STAGING OPPOSITION STAGING OPPOSITION: PERFORMANCE AND POWER IN THE LGBTQ2+ MOVEMENT BY JULIE GOUWELOOS, B.A. (HONS), M.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. McMaster University © Copyright by Julie Gouweloos, 2019 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (2019) McMaster University (SOCIOLOGY) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: Staging Opposition: Performance and Power in the LGBTQ2+ Movement AUTHOR: Julie Gouweloos, B.A. (Hons), M.A. SUPERVISOR: Dr. Melanie Heath NUMBER OF PAGES: x, 237. iii Abstract Whereas the LGBTQ2+ movement has made notable gains since its inception, these gains do not reflect the experiences or political priorities of the entire collective. In fact, within the movement there are varied understandings of who ‘we’ are, where ‘we’ should go, and where the sources of our struggles lie. It is this tension between collectivity and fragmentation that guides this dissertation, specifically, I ask, how do intersecting power relations shape the processes whereby we mobilize and strengthen collectivity, engage in consciousness- raising, and advocate for certain political priorities in our protest. Using popular drag and queer cabaret as a case study, my findings contribute to core movement concepts including collective identity, storytelling, ‘free spaces’ and infighting to better explain the tension between collectivity and fragmentation in the LGBTQ2+ movement in Ontario, Canada. Using a combination of field observation, semi-structured interviews, and cultural artifacts I find that intersecting power relations shape drag and queer cabaret in both shared and movement free spaces. Drag and queer cabaret are valuable means of mobilizing and sustaining collectivity as well as consciousness raising; however, failure to address how intersecting power relations shape these processes simultaneously undermines collectivity by introducing hierarches and subsequently fragmenting the movement. Groups that seek to challenge these hierarchies do so in two primary ways. In the case of ‘free spaces,’ queer cabaret groups build intersectional prefigurative politics into their performative protest to expand the iv narrative of who ‘we’ are. In ‘shared’ movement spaces like Pride—wherein LGBTQ2+ experiences and ideologies vary greatly—marginalized groups use drag and queer cabaret as a form of strategic resistance. Overall this dissertation attests to the need for greater attention to how ‘our’ LGBTQ2+ resistance is situated within larger relations of inequality. v Acknowledgements I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to all of the kings, queens, ‘artivists,’ dancers, storytellers, and genderfuckers who inspired, entertained, and educated me throughout this process. You were generous with your stories and your time. I am deeply grateful for the work you do as well as your contribution to this project. I have also benefitted significantly from the guidance offered by my supervisor Dr. Melanie Heath. Throughout this (long) journey, you have pushed me to think deeper, to be more precise with my language, to make more explicit connections to the literature, and to better communicate the value of my work to others. The encouragement you offered me in the final stages of this process was invaluable, thank you. My committee members, Dr. Tina Fetner and Dr. Neil McLaughlin have also contributed to the ideas that fill these pages. Tina, I have long been in awe of your ability to sift through my messy ideas to emerge with polished insights. Beyond that, you are a kind and thoughtful colleague and your unwavering support of my work means a great deal to me. Neil, I have always appreciated your genuine love of intellectual debate and your commitment to theoretical rigor. You have provoked my thought and provided me with the kind of support I needed to complete the dissertation. Throughout this process, I have also benefitted from the insight and support of some truly wonderful colleagues/thinkers/friends including: Chu, Sean, vi and the Bees; Lexy Siberry-Campbell; Alissa Golden; Tony Gracey; Rachel Guymer; Alan Santinele Martino; Kamila Misztal; Deana Simonetto; and Sarah Sorensen. A special thank you to Jessica Braimoh, your sage advice and ability to ask all the right questions have contributed to my work (and life) in meaningful ways. Lastly, I am deeply indebted to my wonderful family. To all of my grandparents, thank you for your love. A special thank you to Joyce (aka Gran/Nana), in addition to everything else, going back to school would not have been an option without your help. To my parents, Connie, Herb, Ron, and Jill, I cannot say enough about how wonderful it feels to know your parents are unflinchingly in your corner. It is truly a wonderful thing, thank you. Randy, I am so very grateful for your unwavering support in all areas of life and your willingness to engage with me in intellectual debate. Kel, Jul, and Wyatt, thank you for being you. Kelly, thank you for keeping things in perspective. Jaxon and Tayson, you have kept me tethered to what really matters in life. Thank you both, you mean the world to me. And ‘thank you’ to all my other family members, friends, and neighbours whose relentless questioning, “are you done yet?” has provided me with just enough guilt to keep going. Lastly, I owe much of this to you, Bec. In all honesty, this project would not have been completed without you. You are perhaps the most inquisitive, patient, kind, and present person I have ever met. I am truly fortunate to have gone through this (and all else) with you, merci. vii Table of Contents ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................... VI INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................1 THE PUZZLE .......................................................................................................... 1 THE CASE OF LGBTQ2+ PERFORMANCE .............................................................. 3 THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS .................................................................................. 5 THE GUIDING LITERATURE ................................................................................... 7 Power ...............................................................................................................7 Collective Identity ............................................................................................9 Storytelling .....................................................................................................10 Free Spaces ....................................................................................................11 Collectivity and Infighting .............................................................................12 Two Notes on Language ................................................................................13 DISSERTATION OVERVIEW .................................................................................. 15 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 20 UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ................................................21 A BRIEF HISTORY ............................................................................................... 21 DRAG, QUEER CABARET, AND PERFORMATIVE PROTEST .................................... 30 INTERSECTING POWER RELATIONS ..................................................................... 35 Collective Identity ..........................................................................................40 Collective Identity and Boundary Work .........................................................45 Collective Identity, Intersectionality, and “Diversity” ..................................47 Storytelling and Social Movements ................................................................50 Social Movement Free-Spaces .......................................................................54 INTEGRATING FRAMEWORKS .............................................................................. 62 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 63 EPISTEMOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK & METHODS .................................65 EPISTEMOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................ 68 METHODS ........................................................................................................... 72 Observation ....................................................................................................74 Interviews .......................................................................................................76 Consent, Confidentiality, and Credit .............................................................82 Cultural Artifacts ...........................................................................................84 THE CODING PROCESS ........................................................................................ 85 THE ANALYSIS PROCESS ..................................................................................... 86 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................... 88 TELLING ‘OUR’ STORIES: COLLECTIVITY AND STORYTELLING IN POPULAR DRAG SPACES ...............................................................................89