Proquest Dissertations

Out Back Home: An Exploration of Queer Identity & Community in Rural Nova Scotia by Kelly Baker Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia April 2009 © Copyright by Kelly Baker, 2009 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaONK1A0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre r6f&rence ISBN: 978-0-494-56320-5 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-56320-5 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1+1 Canada DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY To comply with the Canadian Privacy Act the National Library of Canada has requested that the following pages be removed from this copy of the thesis: Preliminary Pages Examiners Signature Page (pii) Dalhousie Library Copyright Agreement (piii) Appendices Copyright Releases (if applicable) Table of Contents Abstract vi Acknowledgements vii Chapter 1: Introduction Uncovering Rural GLBT Communities 1 Rural Nova Scotia as a Case Study 2 Sexuality and Space 6 Rural/Urban Hierarchies 8 Identity, Community, and the Anthropology of Sexuality 10 Sample/Recruitment 22 Research Methods - Interviews 15 Research Methods - Oral History 16 The "Native" Anthropologist 17 Chapter Breakdown 18 Chapter 2: Locating GLBT People in Rural Space 20 Sexuality and Space 20 Situating Participants: "Coming Out" in Rural Space 25 Choosing to Live in Rural Space 27 Acceptance & Homophobia in Rural Space 31 Summary 37 Chapter 3: Constructing GLBT Identity & Community in Rural Space 39 Queer Theory Critiques of GLBT Identity & Community 40 Accessing GLBT Identity and Community Within Rural Space 44 GLBT Identity, Community, and Urban Space 48 Limitations of Urban GLBT Community 53 Summary 57 Chapter 4: Exploring Rural GLBT Identity & Community 58 The Rural/Urban Binary and GLBT Identity 58 Situating GLBT Identity & Community in Non-metropolitan Contexts 60 Space, Place, and Rural Identity 69 "They Already Knew Me": Rural Identity & Community Interdependence 71 Rural GLBT Identity: Contesting the Closet Model 74 Summary 79 Chapter 5: Conclusions 81 iv References 85 Appendix i: Profile of Participants 90 Appendix ii: Map of Nova Scotia 94 Appendix iii: Chronology of Rainbow Flag Issue 95 v Abstract Historically rooted in cities, GLBT identities and communities have been mapped onto a narrative of rural-to-urban migration. Often mythologized as homophobic, rural space is valued insofar as it is left behind; the symbolic role played by the urban/rural distinction in the construction of GLBT subjectivity has been largely overlooked. Indeed, while there was evidence of pressures to conform, participants experienced a surprising level of tolerance and acceptance. On the other hand, some noted the "closeted" nature of many rural GLBT individuals. The isolation of rural life also required in some cases, additional effort to find or access GLBT community. For some, this involved, in various ways, access to, or, physically going to, the city. On the other hand, however, the urban GLBT community was not always experienced as "home". Class and cultural differences between urban and rural queers overshadowed the sharing of a GLBT identity. At the same time, many participants spoke of the thriving rural GLBT communities throughout Nova Scotia. VI Acknowledgements I would like to begin by thanking my research participants, whose time, energy, passion, and benevolence made this research possible. This project is dedicated to you. I would also like to thank my supervisor, Liz Fitting, whose guidance and support throughout this entire process I could not have done without. Thank you so very much. I would also like to say thank you to my parents, whose unconditional love and support throughout my university career has given me the confidence and the will to succeed. And last, but not least, thank you Casey. Your enthusiasm and support during the final stages rekindled my passion and inspiration. To the rest of the graduate class, thank you very much for your friendship and support. I wish you all the best of luck in the future. VII Chapter 1; Introduction "After attending Pride parades in Halifax and Moncton, I realized that there was little visibility of rural LGBT folks. This has been in stark contrast to what I see and experience. For the past five years my spouse and I have been a part of a thriving, growing, and fascinating LGBT rural community. Perhaps this is one of the best kept LGBT secrets " - "A Rural Point of View" Wayves Magazine, Halifax, June, 2008. Uncovering Rural GLBT Communities As local historian Robin Metcalfe points out, Halifax has had a prominent history of gay and lesbian community organizing and activism (1997). But as a small city located in the Maritimes, Halifax's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT)1 community has had to struggle to get its particular issues raised and its voice heard within the wider GLBT movement (ibid.). These issues have been even more difficult for GLBT communities in rural areas. Indeed, many of the problems faced by rural gays are similar to the problems faced by those in cities almost two decades prior; many rural GLBT communities are still relatively isolated and are struggling to establish networks and create spaces within which GLBT people feel safe (Warner, 1994, p.308). They are becoming increasingly concerned about getting their particular issues raised and their voices heard - yet the presence of such communities, "rarely penetrate[s] the consciousness of the mainstream [GLBT] movement" (ibid.). Since GLBT 11 use GLBT, queer, and gay and lesbian interchangeably in this thesis. See page 11 for a further discussion of participants' self-identification. 1 identity, and more recently "queer" identity - as a reclaimed, and more inclusive term2 - emerged historically in urban areas (ibid; D'Emilio, 1989; Phillips, 2000), gays, lesbians, and transgendered people are often assumed to live in cities (Weston, 1998). This assumption is reflected in both Queer Theory and history which trace such sexual identities and collectivities back to major coastal cities but often fail to consider or include the histories of rural folk (Phillips, 2000). In this way, rural experiences can be marginalized, and rural space has been either ignored or misrepresented within much GLBT or queer writing (Phillips, 2000; Halberstam, 2005). Rural Nova Scotia as a Case Study It's very unique...what is happening here in northern Nova Scotian communities... for counties the size of Truro and Amherst and Pictou ...to be having Pride celebrations of their own. That doesn't happen too much in other small communities in Canada. -member of Wayves magazine collective speaking at the LGBT Town Hall Meeting, June 17, 2008. Unlike many other Canadian provinces, Nova Scotia continues to have a high percentage of rural dwellers. With a rural population of nearly 50%, Nova Scotia has the third highest rural population in the country.3 Having faced a decline in both agriculture and fisheries - Nova Scotia's two primary industries - 2 Please see Chapter 3 for a discussion of how "queer" can also destabilize a unified identity claim. 3 This includes Cape Breton. Statistics Canada. Nova Scotia's urban and rural population, 2002. 2 many rural communities are currently suffering from high unemployment rates, low levels of income, and high levels of out-migration (Harley, 2001; RCIP, 2004). While sustainable community development has been recognized by the provincial government as crucial to the strength and prosperity of rural areas, local efforts on the part of rural communities to develop sustainable communities have often been under-appreciated and under-funded (Elliot, 2005, p.14). In recent years, multiple research initiatives have taken place to help bolster the development of healthy, sustainable communities throughout rural Nova Scotia. The Coastal Communities Network (CCP), along with the Rural Communities Impacting Policy Project (RCIP), has been active in helping to "promot[e] the survival and enhancement" of the province's rural communities (ibid, p.l). Official reports borne from such initiatives have lauded such Nova Scotian communities as having a strong sense of community spirit and community values, as well as a deep appreciation for those who help work to strengthen them (ibid, p.30). Last summer, however, tensions emerged among a number of northern counties when the mayor of Truro started what some have called a "rural trend" of refusing to raise the pride flag during Nova Scotia's gay pride week celebrations.

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