Her is much less Tcustomers as well as the contradictory known.) One could argue that this does tendency of first differentiating formerly not differ much from chat-up at the bar ‘deviant’ sexualities into ever increasing in former times, but a pub visit at least identities (the longest acronym I could granted the visitor some minutes to view the scene and display her- or himself. The old staple of politically aware gay activism, the Gay Times (founded as early as 1984), is now more of a showbiz and lifestyle magazine, as is its competitor, the glossy magazine Attitude (founded in 1994). Is LGBTIQ+ existence thus, as many of its critics assume, nowadays merely a lifestyle choice?
any of these old as well as new Minformation sources as well as dating scenes and devices were and are geared towards gay men. (The lesbian magazine Diva, for instance, is only Traditional Gay Pub in Old Compton Street, London available online and not in print.) © Stephanie Sumner Lesbians have traditionally relied on less commercial and public means of networking. This stems from the long- find reads LGBTQIAPK+ (lesbian, gay, established invisibility of lesbians under bisexual, transsexual, queer, intersexual,
Page 51 Hard Times 102 (2/2018) Mainstreamed into Oblivion? patriarchy (see e.g Franzen 2000). This standalone bar for the lesbian community, has also led to the historical fact that sexual with fresh decor and an indoor garden, acts between consenting women have this is a great place during the week to never been criminalised in the United hang out with girlfriends.” But even the Kingdom – largely because previous eras gay contingent is subject to the strategic could not imagine that what happened opening up towards a straight clientele between women could be sexual, if they that was observed above: “A cafe by did not dispute the existence of sexuality day, club by night, Dalston Superstore in ‘healthy’ women altogether. The is a vibrant and trendy hub for gay and Women’s Liberation Movement of the straight party people in east London, 1960s onwards then produced politicised and one of the area’s best clubbing women’s groups in which many lesbians hotspots” (“Lesbian and Gay Bars” n.d.) found a home – to the degree that haters of women’s emancipation often ow one could rightly argue that the denounced all feminists as lesbians. Nopening up of venues for a broader slice of the population is really a step n terms of a commercial infrastructure, in the direction of normalisation and Ilesbians have always fared much worse acceptability. Yet even if this is so, it also than gay men, and it remains a bone of leads to the disappearance of what used contention if this is because lesbians do to be sub-cultural and counter-cultural not like bars and prefer private places of about LGBTIQ+-life in Britain and encounter or if the commercial scene has elsewhere. Normalisation here means regularly excluded them as customers. assimilation into a commercialised An official London’s tourist webpage, mainstream in the same way that visitlondon.com, sports an entire originally highly political Pride marches category labelled “Lesbian and gay bars (usually tracing their lineage back to the and clubs in London” (note the order of Christopher Street riot commencing adjectives!), which continues with the in the Stonewall Inn in Christopher opener “There’s a huge choice of lesbian Street in Greenwich, New York City, and gay bars in London, from relaxed on 28 June 1969 after a particularly drinking spots, to lively DJ bars and gay nasty police raid) have become week- nightclubs”. If one browses the listed or indeed (as in London) month-long locations, though, one finds exactly one tourist events. Visitlondon.com has now lesbian location, and even that is not reduced “Pride in London” to the catchy exclusively so: “She Soho, primarily slogan “Celebrate the diversity of the a ladies bar (although gentlemen LGBT+ community with the colourful are welcome with female guests). A Pride in London Parade through central
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London, free festivities in Trafalgar Old Hostilities, New Enemies? Square and city-wide events.” Even if one reads on, there is no mention of ow that the supposed mainstream reasons behind the event. Perhaps it has Nhas embraced lesbians, gays, and indeed shed its political origins, at least bisexuals, and increasingly, though in as far as glossy surface and professional often problematic ways, transsexuals, old organisation are concerned, and all that and new fault lines keep (re-)emerging. In is left is entertainment and commerce: the same way as the Women’s Movement of the 1960s onwards often regarded gay Join the party as thousands of people of men as problematic allies – because they all genders, sexualities, races and faith were, after all, men and all too frequently come together every year for Pride in London. Pride in London celebrates the pretty patriarchal ones at that -, the capital’s LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, new “genderqueer” representatives of a trans +) community with a programme younger generation often view gay men of events showcasing LGBT+ culture, – and to a lesser degree lesbians, but, including theatre, dance, art, cinema, parties and activities across the city. interestingly, never transsexuals – as the (“Pride in London” 2018)
t is to a large degree Ithis party connotation (together with a liberal display of skin) that has made Gay Pride events known – and often given them a bad name, even among LGBTIQ+ people themselves. People who do not fit the image, perhaps because they are conventionally U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom Matthew less attractive and fit, over a certain age, Barzun and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan along with senior members of the Pride in London team during a or simply not into mindless partying, photo call before the parade at Pride in London 2016 easily feel excluded from such events © Katy Blackwood and thus also sidelined by the LGBTIQ+ community that should by right be theirs. enemy. “Genderqueer” or “non-binary” stands for the rejection of the traditional male/female and masculine/feminine
Page 53 Hard Times 102 (2/2018) Mainstreamed into Oblivion? binary in sex and gender. Yet if this is provides an interesting list of types of so, why do genderqueer activists not also discrimination, which runs as follows: criticise lesbians, and why are trans people generally exempt from their critique? Types of discrimination (‘protected After all, most of them transition exactly characteristics’) between the two sexes that the non- It is against the law to discriminate against binary movement wishes to overcome. anyone because of: he reason for making gay men • age (and now increasingly also more T • gender reassignment traditional lesbians) their target lies • being married or in a civil partnership largely in their assumed success in having • being pregnant or on maternity leave reached the mainstream. Many gay men • disability and also some lesbians have indeed • race including colour, nationality, ethnic successfully reached the highest pinnacle or national origin of social esteem, and not merely in • religion or belief their traditional enclaves of the arts and • sex show business. The list of LGBTIQ+ • sexual orientation (“Discrimination” n.d.) members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords (“List of LGBT+ In it, sexual orientation has equal status Politicians” 2019) is impressive in its with pregnancy, and is even preceded current sections, and they hail from all by “gender reassignment” (the logic political parties (though men are, as of the list’s arrangement is intriguing). usual, overrepresented). Ruth Davidson, the Leader of the Scottish Conservative hat discrimination against sexual Party, is a lesbian, the current leader of Tminorities is still a daily fact is Plaid Cymru, the Party of Wales, Adam especially true for individuals living Price is gay, as, on John Bull’s other island, outside bigger cities, but also in stricter is the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. religious or ethnic communities. Their problems have not gone away, and neither hat this view disregards is, of has the common bullying of non-straight- course, that many gay men as well W identifying youngsters in schools, as as lesbian women, bi- and transsexuals the opening statistic of the three times still live at least part of their lives in higher suicide rate among homosexual the closet, out of an often justifiable teens amply illustrates. In fact, if one fear of negative discrimination in the trails the Internet for famous UK gays workplace and in their communities. and lesbians, one still ends up with a list The UK government’s own website now
Page 54 Hard Times 102 (2/2018) Rainer Emig that largely consists of writers and media (1970), who refused to accept trans- personalities – and remarkably few women as real women (Greer 2015). women (“Famous Homosexuals” 2019). n the not so distant past, churches hat many so-called genderqueer Iand schools and many parents taught Tactivists are not homosexual, but their children that being lesbian, gay, set out to challenge gender and sexual or transsexual was an aberration, and norms that they themselves hardly touch the persons identifying as such best on in their personal practice, is another avoided. The infamous Clause or problem posed by this movement and Section 28 of the Local Government perhaps explains its often doctrinal Act, introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s expressions.1 Indeed, non-binary Conservative government in 1988 (and identities are, in contrast to same-sex only repealed in 2000 in Scotland and marriages, not recognised by British 2003 in the rest of the United Kingdom, law. The Gender Recognition Act of excluding Kent) stated, after all, that 2004 permits individuals to change A local authority shall not (a) their legal gender if they are able to intentionally promote homosexuality provide supporting testimonies from or publish material with the intention two health professionals, but only of promoting homosexuality; between male and female. In Germany, (b) promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability a change in law from December 2018 of homosexuality as a pretended family makes it possible to opt for “diverse” relationship. (“Section 28” 1988) now, without any backup requirements. A further complication is presented by he current educational trend in-fighting between a strange alliance Tin Britain, however, clearly of supposedly radical lesbians and anti- represents a complete turnaround. trans activists. At Gay Pride London in In November 2018, the Guardian 2018, a group of so-called Terfs (trans- reported, “Scotland to embed LGBTI exclusionary radical feminists) disrupted teaching across curriculum” (Brocks the parade. “The small group carried 2018), an article that also claimed banners and flyers stating ‘transactivism that “In May, the Welsh government erases lesbians’ and describing the trans announced an overhaul of relationship movement as ‘anti-lesbianism’” (Gabatiss and sex education in schools, with plans 2018). One of the origins of the dispute to make the subject LGBT inclusive was a statement by the first-generation and embed it across the curriculum Australian-born feminist Germaine rather than teaching it separately.” Greer, author of The Female Eunuch
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Trans Rights Protesters © AnemoneProjectors
he conservative press, as is to be the wheel by denouncing feminists as Texpected, never tires of reporting the “feminazis”, a term attributed to the latest ‘over-the-top’ idea of progressive US radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh, schools vis-à-vis diversity education. but one that also disgraces the headlines A typical article, here from the Daily of the Daily Mail (see, for instance, Telegraph of 6 September 2017, carries Taylor & Payne 2015). The same not the headline “School bans skirts to make so silent masses that have very likely uniform ‘gender neutral’ for transgender brought about the Brexit mess with students and combat complaints their wish to see Britain return to the about ‘decency’” (Turner 2017). 1950s can openly express their wish that there were no LGBTIQ+ persons hat this chequered picture (or at least no visible ones outside the Wof LGBTIQ+ life in Britain realm of media and entertainment), today spells out is that, contrary to while radical genderqueer activists are the impression that the discussions busy challenging even the emancipation about supposed sexual norms and of gays and lesbians in their critique normalities have reached a convenient of integration and insistence on ever and comfortable truce, issues are still more diverse identifications. At the (perhaps once again) up for debate. On same time, lesbian groups, sometimes the one hand, traditionally conservative in tandem with anti-trans activists, institutions such as the Bank of England dispute the right to trans identities. now make diversity recognition (and perhaps also its exploitation) compulsory his splitting of identities into ever for its staff. At the same time especially Tsmaller contingents is, on the one right-wing populists try to turn back hand, the result of an individualism
Page 56 Hard Times 102 (2/2018) Rainer Emig that has been gaining strength since its Brocks, Libby (2018). “Scotland emergence in the Early Modern period to Embed LGBTI Teaching across with its ideas of the emancipation Curriculum”. The Guardian, 9 Nov. and power of the individual. Coupled
Works Cited Franzen, Trisha (2000). “Spinster.” Encyclopedia of Lesbian Histories Bell, Sarah (2017). “Transgender and Cultures, vol. I, ed. Bonnie Children: Preparing for Puberty”. BBC Zimmerman. New York/London: News, 7 Aug.
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Gabatiss, Josh (2018). “London Pride: bar-10140059.html>. Anti-Trans Activists Disrupt Parade by Lying down in the Street to Protest “Pride in London” (2018). Visit ‘Lesbian Erasure’”. Independent, 7 July. London. Page 58 Hard Times 102 (2/2018) Rainer Emig co.uk/news/greater-manchester- Endnotes news/manchester-gay-village-canal- street-14843166>. 1 An early survey of positions can be found in Nestle, Joan, Clare Howell, and Riki Wilchins, ed. (2002). GenderQueer: Voices From Beyond the Sexual Binary. New York: Alyson Books. Page 59 Hard Times 102 (2/2018)