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(In)Visibility: LGBTQ+ Sense of Place in the Stratford Area

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(In)Visibility: LGBTQ+ Sense of Place in the Stratford Area Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 4-20-2021 3:30 PM (In)tolerance and (in)visibility: LGBTQ+ sense of place in the Stratford area Dayna Prest, The University of Western Ontario Supervisor: Knabe, Susan, The University of Western Ontario A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies © Dayna Prest 2021 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons Recommended Citation Prest, Dayna, "(In)tolerance and (in)visibility: LGBTQ+ sense of place in the Stratford area" (2021). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 7729. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/7729 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract In this thesis, I draw on a thematic analysis of 23 interviews with white LGBTQ+ participants in the Stratford area to examine factors affecting participants’ sense of place. The research questions guiding this work are: How do participants make sense of their place in the Stratford area? How and where do participants experience a sense of belonging and not belonging in the Stratford area? And how does a sense of belonging or not belonging affect participants’ experiences within these spaces? My approach to this research is informed by feminist and queer methodologies. When possible, interviews for this research were conducted as walking interview s and I reflect on the significance of walking with participants in this thesis. My analysis of participants’ accounts suggests that their sense of place is affected by the heteronormative nature of the environment in which they live. While the majority of participants express a general sense of comfort in the area, the ways in which they talk about their sense of comfort suggests that it is the result of sustained work, strategies, and negotiations of (in)visibility and (in)tolerance. Thinking about what makes the area liveable or less liveable for participants, I use the concept of comfort zones to illustrate the importance of support networks and to draw attention to the affective work that participants engage in on a regular basis. Finally, I consider how the concept of vulnerable recognition opens up possibilities for thinking about (in)visibility that addresses rather than mitigates ambivalent recognition and misrecognition. My findings reveal that sense of place is meaningfully affected by gender and sexuality. Notably, trans and non-binary participants express a sense of being less at ease in the area compared to cis participants. Further findings indicate that participants express a desire for more consistent and supported community in the area. Finally, I suggest that dominant coming out discourses inadequately encapsulate participants’ experiences, which involve continually negotiating their (in)visibility and (in)tolerance in a heteronormative society, and that vulnerable recognition may offer a more fruitful approach. By focusing on an area surrounding a small, rural adjacent city, this research contributes to efforts to study LGBTQ+ folks outside of major urban centres. ii Keywords Sense of place; LGBTQ+; thematic analysis; walking interviews; heteronormativity; affective work; comfort zones; non-binary; trans; queer methodologies; feminist methodologies. iii Summary for Lay Audience In this thesis I discuss 23 interviews I conducted with white LGBTQ+ participants in the Stratford area to think about factors that affect their sense of place. The research questions guiding my work are: How do participants make sense of their place in the Stratford area? How does a sense of belonging or not belonging affect participants’ experiences? And how and where do participants experience a sense of belonging and not belonging in the Stratford area? When possible, interviews for this research were conducted as walking interviews and I reflect on the significance of walking with participants in this thesis. I suggest that participant’s sense of place is affected by heteronormativity. Heteronormativity refers to a way of thinking and being that presumes that being heterosexual and cis is normal and right and that anything else is abnormal or wrong. While the majority of participants express a general sense of comfort in the area, the ways in which they talk about their sense of comfort suggests that it is achieved through sustained work and negotiations of (in)visibility and (in)tolerance. My overall focus is on what makes the area liveable or less liveable for participants. I use the concept of comfort zones to think about what sustains participant’s wellbeing in the area and also how the limits of comfort zones emphasize the potential presence of intolerance. It is important that factors like knowing people and being known are discussed by some participants as integral to their positive sense of place and by others as factors associated with dissatisfaction. Sense of place is subjective and depends on a variety of factors including gender and sexuality. My findings reveal that sense of place is meaningfully affected by gender and sexuality. Notably, trans and non-binary participants express a sense of being less at ease in the area compared to cis participants. Further findings indicate that participants express a desire for more consistent and supported community in the area. Finally, I suggest that dominant coming out discourses inadequately encapsulate participants’ experiences, which involve continually negotiating their (in)visibility and (in)tolerance in a heteronormative society, and that vulnerable recognition may offer a more fruitful approach. By focusing on an area surrounding a small, rural adjacent city, this research contributes to efforts to study LGBTQ+ folks outside of major urban centres. iv Acknowledgments I am beyond grateful to the 21 people who participated in the interviews for this research. They gave their time and energy, offered their stories, showed me around their homes and neighbourhoods, and made this thesis possible. Thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Susan Knabe, who provided insightful feedback, guidance, and support throughout this entire process. Thank you to Drs. Lynda Johnston, Wayne Martino, Chris Roulston and WG Pearson for serving on my examination committee. I appreciate the expertise of Drs. WG Pearson and Jeff Hopkins, specifically in the process of completing my candidacy exams and my thesis proposal. I also appreciate the support of the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Western and Dr. Kim Verwaayen and Alicia McIntyre in particular. Thanks also to my MA supervisor at uOttawa, Dr. Shoshana Magnet, who inspired my interest in rural queer studies. I could not have finished this thesis without the constant support and encouragement of my wife, Jillaine or my pup, Elle. I’m thankful for all my friends and the companionship they provided, in particular Jami, who was a supportive friend and guide through the PhD process. And finally, thanks to my family, and specifically my Mom, for always encouraging me to write and to dream. v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... xii List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... xiii Preface.............................................................................................................................. xiv Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research questions and objectives .......................................................................... 1 1.2 Theoretical framework ............................................................................................ 2 1.2.1 Critiques of coming out discourses ............................................................. 3 1.2.2 Live and let live .......................................................................................... 7 1.2.3 Relational subjectivities, contingent identities: Becoming LGBTQ+ ....... 10 1.2.4 Affective work .......................................................................................... 12 1.2.5 Comfort Zones .......................................................................................... 18 1.2.6 Queer Theory ............................................................................................ 20 1.2.7 Liveability ................................................................................................
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