An Analysis of Gay Men As Sexual Citizens in Nonmetropolitan England and Ireland
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Sexual citizenship: An analysis of gay men as sexual citizens in nonmetropolitan England and Ireland Aidan McKearney Thesis submitted for the Doctor of Philosophy London Metropolitan University 2018 1 Declaration I, Aidan McKearney, hereby declare that this thesis is my own work ……………………………………………………………………… 2 Abstract This study explores the concept of sexual citizenship as it applies to the lives of gay men living in nonmetropolitan areas of Britain, and Ireland. Both countries have undergone dramatic social, legal and cultural changes over recent decades, and have witnessed profound and progressive shifts in public attitudes towards lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Given historical tendencies towards a metrocentric bias in researching gay lives, this study takes place outside the large metropolitan centres of population. It travels to a world of smaller towns, villages and farms. In making this journey, the research aims to understand the life world and experiences of gay men living within these locales. It seeks to explore the dynamics created by the intersection of sexuality and the space of the rural. Crucially it strives to develop an understanding of the nature, depth, and scope, of the men’s sexual citizenship, as it applies within their geographic context. Forty-four men were interviewed: twenty-two in England and twenty-two in Ireland. The study finds that rural men in both countries share similar experiences, concerns and worries. All of the men recall an awakening in childhood and adolescence that they were different from other male age mates, followed by a slow realisation (often resisted) that they could be gay. The study finds that profound social, and cultural changes have been of critical importance to the men, in encouraging many of them (though not all) to begin, the uneven, and continuous, process of coming out, embracing a sexual minority identity, and in doing so, becoming sexual citizens. The study finds clear consensus that the nonmetropolitan context is relevant to the men, especially in how they negotiate their sexual identity. While life outside the cities can bring a number of distinct advantages, such as tranquillity, and a more relaxed pace of life, the men also report numerous challenges which include social isolation, powerful hegemonic narratives around rural masculinity, and a pervasive heteronormative culture. As such, the rural space can be an alienating environment. Nonetheless, these men continue to live in the rural, and by their presence and increasing disclosure, they are changing the cultural narrative of what it means to be gay in the space of the rural, creating rural gay (male) identities, which can appear different from metropolitan gay (male) identities. In many ways, their rural environment creates similar identity characteristics, and limitations, despite their residency in different countries. In assessing the men as sexual citizens, the study takes the opportunity to interrogate the model of sexual citizenship. To this end, it finds the citizenship model of rights and obligations to be seductive and appealing to many of the gay men. However, the study also highlights its exclusionary tendencies, and as its propensity to promote a de- sexualised, de-politicised, and de-radicalised gay identity; tendencies which are exacerbated by the context of the nonmetropolitan, small town, and rural spaces. This research concludes that, while the men may be considered, constitutional sexual citizens, which is an enormous advance from the dark times of the past, there remains a legacy of stigmatization, which helps ensure compromised citizenship on a number of levels. As such, the journey has not yet ended. 3 Acknowledgements In completing this thesis, ultimate thanks must be offered to the men in both countries who agreed to be interviewed for this study, thereby allowing important stories to be told in an ever-changing world. I would also like to thank the LGBT groups in the study regions for their support, access and invitations to me to return and continue the conversations about the future direction of rural LGBT citizenship. Profound thanks must go to my supervisor over these past years, Irene Gedalof whose steadfast and rigorous guidance, together with her approachability and optimism resulted in my having simply the perfect supervisor throughout. Sincere thanks to other members of the supervision team, Fiona Colgan and Dean Bartlett. I thank both of them for their help and support. A special word of thanks for Fiona Colgan, who helped me to form the basis of the research in the early stages, who encouraged me and who has always been a mentor in my research career. To my academic social media buddies, Fiona, Gisele, Helen and Kiran. They were highly important virtual supporters and assisted in offering tea and sympathy at all the right times. Finally, but not least, to my partner Reginald, who witnessed the highs and lows that this labour of love brought forth. I thank him for this patience, support and constant words of encouragement. 4 Table of contents Thesis title 1 Declaration 2 Abstract 3 Acknowledgements 4 Table of contents 5 Chapter 1. Introduction to the thesis A discussion to be had 9 Nonmetropolitan focus 11 Identity categorisations 12 Aims and objectives of the study 13 Chapter profiles 14 Chapter 2. Literature Review A time before we were sexual citizens 17 The political underpinnings of sexual citizenship 20 Conceptualising sexual citizenship 25 The problem with sexual citizenship 29 The sexual citizen: Why now? 31 A note on Intimate citizenship 34 Intersectionality: the rural dimension 36 Conclusion 42 Chapter 3. Methodology A philosophical home 43 Recruiting the participants 47 5 Collecting the data 50 Data Analysis 57 Rigour 61 Ethical issues 63 Conclusion 65 Chapter 4. Early Awakenings and Growing Up Gay Introduction 67 First awareness of difference 70 Internal struggle: facing an inconvenient truth 73 Stigma management 74 Growing up gay in a different time: England 79 Growing up gay in a different time: Ireland 85 Conclusion 90 Chapter 5. Sexual Criminals to Sexual Citizens: The Law Speaks Introduction 92 The impact of legislation in Great Britain and Ireland 94 Decriminalisation 95 Employment and other forms of equalities legislation 98 Civil partnership and same-sex (equal) marriage 102 Conclusion 107 Chapter 6. Social Change: Becoming Sexual Citizens Introduction 110 Social and cultural changes in Ireland 111 Diminishing role of the Church 112 6 The ‘Two Mary’s’ 114 Presence of other types of diversity 115 Celtic Tiger 116 Role of media and role models 117 Social change in Britain: Differences with Ireland 122 Gay Rights Movements 125 Development of the gay scene 126 Music, Film, Literature, and Media 128 Economic direction 130 Impact of Section 28 133 Conclusion 134 Chapter 7. Life in the rural: a bleak house for gays? Introduction 136 Gay men living in the rural: choice or circumstance 136 Remainers 137 Returners 140 Incomers 145 Life in the rural: benefits for gay men 149 Life in the rural: challenges for gay men 151 Conclusion 165 Chapter 8. Coping with life in the rural Introduction 167 Coping by selective engagement 168 Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell 169 Frequent escapes 172 7 Using technology 173 Joining local LGBT group 176 Groups going beyond coping 178 Taking it home 182 Conclusion 185 Chapter 9. Conclusion: assessing gay men as sexual citizens Introduction 187 Constitutional sexual citizens 188 Constrained sexual citizens 189 Cautious sexual citizens 192 Conspicuous sexual citizens 195 Concerned sexual citizens 198 Conformist sexual citizens 200 Final remarks 208 Appendices Appendix 1: Map of study region in Ireland 212 Appendix 2: Map of study region in England 213 Appendix 3: Participant profiles: England 214 Appendix 4: Participant profiles: Ireland 218 Appendix 5: Seeking access 221 Appendix 6: Call for participants 222 Appendix 7: Interview guide 223 References 224 8 Chapter 1. Introduction to the thesis The love that dares not speak its name has never stopped talking. If it was once ‘peccatum illud horrible, inter christianos non nominandum’- that horrible crime not to be named among Christians- it has been endlessly discussed! (Ackroyd 2017:1) A discussion to be had In reading the histories of same-sex intimacies it should come as no surprise that homosexuality has existed throughout all of history, in all types of society, and among all social classes and peoples (Weeks, 2016:3). However we also learn to appreciate how, over the millennia, our societies have been convulsed and obsessed by the presence of same-sex desires and practices. Often, the “endless discussions” that Ackroyd refers to above, have in fact, consisted of endless discussions about how to avoid speaking about it, in other words about how not to talk about it. Historically, various penalties, punishments and regulations against homosexuality have been dreamed up and zealously enforced with a fervour that has successfully stigmatised same- sex intimacy, and seen whole societies become complicit in a sophisticated conspiracy of silence and invisibility. Such strategies of erasure have had a (probably intended) outcome whereby there appears to be a lack of detailed historic testimonies from LGBT people, which is certainly the case in Irish historic texts (Rose, 1994; Inglis, 2005). In writing about British Queer history, Lewis makes the point that “at the turn of the millennium, a gathering of modern (nineteenth-and twentieth-century) British gay and lesbian or queer historians would