Article

Coming Out and Coming Back. Rural Gay Migration and the City

Authors:
  • Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, École d'Ingénieurs de Purpan
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Abstract

This research focuses on the complex meaning and role of the city in American and French rural gay men’s imaginary and life experience. It explores how gay men who grew up in the country build their sense of self through back-and-forth movement from rural to urban spaces. Therefore, it questions traditional gay migration studies, which have often equated gay migration and rural–urban migration, positing a unidirectional pattern. After contextualizing rural male homosexuality, this paper presents four life itineraries which highlight the central role the city has for rural gay men when exploring their same-sex desires and attractions. Based on the analysis of their life narratives, we show that for most of them, their coming out, their first same-sex experience, and coming to terms with their sexuality happens “far from home” in a city or a college town. However, this research suggests that the city has a more ambivalent role for rural gay men. While the city exists as a space of social practices where alternative sexualities can be experienced and explored, at the same time for many rural gay men the city remains substantially unattractive. In their view, the perceived “effeminizing power” of the city questions and challenges their attraction for this space. Therefore, the experience of the city becomes both liberating and disciplinary – liberating because it allows the exploration of their same-sex desires and attractions, disciplinary because it (re)presents a gay identity in which they find no resonance. Thus this research indicates that rural gay migration to the urban spaces, which is key to identity formation, includes not only departure to the city but also a necessary return to the country to maintain rural gay men’s understanding of themselves.

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... The role of LGB + individuals' family members and other sources of support are shown as crucial for coming out in this and related research. Moreover, studies on sexual orientation disclosure discuss this process as it unfolds in urban or rural areas, frequently showing that the former may be more welcoming than the latter for sexual and gender minorities (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Barrientos et al., 2017;Giano et al., 2020). Overall, however, more research is needed on the contributions that the individual's social environment makes to facilitate or inhibit sexual orientation disclosure in LGB + youth and young adults (Schmitz & Tyler, 2018). ...
... Research highlights the need for LGB + people to migrate from rural to urban areas, since larger cities tend to offer more freedom and acceptance for individuals to develop and express their sexual minority identity (Agueli et al., 2022;Barrientos-Delgado et al., 2014;Giano et al., 2020;McGlynn, 2018). Other studies question this narrative showing, for instance, that LGB + people from rural areas may find the city discordant with their own identities (Annes & Redlin, 2012). Most studies with LGB + population are carried out in urban settings (Giano et al., 2020), but neither the urban nor rural life are a homogeneous reality. ...
... This result goes against our expectations, as the literature has indicated that urban areas and big cities offer greater openness and resources for sexual and gender minority individuals to express their sexual identity more safely (Agueli et al., 2022;Barrientos-Delgado et al., 2014;Giano et al., 2020). However, other studies highlight that LGB + individuals from rural areas also find important resources for the development and expression of their identity in these areas (Annes & Redlin, 2012;McGlynn, 2018). Additionally, smaller urban areas may have conservative characteristics that lead to rejection of LGBTQ+ identities, countering the benefits traditionally attributed to cities. ...
Article
This paper reports two studies that tested sexual orientation, residence context (urban/rural, living with parents), and per- ceived social support as predictors of sexual orientation disclo- sure in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority (LGB+) university students in Chile. Samples comprised 268 partici- pants for Study 1, and 160 for Study 2, who were cisgender, transgender, or nonbinary. All participants answered an online questionnaire with sociodemographic questions, a perceived social support scale, and a list of individuals to whom they dis- closed their sexual orientation. In both studies, the predictors of sexual orientation disclosure were being gay or lesbian (vs. bisexual and other sexual minority individuals), not living with parents, and perceiving social support from others outside fam- ily and friends. Our findings show the need to expand the social understanding of sexual orientation beyond heterosexu- al-homosexual dichotomies, and to strengthen sources of social support in higher education to foster safer environments for sexual and gender minority students.
... A melegmigrációs kutatások döntő többsége a várost mint idealizált teret mutatja be, amely lehetővé teszi a nem heteroszexuálisok identitásának szabad megnyilvánulását (Blidon 2008, Cant 1997, Chauncey 1994, Weston 1995. E megközelítés szerint az elszigeteltségben élő és magányos vidéki meleg férfiak városi központokba költöznek, hogy felfedezzék szexualitásukat, teret adjanak annak és egy közösség részének érezhessék magukat a városi térben (Eribon 1999, Annes-Redlin 2012. Számos vidéki egyén próbál menekülni a konzervatív társadalomból, ahova született (Blidon 2008, Rubin 1993, Valentine-Skelton 2003, Weston 1995. ...
... Kutatásuk alapján sok vidéki meleg férfi számára a város elveszíti a kezdeti vonzerejét. Ennek az egyik oka -Annes és Redlin (2012) interjúi szerint -a városokban élő meleg férfiak elnőiesedésében rejlik, ugyanis a nagyvárosi szabadabb légkör lehetőséget teremt a férfiak femininebb megjelenésére, életmódjára (Annes-Redlin 2012). Így a városi tér iránti vonzalom megkérdőjeleződik, és egyszerre felszabadító és fegyelmező térré is válik. ...
... Így a városi tér iránti vonzalom megkérdőjeleződik, és egyszerre felszabadító és fegyelmező térré is válik. Felszabadító, mert lehetővé teszi az azonos neműek vágyainak kibontakozását, ugyanakkor a meleg identitás egy másik, életmód és megjelenés tekintetében femininebb formáját jeleníti meg (Annes-Redlin 2012). Ebben a kutatásban is egyetértenek azzal, hogy a vidéki melegek városi terekbe történő migrációja kulcsfontosságú az identitás kialakulásában, központi szerepet tölt be az életútjukban. ...
Article
A cikk a magyar meleg és biszexuális férfiak migrációs jellemzőit mutatja be egy 1269 fős kérdőíves adatfelmérés eredményei alapján. Egyrészt vizsgálja a múltban történt migrációt a születési hely és a jelenlegi lakóhely között, másrészt jövőbeli költözési szándék esetén a költözés potenciális desztinációi is feltárulnak. A kutatás választ ad a tervezett lakóhely-változtatás okaira is, és összefüggést keres egyéb szociodemográfiai paraméterekkel. Az eredmények azt mutatják, hogy szexuális identitástól függetlenül az egyik legfontosabb migrációs motiváció gazdasági okból fakad. Ez beleillik a többségi társadalom általános migrációs trendjeibe. Ugyanakkor a meleg és biszexuális férfiak körében a gazdasági motiváció kiegészül a szexuális identitás megélésének és kiteljesedésének igényével. A választott migrációs célpontok többsége egyértelműen Budapesthez és nyugat-európai nagyvárosokhoz köthető, ami szintén nem csoportspecifikus, de megjelennek a többségi társadalom általános célpontjai közül kilógó új irányok is.
... Consequently, rural queer people report higher levels of isolation, mental health challenges, self-harm, and suicidality than their urban peers (Boulden, 2001;McLaren, 2015;Swank, Frost, & Fahs, 2012;Whitehead, Shaver, & Stephenson, 2016). Travelling to the City provides an opportunity to escape prejudiced home environments (Annes & Redlin, 2012). Cities are considered welcoming with spaces like 'gay' districts where queer people can be part of the majority and access services designed for them (Vorobjovas-Pinta, 2018). ...
... Even in rural communities perceived as inclusive, as in the case of P11 above, the lack of visibility combined with limited queer populations impeded the development of social groups (Annes & Redlin, 2012). Aligning with Marlin et al. (2022) this limited visibility made queer people reluctant to even search for a local queer community (P4), ultimately reducing access to structures required to construct and experience one's social identity (P10). ...
... This came from the City's association with large-scale pride events (P2), the variety of queer spaces and activities (P9), experiences of visiting the City growing up and seeing "openly queer" people (P2), and the perceived attitude of city people who "don't give a fuck" (P7) because diversity was valued compared to rural where there was "very little" (P7). In this context, the City not only provides a way out of oppressive environments (Annes & Redlin, 2012) but also a reprieve from both the heteronormativity and the sociocultural homogeneity that pervades rural communities. This image of the City ultimately attracts rural visitors aligning with Dann (1977), who argues both the destination's real and imagined attributes work together to pull visitation. ...
Article
Using identity-based motivation theory, this study explored the perceived role leisure travel to domestic cities played for rural queer people in Australia. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted and revealed that travelling to the City helped queer people construct their social identity by providing opportunities that may be restricted or limited at home. Further, those who were still defining their self-identity and/or lived in rural areas that were less tolerant of queer people, used travel to escape the rigours of self-regulation, uncompromising heterosexuality, intolerance, and hostility. Participants felt safer and more comfortable in cities as anonymity, a strong visible representation of the queer communities, and acceptance of queer people allowed them to be themselves and explore the depths of their identity. The results suggest there is an opportunity for queer spaces and experience providers in the City to target rural queer people based on their identity needs.
... Several authors have attempted to define the phrase "coming out of closet" generally as opening up and revelation of one<apos;>s queer status to others (Docena, 2013;Fishberger et al., n.d;Boso, 2013; Anti-Defamatory League (ADL), 2015; (Tamashiro, 2015); Wilson et al., 2018), for individuals who report experiencing predominant sexual or romantic attraction toward members of the same sex (Mayer & McHugh, 2016); while those who have not publicly declared their true sexual orientation are referred to as "closeted" (Bobker, 2015;Boso, 2013;Kimberly, 2015). This term 'coming out' does not only involve a revelation or acknowledgment that one is a member of a sexual minority (Tamashiro, 2015), but also accepting (Kimberly, 2015), participating and being actively involved with LGBTQI communities (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Gibson & Macleod, 2014). The comparison with "closet" is set forth by the fact that hiding one<apos;>s true sexual status, is like hiding in in the dark space; the site of secrecy, resistance, shame and repression (Gibson & Macleod, 2014;Maniago, 2018;Tricou, 2018), with no freedom to express your identity (Boso, 2013;Wilson et al., 2018). ...
... They are often considered as deserving of the treatment (Francis & Brown, 2017). Their (LGBTQI) identity formation is thus shaped by lots of challenges, emanating from unending movements, from one space to another (Annes & Redlin, 2012); hence, a hypothesis that environmental and experiential factors play an important role in LGBTQI revelation of sexual statuses (Mayer & McHugh, 2016). Not only geographic aspects are considered a decisive factor for "coming out" (Annes & Redlin, 2012), but also social, cultural, economic, physical and many other factors (Badgett et al., 2019;Klett-Davies, 2022;Mayer & McHugh, 2016). ...
... Their (LGBTQI) identity formation is thus shaped by lots of challenges, emanating from unending movements, from one space to another (Annes & Redlin, 2012); hence, a hypothesis that environmental and experiential factors play an important role in LGBTQI revelation of sexual statuses (Mayer & McHugh, 2016). Not only geographic aspects are considered a decisive factor for "coming out" (Annes & Redlin, 2012), but also social, cultural, economic, physical and many other factors (Badgett et al., 2019;Klett-Davies, 2022;Mayer & McHugh, 2016). ...
Article
Full-text available
LGBTQI issues have become commonly investigated phenomena in research lately, probably due to the rise in the number of queer sexuality people who are “coming out” to open about their true sexual identities. A lot of research today explores LGBTQI population challenges. One critical challenge facing this minority population is their constant movement from one place to the other. Though research on LGBTQI migration is constantly growing, there is still increasing concern that this minority population choose to reveal their true sexual statuses in other geographical spaces while conceal in others. Only few studies endeavor to address the relationship between “coming out” decision and LGBTQI movement from around and/or between spaces. This paper explores how geographical context determines “the coming out of closet” for LGBTQI population. We seek to enquire why the minority populations choose to “come out” in some places and remain closeted in some. How do geographical spaces determine “coming out of closet” by LGBTQI population? How can dialogues be used to explore the relationship between “coming out of closet” and LGBTQI migration?’ community dialogues were used at Qoqolosing community. Diverse populations were represented in terms of church denominations, age, social class, and most importantly gender. Our results demonstrated that quite a noticeable number of LGBTQI population in Lesotho spend their lives moving around, searching for the right space to live their lives openly as queer sexuality persons. These results go beyond previous reports, showing that LGBTQI normally move from villages to towns where there is greater acceptance of LGBTQI people. Our study, thus expand the existing body of research on LGTBQI and migration by stipulating that, this minority populations migrate and relocate specifically to reveal their true sexual statuses. Taken together, the findings of this study revealed a strong correlation between revealing one<apos;>s true sexual status and the environment one is exposed toFindings underscore the importance of geographical factors for “coming out of closet” for LGBTQI population. The paper suggests further investigation relating to the impact of constant relocation to LGBTQI socio-economic statuses.
... In addition to migration based on personality and political markers, people also selectively migrate to places that signal fit in terms of their sexual orientation. In the context of gay migration, LGB people migrate to gay-friendly places to find community and develop their identities (Weston, 1995;Annes & Redlin, 2012). Most research on gay migration focuses on ...
... LGB migration to cities (Weston, 1995;Annes & Redlin, 2012;Wimark, 2015;Wimark & Östh, 2014). That said, the apparent desirability of cities to LGB people may vary as a function of gender: whereas gay men tend to migrate to cities, regardless of the concentration of gay men, lesbian women migrate to less populous places with strong lesbian community (Cooke & Rapino, 2007). ...
... That said, the apparent desirability of cities to LGB people may vary as a function of gender: whereas gay men tend to migrate to cities, regardless of the concentration of gay men, lesbian women migrate to less populous places with strong lesbian community (Cooke & Rapino, 2007). Moreover, LGB people do not only live in or migrate to cities. Instead, there is evidence that partnered homosexual couples, as well as gay men who are originally from rural areas, leave cities after some time there (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Cooke & Rapino, 2007). Taken together, previous research demonstrates gay migration in both urban and rural contexts, but this body of work is limited both in its methodological approach and also in the scope of sexual identities examined. ...
Article
Gay migration is a popular culture notion that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people move from places that are not gay-friendly to places that are gay-friendly. Such migration may reflect person-environment fit, and it may be comparable to other types of person-environment fit that may rely on attitudes. The present research examines psychological mechanisms underlying LGB and straight people's migration in search of fit, based on sexual orientation, sexuality attitudes, and contextual cues to gay friendliness. In Study 1, we leveraged a very large, ecologically valid internet sample to examine real-world migration, and in Study 2, we experimentally manipulated gay culture to examine desire to migrate. Both studies provide evidence for person-environment fit moderated by sexual orientation: LGB people largely migrated to gay-friendly places regardless of their own sexuality attitudes, whereas straight people migrated to places that matched their sexuality attitudes. We discuss the implications of these findings for LGB people's health and well-being, demonstrating the importance of fostering gay culture as it relates to fit and belonging among LGB people.
... In addition to migration based on personality and political markers, people also selectively migrate to places that signal fit in terms of their sexual orientation. In the context of gay migration, LGB people migrate to gay-friendly places to find community and develop their identities (Weston, 1995;Annes & Redlin, 2012). Most research on gay migration focuses on ...
... LGB migration to cities (Weston, 1995;Annes & Redlin, 2012;Wimark, 2015;Wimark & Östh, 2014). That said, the apparent desirability of cities to LGB people may vary as a function of gender: whereas gay men tend to migrate to cities, regardless of the concentration of gay men, lesbian women migrate to less populous places with strong lesbian community (Cooke & Rapino, 2007). ...
... That said, the apparent desirability of cities to LGB people may vary as a function of gender: whereas gay men tend to migrate to cities, regardless of the concentration of gay men, lesbian women migrate to less populous places with strong lesbian community (Cooke & Rapino, 2007). Moreover, LGB people do not only live in or migrate to cities. Instead, there is evidence that partnered homosexual couples, as well as gay men who are originally from rural areas, leave cities after some time there (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Cooke & Rapino, 2007). Taken together, previous research demonstrates gay migration in both urban and rural contexts, but this body of work is limited both in its methodological approach and also in the scope of sexual identities examined. ...
Preprint
Gay migration is a popular culture notion that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people move from places that are not gay-friendly to places that are gay-friendly. Such migration may reflect person-environment fit, and it may be comparable to other types of person-environment fit that may rely on attitudes. The present research examines psychological mechanisms underlying LGB and straight people’s migration in search of fit, based on sexual orientation, sexuality attitudes, and contextual cues to gay friendliness. In Study 1, we leveraged a very large, ecologically valid internet sample to examine real-world migration, and in Study 2, we experimentally manipulated gay culture to examine desire to migrate. Both studies provide evidence for person-environment fit moderated by sexual orientation: LGB people largely migrated to gay-friendly places regardless of their own sexuality attitudes, whereas straight people migrated to places that matched their sexuality attitudes. We discuss the implications of these findings for LGB people’s health and well-being, demonstrating the importance of fostering gay culture as it relates to fit and belonging among LGB people.
... Regarding the overrepresentation of people living in the capital or urban areas, a possible explanation is gay migration (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Lewis, 2014). The fear of stigmatization in small and closed communities such as small towns or villages discourages the process of coming out and facilitates hiding information (Béres-Deák, 2022). ...
... The fear of stigmatization in small and closed communities such as small towns or villages discourages the process of coming out and facilitates hiding information (Béres-Deák, 2022). The reason for LGBTQ+ individuals' willingness to move to the capital is that the discovery of self-identity and the formation of same-sex relationships is less inhibited in larger cities than in rural areas (Annes & Redlin, 2012). Support groups and associations are also present in bigger cities. ...
... LGBT individuals are also likely to select into urban areas, which, on average, have a greater tolerance for diverse groups and have LGBT-friendly cultures (Weston 1995;Aldrich 2004;Annes and Redlin 2012). 1 Place-based identities matter for understanding geographic differences in US public opinion. What qualifies as urban or rural in a given state or region is constructed by those who live in it. ...
... Beyond claiming an LGBT identity as a marker of difference, rural identifiers might also perceive that LGBT individuals violate the values that comprise community solidarity due to the urban connotations of LGBT individuals and rights. America's largest cities have long served as imaginary and tangible places where individuals with noncisgender and nonheteronormative identities migrate from nonurban areas, "come out," and form communities with similar individuals (Weston 1995;Aldrich 2004;Annes and Redlin 2012). The sheer size of some of the largest cities makes them likelier than rural areas to develop a "critical mass" of like-minded individuals (Tarrow 2022). ...
Article
Full-text available
Opposition to LGBT rights remains a contemporary fixture within the United States in spite of increasingly liberalizing attitudes toward LGBT individuals. In this paper, I argue that a potentially overlooked factor driving this opposition is rural identity—or an individual’s psychological attachment to a rural area. Using data from the 2020 ANES, I find that rural identity predicts less favorable estimations of LGBT individuals. Rural identifiers are also less likely to support pro-LGBT policy measures than nonrural identifiers. Nevertheless, I find the magnitude of the effects of rural identity on anti-LGBT views to be surprisingly small. It is also the case that, on average, rural identifiers exhibit net-positive estimations of LGBT individuals and are broadly supportive of LGBT rights, suggesting that elected officials enacting anti-LGBT legislation in rural areas of the United States are potentially out of step with the preferences of their electorate. These findings also have implications for what it means to hold a rural identity beyond a generalized animosity toward urban areas, and for understanding urban-rural divergences in US public opinion on issues such as LGBT rights.
... While existing literature has convincingly argued that rural-urban migration has a profound impact on rural lesbians and gay men's sexuality (e.g. Weston, 1995;Lewis, 2012Lewis, , 2014Annes and Redline, 2012a;Liu, 2019), less is known about the tempo-spatial dynamics of this process, especially in a non-Western context. This research addresses the abovementioned research gaps by critically engaging with the following questions: What kind of queer temporalities have emerged from the Chinese ruralurban migrant gay men's life stories? ...
... The existing literature recognises the important role of queer people's intersectional subjectivities such as class, race, and age in limiting or enabling their use of urban queer spaces (e.g. Binnie, 1995;Binnie and Skegges, 2004;Kong, 2011Kong, , 2012Annes and Redline, 2012a;Anderson, 2018). Our findings contribute to these discussions by demonstrating how time poverty becomes a major obstacle to using urban queer spaces. ...
Article
Full-text available
Building on the geography of sexualities and queer temporality studies, this research investigates the entanglement of sexuality, time and space with a case study of rural–urban migrant gay men in China. Based on participant observations and in‐depth interviews with 46 Chinese rural–urban migrant gay men, we identify three forms of queer temporality – queer biographical time, queer life stage, and queer clock time – emerging from Chinese gay men's life stories. We also demonstrate how these different forms of queer temporality are conditioned by and influence certain spatial practices among our informants. In doing so, this analysis contributes to the geographical research on sexuality by challenging the rural/urban dichotomy in the existing literature on the one hand, and exploring the possibilities for a geography of queer temporality on the other.
... That narrow understanding of why people move was subsequently expanded by scholars who urged their fields to consider intersecting economic and non-economic factors (Foster & Main, 2018;Halfacree, 2004). After the 1990s, studies that attended to young people's identities, feelings of belonging, relationships to others, and attachments to place proliferated (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Cairns, 2014;Elder et. al, 1996;Ní Laoire, 2000). ...
... Embedded practices over the life course result in conventions of men working outdoors with their hands, and in contrast, women working indoors, often in positions where they provide care and services to others. Gendered structures of labour, opportunity, and social relations intersect with forms of discrimination and patterns of inequality, such as those associated with race and sexuality (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Cairns, 2013), but we must limit our discussion of these factors as our data do not permit any further analysis along these lines. For our purposes, the takeaway from the foregoing discussion is that young people, and especially women, leave their home communities in pursuit of, and then because of, higher education. ...
Article
Scholarship on young people’s geographical mobilities tells us that young adults move away from their childhood communities for a complex mix of economic “push-pull” reasons, including relationships, aspirations, attachments to place, identity, and belonging. In this abundant research, particularly that which focuses on youth outmigration from rural and peripheral communities, there is surprisingly little attention paid to an issue that is top-of-mind for many young adults today: personal debt. In this paper, we draw insights from extant literature on youth mobilities to make the case for a greater examination of the role of personal debt in young people’s migration decisions. We hypothesize that youth and debt increase a person’s likelihood of moving away from peripheral regions. We test this hypothesis using data from a 2019 survey of Atlantic Canadians and find some support for it, and some interesting nuance, suggesting that there is good reason to examine debt’s role in youth mobilities in greater detail.
... LGBTQ + spaces and 'third place': From bars to neighbourhoods Although LGBTQ + culture is not exclusively urban (Gray, 2009;Gray et al., 2016;Leslie, 2017), a greater academic tradition has focused on LGBTQ + urban spaces (Aldrich, 2004;Sibalis, 2002). Further, queer people have often migrated from the countryside and smaller towns to cities, due to the higher diversity and complexity of the urban environment (Weston, 1995;Wimark and Ö sth, 2014), while those who stay in the countryside still look at the city as a central place for social practices (Annes and Redlin, 2012). ...
Article
LGBTQ + neighbourhoods and venues in our cities have fulfilled many vital functions for LGBTQ + people and for society as a whole. Generally identified through the concentration of consumption spaces that host meetings between LGBTQ + people, they have a great symbolic value in the fight for their rights and against intolerance. At a time when doubts arise about their future, there are far fewer spatial, quantitative and systematic analyses of these concentration patterns, especially from an international and comparative approach to the phenomenon. The digitisation of our daily lives generates big data that make possible avenues of research that were hitherto impossible, not only in detail and extent, but also in the nature of the questions to answer. In this article, we analyse Foursquare location-based social big data to quantify and spatialise clustering patterns of queer places and symbolic capital in four LGBTQ + neighbourhoods (Castro in San Francisco, Soho in London, Chueca in Madrid and Le Marais in Paris) and take similar spaces with no LGBTQ + identity as a reference. In doing so, the greater accumulation of symbolic capital in LGBTQ + spaces is revealed and measured in these four cities. In future, similar studies could capture trends like the gentrification of these environments, to help policy-makers make data-driven decisions to promote more inclusive and diverse cities.
... Out-migration from rural areas is motivated by various considerations, including the pursuit of further education and professional careers, better access to modern and urban amenities, and more generally an 'urban ethos' that celebrates the diversity, opportunities, and excitement of urban life (Bjarnason and Thorarinsdottir, 2018;Gabriel 2002;). In addition to such urban 'pull factors', however, close-knit traditional rural communities have been argued to drive young people away because of gender inequalities (Dahlstrom, 1996;, intolerance of sexual minorities (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Thorsteinsson et al, 2022), bullying and gossip . ...
Thesis
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This PhD thesis focuses on young women in small rural communities in Iceland and different social factors that influence their residence and residential satisfaction in these locations. Special emphasis is placed on the social control of gossip and the effects it has on women. The research is based on quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data was obtained by surveys conducted in Iceland in 2019-2020 in the project Residential Stability and Migration. The results show that the social control of gossip affects the migration intentions of both men and women. Those who perceive much gossip about their love life are twice as likely to have migration intentions than people who do not experience much gossip about their love- life. Of those who have already migrated to the Capital Region from rural areas, women who mention gossip as a reason for prior migration are statistically less likely to return than other migrants. Qualitative data comes from interviews conducted with women in small coastal communities in Iceland in 2019-2021. The interviews focused on gossip, and how the women perceive gossip in their community. The results show that there is gendered social control and slut-shaming in these small communities, where women’s freedom to enjoy privacy is restricted without being the subject of gossip. The women show avoidance behaviour whereby the fear of gossip and shaming affects their actions and behaviour. Single women especially experience strong social control when it comes to sexual activities and love life.
... Given that many rural spaces are seen by some scholars to be heteronormative (Annes and Redlin 2012;Bell and Valentine 1995;Gorman-Murray, Waitt, and Gibson 2008;Kramer 1995), perhaps my queer body is out of place; perhaps I cannot extend into this space (Ahmed 2006). en again, other scholars might ask me to muse on "what rurality can do rather than on what happens to queer people in rural locales," given that "queer, urban, and modern have been braided together to great e ect" (Crawford 2017: 908; see also Gray, Johnson, and Gilley 2016). ...
Article
Full-text available
Queer musicking is integral to queer lives and becoming. With this notion in mind, this paper recounts some of my experiences of queer musicking in a rural space, in straight spaces, and in proximity to disparate bodies. Through this approach, I explore how autoethnography might provide a queer perspective to musicking, as well as locate instances of queer musicking and queer-within-musicking. These events are important in contemporary times, as it is these moments that remind queer people of our agency and non-queer people of the need for greater social and environmental justice. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/MC/article/view/32759
... While most narratives of SGM geography describe a movement from rural to urban spaces out of a desire to leave a more restrictive culture to a more permissive and diverse one, a significant proportion of SGM people are now choosing to either stay in their rural community or return from the urban communities to live rurally. 44 Despite this, there remain significant barriers to access equitable care in rural communities due mostly to worsening physician shortages, 45,46 and for SGM populations, especially transgender people seeking gender affirming care, they are more likely to travel greater distances for equitable care and fear discrimination when accessing it. 47 LGB people have fewer community supports rurally as well, and EMS systems are still struggling to be as diverse as the population they serve. ...
Article
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Introduction Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) make up 4% of the Canadian population. Due to existing barriers to care in the community, SGM patients may seek more help and be sicker at presentation to hospital. Paramedics occupy a unique role and can remove or decrease these barriers. There are no existing evaluations of training programs in SGM health for prehospital providers. A training program to develop better allyship in paramedics toward SGM populations was developed and assessed. Methods A 70‐ to 90‐min mandatory, asynchronous, online training module in SGM health in the prehospital environment was developed and delivered via the emergency medical service (EMS) system's learning management system. A before‐and‐after study of cisgender, heterosexual, frontline paramedics was performed to measure the impact of the training module on the care of SGM patients. The validated Ally Identity Measure (AIM) tool was used to identify success of training and includes subscales of knowledge and skills, openness and support, and oppression awareness. Demographics and satisfaction scores were collected in the posttraining survey. Matched and unmatched pairs of surveys and demographic associations were analyzed using nonparametric statistics. Results Of 609 paramedics, 571 completed the training, and 239 surveys were completed before and 105 ( n = 344) surveys after the training; 60 surveys were paired. Overall AIM scores of matched pairs ( n = 60) improved by 12% ( p < 0.001), with knowledge and skills accounting for most of the increase (21%, p < 0.001). Unmatched pairs ( n = 344) were similar in demographics and scores. Rural paramedics also had significantly lower pretraining oppression awareness scores and had lower posttraining AIM scores compared to suburban paramedics (6% difference). Satisfaction scores rated the training as relevant and applicable (87% and 82%, respectively). Conclusions A novel prehospital training program in the care of SGM patients resulted in a statistically significant increase in allyship in cisgender, heterosexual‐identified frontline paramedics.
... For example, the rural sample in the current study included 79 gay/lesbian respondents (16 percent of the rural sample) and 97 bisexual respondents (20 percent of the rural sample). Thus, capturing the experiences of LGBTQ rural people is necessary in future work, as others have shown (Abelson 2016;Annes and Redlin 2012;Balay 2014;Boulden 2001;Forstie 2017;Gray 2009;Gray, Johnson, and Gilley 2016;Hoffelmeyer 2021;Rosenkrantz et al. 2017). For example, it would be fascinating to explore the role of media in LGBTQ rural people's lives and expand upon Mary Gray's (2009) seminal study that uncovered how rural LGBTQ youth utilized media in their identity work (for example, see Hubach et al. 2019). ...
Article
In‐depth explorations of LGBTQ attitudes among rural Americans are sparse and often rely upon sweeping stereotypes that cluster all perspectives into one broad statement such as “homophobia” in the country. As a result, little is known about the relationships between rurality and the stigmatization of LGBTQ people. In addition, though research demonstrates that men are less supportive of LGBTQ people than women are, these patterns are unclear among rural Americans. In the current study, data from a sample of U.S. adults aged 18–64 stratified by the U.S. census categories of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and census region collected from online panelists ( N = 2,802, n = 492 rural Americans) are utilized to investigate the relationships between rurality and attitudes toward lesbian women, gay men, bisexual women, bisexual men, trans women, trans men, nonbinary people, queer women, and queer men. Specifically, we offer a test of Norm‐Centered Stigma Theory with a focus on hetero‐cis‐normativity and intersecting experiences with social power (gender identity: cis women and cis men) as they relate to rurality and LGBTQ attitudes. Findings indicate that hetero‐cis‐normativity, rurality, and being a cisgender man are all significantly related to the stigmatization of LGBTQ people. Implications are provided.
... Discrimination cases have been frequently reported from these areas, which may indicate a higher rate of homonegativity [33]. Living in metropolitan areas can sometimes create a situation where LGBTQ+ individuals feel compelled to disclose their identities, even if they may not want to, due to limited acceptance [35]. These factors may contribute to a poorer attitude towards LGBTQ+ individuals among those from big cities such as Bangkok, providing a possible explanation for the association found in the study. ...
Article
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Background The global population of individuals with gender diversity or LGBTQ+ people is on the rise. However, negative attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals persist, even among healthcare professionals, creating barriers to healthcare access. These attitudes are influenced by cultural variations worldwide and necessitate investigation across diverse cultures and settings. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people and describe associated factors with being LGBTQ+ among Thai medical students. Methods During the 2021 academic year, a survey was conducted at a medical school in Bangkok, Thailand, collecting demographic data and attitudes measured by a standardised Thai questionnaire. Descriptive statistics as well as bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to describe characteristics and association. Results A total of 806 medical students participated, with a neutral attitude being the most prevalent (72.2%), followed by a positive attitude (27.2%), and a minority reporting a negative attitude (0.6%). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between positive attitudes and female sexual identity (aOR 2.02, 95%CI 1.45–2.81, p-value < 0.001), having LGBTQ+ family members (aOR 3.57, 95%CI 1.23–10.34, p-value = 0.019), having LGBTQ+ friend (aOR 1.46, 95%CI 1.02–2.11, p-value = 0.040), and coming from areas outside of Bangkok (aOR 1.41, 95%CI 1.01–1.97, p-value = 0.043). Conclusion Positive attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community are essential for physicians, emphasising the need to study factors that contribute to positive attitudes in order to foster an LGBTQ+-friendly environment for both patients and medical students.
... For example, post-war reconstruction efforts can help restore and redefine a city's urban identity [20]. Migration and demographic changes also affect urban identity, with new residents bringing their own cultural and social identities to the city [21]. ...
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Under the influence of rapidly changing global dynamics and urbanization, the unique identities of cities are in danger of being obscured by the monotony of uniform urban landscapes. In this context, emphasizing the critical importance of sustainable landscape planning, this article provides an in-depth perspective on how to preserve and contribute to the unique identities of cities. By considering different urban design approaches and techniques, the paper provides a detailed analysis of how sustainable landscape elements, ranging from natural vegetation conservation to modern stormwater management practices, can be incorporated into the urban landscape in an integrated manner. How these elements can act in synergy with a city's historical heritage, cultural values and ecological dynamics is explained with concrete examples. The findings reveal that sustainable landscape planning not only offers environmental benefits but also contributes to the revitalization of local culture and community pride by strengthening residents' attachment to the city. This also emphasizes the need to develop urban areas sustainably, not only physically but also emotionally and socio-culturally. It is therefore recommended that urban planners, architects and policymakers should adopt sustainable landscape planning approaches to preserve and enhance the distinctive identities of cities.
... Furthermore, few other minoritized and marginalized identities have been explored in current research on rural community college faculty. For instance, queer and trans* people can fnd rural areas to be discriminatory and not supportive (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Lee & Quam, 2013). Future scholarship should engage with how LGBTQIA+ identity and additional minoritized and marginalized identities interact with faculty development at rural community colleges. ...
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Hundreds of community colleges exist in rural contexts across the United States, yet we know little about the work and career development of the thousands of faculty employed at such institutions. Through a review of current literature, this article demonstrates how faculty at rural community colleges encounter specific factors in their professorial development because of these rural contexts in which their home institutions reside. From that literature, one can determine that factors playing a role in rural community college faculty development include (a) isolation and institution size, (b) multiple and multifaceted roles, (c) joy of working and engaging with students, (d) recruitment and retention of women faculty and faculty of color, and (d) recruitment and retention of academically qualified individuals. From those literature review findings, policy and practice recommendations around rural community college faculty are provided, such as creating and enhancing professional development opportunities and increasing recruitment and retention efforts for women faculty and faculty of color. In order to contribute more knowledge to supporting the development of rural community college-based faculty members, this article ends with future research ideas.
... On the consumption side of agricultural tourism, there is a growing segment of LGBT+ travelers seeking affirming and welcoming agritourism experiences, particularly those provided by LGBT+ agricultural entrepreneurs. LGBT+ populations often have a complex relationship with rural spaces (Gray et al., 2016), but many who leave their rural roots often still desire opportunities to return (Annes & Redlin, 2012). Rural tourism -including that associated with agritourism and aquatourism activities -provides an alternative for urbanite LGBT+ populations to maintain connections with rural spaces, and thus is a growing albeit poorly researched tourism market (Sousa e Silva et al., 2018;Toth & Mason, 2021). ...
Conference Paper
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Botswana's tourism industry is primarily wildlife based and concentrated in the northern parts of the country. Tourism product diversification has been put on the national agenda yet very little has been done on the ground. Even though Botswana has semi-arid climatic conditions, agriculture is considered one of the pillars of the economy. The key agricultural activities in the country are agronomy (particularly small grains like sorghum and millet) and animal (cattle, goats, sheep) ranching. The study explored the possibility of developing agritourism as a sustainable alternative to the traditional wildlife tourism product in Botswana. Using a qualitative approach, the study established the challenges and prospects of agritourism in Botswana by interviewing farmers as well as key informants from tourism and agricultural authorities in the country. Findings revealed that very few farmers are engaged in agritourism, and they encounter multiple challenges such as a lack of knowledge and financial resources. With adequate support, prospects are bright since farmers are embracing the new product.
... Therefore, the need to leave their families and relocate meets their need to strengthen their acceptance, find support for their identity, and form social support networks. In the cities far from home, the first sexual experiences and the first step of accepting one's sexuality occur (Annes and Redlin, 2012). ...
... Much of the literature about rural LGBTQ+ experiences relates to health care disparities (Ballard et al., 2017; see also Gilbert et al., 2020;Grundy et al., 2021;Henriquez & Ahmad, 2021;Whitehead et al., 2016), identity development and formation (Abelson, 2016;Agueli et al., 2021;Hulko & Hovanes, 2018;Kazyak, 2011), religious perspectives (Bailey et al., 2022;Barton & Currier, 2020;Woodell et al., 2015), access to services (Dahl et al., 2015;Hardy, 2021; see also Paceley et al., 2017), and migration both away from and toward urban areas (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Weston, 1995). Specifically, research on rural LGBTQ+ experiences has documented underutilization of healthcare resources by LGBTQ+ people due to lack of access in rural locales, lack of provider knowledge about LGBTQ+ specific issues, and experiences of invisibility, stigma, stereotyping, and invasiveness in medical settings, which all have a negative impact on physical health outcomes (Gilbert et al., 2020;Grundy et al., 2021;Henriquez & Ahmad, 2021;Whitehead et al., 2016). ...
Article
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While a growing body of literature has been devoted to addressing the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ youth, specific information related to LGBTQ+ youth in rural high schools is a topic in need of more attention. Utilizing the theory of LGBTQ+ minority stress and research specific to rural LGBTQ+ experiences, we explore the experiences of LGBTQ+ identities in rural Midwestern high schools. We investigate how LGBTQ+ students understand themselves and others within the context of their rural Midwestern high school education experiences. Finally, we use minority stress theory to frame rural LGBTQ+ student experiences as distal and proximal stressors related to the location of their minority sexual and gender identity within a rural environment. Interview data from two undergraduate and two graduate students were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants describe the rural LGBTQ+ student phenomenon as consisting of four major themes: (a) affirmative experiences, (b) antagonistic experiences, (c) antithetical experiences, and (d) engaging in advocacy. Implications for practice, education, and policy are further discussed.
... Our findings suggest those outside of the large urban area of Toronto appear to have more interest in coming out/sexual identity topics, and in particular, those in northern Ontario, a mostly remote region of the province, appear to be more interested in online information regarding condom use, dating and relationships, and issues regarding coming out. Under heteronormative surveillance and conservative cultural conditions (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Kennedy, 2010), rural and suburban GBM often struggle to find common gay community or choose to not identify with the LGBTQ community (Hubach et al., 2014;Kirkey & Forsyth, 2001) as geographical conditions reinforcing stigma and shame can inhibit access to sexual health resources and GBM related information (Preston & D'Augelli, 2013). Therefore, it seems sensical that GBM in rural locations would turn to the Internet as a medium to seek greater access to GBM-specific sexual health information as this may be less available in physical spaces, such as community centers or from healthcare workers. ...
Article
Objective This research aimed to understand the varying needs of diverse gay and bisexual men (GBM) in relation to online sexual health information-seeking dependent upon differing social sociodemographic variables and geographic location. Methods A total of 1802 GBM in Ontario participated in this study. Multivariable regressions were conducted to analyze differences in information-seeking based on ethnicity group, HIV status, recent sexual behavior and regionality (urban and rural location). Results There were significant differences in online sexual health information-seeking content based on these demographic variables. Conclusions Implications for sexual health outreach and service provision for diverse GBM are discussed as well.
... Evidence shows that MSM from rural communities can be especially susceptible to social estrangement [34] and hostility [35], as well as sexual isolation and stigma [36,37], and that rural MSM often have few identifiable venues where they can meet other MSM [33,35,38,39]. MSM who reside outside of large urban areas may use social networking and dating websites or mobile apps as a safe and convenient way to meet partners [35] and travel from, or to, nearby metropolitan centers to meet people contacted online [35,40,41]. These findings highlight the need for additional research on sexual behaviors and the use of various online tools for partner seeking among MSM across the urban and nonurban continuum. ...
Article
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Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) residing outside of large urban areas are underrepresented in research on online partner seeking and sexual behaviors related to transmission of HIV. Objective We aimed to determine associations between the use of the internet or social networking apps (online tools) to meet partners for sex, dating, or for both purposes (online partner seeking) and sexual behaviors among MSM residing in small and midsized towns in Kentucky, United States. Methods Using peer-referral sampling and online self-administered questionnaires, data were collected from 252 men, aged 18 to 34 years, who had recently (past 6 months) engaged in anal sex with another man and resided in Central Kentucky. Using multivariable logistic regression models, we assessed associations of online partner seeking and HIV-related sexual behaviors. Results Most (181/252, 71.8%) of the participants reported using online tools for partner seeking. Of these 181 respondents, 166 (91.7%) had used online tools to meet partners for sex (n=45, 27.1% for sex only; and n=121, 72.9% for sex and dating) and 136 (75.1%) had used online tools to meet partners for dating (n=15, 11% for dating only; and n=121, 89% for sex and dating). Adjusted analyses revealed that MSM who had engaged in condomless insertive and receptive anal intercourse were less likely to report online partner seeking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.22, 95% CI 0.07-0.68; P=.009 and aOR 0.25, 95% CI 0.10-0.66; P=.005, respectively). Increased number of insertive and receptive anal sex partners and substance use before or during sex were associated with higher odds of online partner seeking (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11-1.55; P=.001; aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.05-1.39; P=.008; and aOR 2.50, 95% CI 1.41-4.44; P=.002, respectively). Conclusions Among MSM who reside outside of large urban areas and practice online partner seeking, HIV risk-reduction interventions should address safer sex practices, including the risks for HIV transmission associated with alcohol or drug use before or during sex. MSM who do not practice online partner seeking are in need of continued outreach to reduce condomless anal sex.
... Cities, thus, provided an escape from homophobia or social control of the families-of-origin and small communities, and became the site of new identities and belongings (Brown et al., 2007;Weston, 1995). Adding further nuance to the stories of escape from rural oppression to urban freedom, researchers also focused on queer homes as spaces of comfort rather than on escape from childhood homes (Fortier, 2001;Gorman-Murray, 2009); emphasized nonlinear, segmented and ongoing nature of the coming-out journeys (Lewis, 2012), including stories of return and rural gay identifications (Annes and Redlin, 2012); or demonstrated the continuing emotional and socio-economic connections of migrants with families-of-origin (Luo, 2022;Wimark, 2016). Still, the narratives of transforming sexual subjectivities frequently remain closely tied to physical mobilities (Brown, 2000), with a change in social conditions functioning as a catalyst for coming out (Plummer, 1995). ...
Article
This study examines the role of migrations for sexual subjectivities, based on biographic narrative interviews with CEE LGB migrants married or raising children with a same-sex partner in Belgium and the Netherlands. Migrants’ experiences highlight the salience of the migration-as-liberation with the empowering role of new beginnings in LGB-protective countries. At the same time, migrants’ stories also challenge this liberation tale, especially when situated within transnational family relations. In this context, migration and post-migration junctures differently impact sexual subjectivities, demonstrating fragmentations and non-linearity, and highlighting how migrations are only potentially transformative, with an important role played by full access to intimate citizenship.
... Therefore, the need to leave their families and relocate meets their need to strengthen their acceptance, find support for their identity, and form social support networks. In the cities far from home, the first sexual experiences and the first step of accepting one's sexuality occur (Annes and Redlin, 2012). ...
Article
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The study investigates how the territorial community can influence the individual and social well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) youth and especially the recognition of their feelings and the construction of their own identity as well as their needs to be socially recognized. This research focuses on the experiences of 30 LGB individuals (23 males and 7 females), with a mean age of 25.07 years (SD = 4,578), living in urban and rural areas of Southern Italy. Focalized open interviews were conducted, and the Grounded Theory Methodology, supported by the Atlas.ti 8.0 software, was used for data analysis. The textual material was first coded, and then codes were grouped into five macro-categories: Freedom of identity expression in the urban and rural context, identity construction and acceptance process, need of aggregation and identification with the LGB community, role of the interpersonal relationship in the process of identity acceptance, socio-cultural context, and LGB psychological well-being. The results showed a condition common to the two contexts that we can define as “ghettoization.” The young LGB is alone in the rural area due to a lack of places and people to identify with and greater social isolation. On the contrary, although there are more opportunities in the urban area, young people feel stigmatized and ghettoized because “their places” are frequented exclusively by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer (LGBTQ) community. The work will extensively discuss the limitations of the research, future proposals, and the practical implications of the results.
... In fact, rates of identity concealment are more prevalent among bisexual elders (compared to their lesbian and gay counterparts) and transgender elders (compared to their cisgender LGB counterparts) due to unique layers of stigma faced both outside of and within the SGM community , 2017a. Further, SGM elders of colour and those in rural communities may be even more likely to conceal their identities across settings due to cultural influences (Connally et al., 2013;Gonzalez, 2019;Meyer, 2010;Woody, 2014) and rates of heterosexist and transphobic discrimination (Annes & Redlin, 2012;Moradi et al., 2010). ...
Article
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Sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) elders who have lost or expect to lose a partner or loved one are at elevated risk for experiencing hidden or disenfranchised grief due to historical and current stigmatizing social structures that lead to identity concealment. Identity concealment is associated with a range of negative health (e.g., depression, anxiety) and psychosocial (e.g., social isolation, lower sense of belonging) outcomes that may adversely affect one’s ability to cope with and recover from loss, yet little is known about the association between identity concealment and complicated grief. Guided by two empirically supported, complementary frameworks (i.e., minority stress theory and relational-cultural theory), this theoretical review increases understanding and awareness of identity concealment as a risk factor for complicated grief and other poor bereavement outcomes among SGM elders, with special consideration for intersections of gerodiversity. Such knowledge can help health professionals, policymakers, and other agents of change develop culturally responsive interventions that foster social, psychological, and physical well-being among bereaved SGM elders.
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This article delves into the motivations and aspirations of students from post‐Soviet countries who opted for education in Sweden amid the COVID‐19 pandemic. In stark contrast to most nations which enforced stringent lockdown measures to curb the transmission of the coronavirus, Sweden adopted a relatively laissez‐faire approach, keeping significant sectors of society operational. While Sweden's strategy garnered considerable global scrutiny and critique, the students in this study exhibited a notable lack of apprehension regarding the global health crisis or Sweden's controversial approach to the pandemic. For these students, the COVID‐19 pandemic primarily manifested as a practical impediment to their forthcoming academic endeavours. Conversely, they perceived various enduring societal challenges in their countries of origin–such as unemployment, anxiety and distrust towards governmental authorities, and even armed conflict–as possessing a more entrenched and formidable nature, posing a greater threat to their overall well‐being. Against this backdrop, Sweden emerged as a perceived sanctuary capable of reinstating a state of ontological security, especially for the students identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community and with political convictions frowned upon by the government of their home country. By focusing on the narratives of these individuals and adopting a conceptual framework that views ‘crisis’ as a relational construct, this study sheds light on the divergent experiences and perceptions of the COVID‐19 pandemic among international student cohorts. This approach underscores the nuanced and context‐dependent nature of their responses to the pandemic, emphasising the imperative of empirically accounting for these variations.
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The Cambridge Handbook of Environmental Sociology is a go-to resource for cutting-edge research in the field. This two-volume work covers the rich theoretic foundations of the sub-discipline, as well as novel approaches and emerging areas of research that add vitality and momentum to the discipline. Over the course of sixty chapters, the authors featured in this work reach new levels of theoretical depth, incorporating a global scope and diversity of cases. This book explores the broad scope of crucial disciplinary ideas and areas of research, extending its investigation to the trajectories of thought that led to their unfolding. This unique work serves as an invaluable tool for all those working in the nexus of environment and society.
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Cet article vise à comprendre la manière dont les minorités sexuelles et de genre parviennent à négocier un accès à la ville de Beyrouth en s’appropriant et en s’aménageant l’espace-temps de la voiture lors de leurs déplacements nocturnes. Fondée sur une enquête ethnographique, la présente étude repose sur des entretiens semi-directifs et des observations participantes mobiles réalisés dans le cadre plus général d’une thèse sur les stratégies spatiales des minorités sexuelles et de genre à Beyrouth. Malgré les lourdes pesanteurs sociales et juridiques du contexte libanais, les subjectivités et les sociabilités qui prennent place au bord de la voiture attestent de l’agentivité de cette population minoritaire à transgresser les normes sexuelles et genrées établies. Cette transgression est rendue possible par un savoir-faire conséquent de la ville qui permet d’éviter et de contourner différents rappels à l’ordre. En raison de ses caractéristiques spatiotemporelles éphémères et à la fois intérieures et extérieures, l’espace-temps de la voiture mobile s’apparente à un « entre-lieux » qui donne à voir un espace rassurant mouvant et à micro-échelle dans l’espace urbain. Ainsi, l’entre-lieux de la voiture laisse entrevoir un accès minoritaire à la ville par la mobilité, ce qui incite à réinterroger certaines visions binaires et statiques des lieux et en particulier ceux des safe spaces qui se trouvent au sein de la géographie du genre et des sexualités.
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Academics are becoming more thoughtful on where they want to live as the culture war on queerness has entered higher education. Universities, in order to recruit the best and the brightest, need to consider how to create an environment that retains and attracts diverse talent. In this article, we examine how to recruit and support LGBTQIA+ faculty, acknowledging that universities are part of wider cultural and political forces. We use heteronormativities, creative class, and queer geographies to better understand the current state of the LGBTQIA+ community. We start by exploring the heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions about the community. We link university and creative class cultures and their impact on town-gown queer realities. Finally, we conclude with a look at the different steps a university can take to make their organization a more welcoming and inclusive place for LGBTQIA+ faculty and their families.
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Remy’s character arc in Ratatouille follows his journey from rural secrecy to a celebrated urban openness, a narrative that I propose intrinsically parallels that of many queer adolescents. Through Remy’s alternative masculinity, and queer narrative tropes such as the ‘closet’, ‘coming out’ and an alternative gaze, Ratatouille codifies Remy’s otherness firmly within the realms of queerness. Given The Walt Disney Company’s recent fluctuant response to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, it is worth engaging with the comparison between Remy’s culinary otherness and contemporary cultural understandings of the queer male, so as to understand how Disney has recently managed to balance the tightrope between LGBT representation and conservatism. Through a deployment of studies on queer otherness, literary connotations of rats, and ‘food porn’, this article explores the ways in which a mass media conglomerate like Disney has subconsciously mobilized alternative sexuality and the stories of non-normative identities in recent history. In doing so, we see that Remy’s otherness is abundantly delineated as queer, though rid of its sociopolitical subtext in order to appeal to the largest possible audience.
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This paper examines the queer rural spaces in Julie Murphy’s 2021 young adult novel Pumpkin. In particular, it explores the concepts of rural-urban binaries, rural out-migration, and drag culture as they are related to the LGBTQ+ community. The author argues that Pumpkin creates a portrait of modern rural communities that confutes previous assumptions that queer people don’t exist in rural spaces, and if they do, they must leave in order to find acceptance and community.
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Cet article propose de réfléchir aux rapports entre centre et périphérie à partir des usages des applications de rencontre gays, c’est-à-dire dédiées à des rencontres homosexuelles masculines. Celles-ci permettent en effet de faire facilement des rencontres en dehors des centralités homosexuelles traditionnelles, largement concentrées dans les grandes villes. La visibilité de ces institutions communautaires a alimenté un imaginaire valorisant les espaces centraux métropolitains au détriment des espaces périphériques à différentes échelles (banlieues, espaces périurbains), décrits comme des espaces peu propices, voire hostiles, aux minorités sexuelles et de genre. Mais si ces applications géolocalisées rendent visibles les co-proximités entre les individus, l’intensité de ces co-proximités est très inégale, puisque le nombre de profils à proximité diminue très rapidement au fur et à mesure que l’on s’éloigne des espaces centraux. Les usagers sont très sensibles à ces variations. Pourtant, leur constat ne s’accompagne pas d’une perception uniforme des espaces urbains comme des espaces d’opportunités. Des rapports socialement différenciés aux espaces centraux comme périphériques se révèlent ainsi.
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The literature regarding the life course and queer migration has shown that many gay men and lesbians seek large cities to live their lives away from the prying eyes of their families and build their sexual identity. In the global south, little is known about the effects that sexuality can have on the migratory trajectories of individuals. In that sense, what happens to the lives of those that have never left their hometowns and have had to find ways to experience their sexuality in these places. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to discuss queer migration, the impact on the lives of the individuals that left their hometowns, others that at one point came back and those that never left in the first place. Based on 21 life course interviews with self-identified LGB individuals in small/medium towns in Brazil, this paper shows how aspects such as closeness to family, educational trajectory, financial stability affects the migration trajectories of LGB individuals that live in small/medium cities. The results show that families are an important influence in the decision-making to migrate, to stay or to return to your hometown.
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Regional explicit and implicit bias are associated with real-world discrimination and marginalization. We extended this research area by focusing on sexual minorities and where same-gender couples live. Using data on 2,939 U.S. counties from Project Implicit and other publicly available sources, we found that measures with known associations with systemic anti-lesbian, gay, and bisexual (anti-LGB) bias are similarly associated with regional implicit and explicit anti-LGB bias. Furthermore, we found that fewer same-gender couples reside in counties with more explicit and implicit anti-LGB bias, above and beyond other factors that likely influence same-gender-couple residency. These findings further suggest that explicit and implicit measures of regional bias are capturing similar, if not the same, construct of a region's culture of bias toward particular groups. Couched specifically within the ongoing systemic political antagonization of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) community, these findings also highlight the importance of considering contextual (in addition to individual) factors that reinforce systemic inequality.
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This chapter explores the experiences of men who have romantic and sexual relationships with men, who live or have lived in projects in France. By mobilising interviews with men contacted via gay dating applications, the chapter focuses on territorial representations, the myths associated with them, and the way in which the relationship between the city and peri-urban spaces shapes the individuals’ daily experiences. The aim of this research is, therefore, to test the representations that construct gay mobilities, where urban space would play a major role in the construction of its own identity, and this, without considering a possible return or a life within “peripheral” spaces. This work demonstrates by analysing life stories that a homosexual life, made up of gay experiences and places, exists within these territories, but that it remains shaped by multiple economic, family and spatial constraints.KeywordsMobilityComing out Banlieue SexualityVillage
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Big metropolises are usually represented as places of liberation, struggle and encounter for LGBT people and are normally the focus of research on the LGBT community, in comparison to small and medium villages, which are often neglected as the focus of research. In this chapter, I focus on the LGBT collective and their experiences, perception of discrimination and (in)visibility strategies in a Catalan region, Bages. The methodology is based on the Relief Maps, which systematically compare the experiences in different places of the everyday life for people differently positioned in relation to several axes of discrimination and inequality. The results contribute to the understanding of the role of space and of emotions in the processes of heteronormalization of the everyday life in a non-metropolitan area. Moreover, some geographic insights on the perceived conservative character of the region are also developed with the aim of challenging hierarchies regarding the urban/rural divide.KeywordsUrban/rural dividePublic/private divideRelief maps methodConservative regionHeteronormativityCatalonia
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This paper analyzes the migration patterns of gay men and lesbians in Brazil and seeks to show if they differ from those of heterosexuals. The common understanding is that gay men and lesbians are concentrated in more developed parts of the country especially in major cities. However, in this study, I show that gay men and lesbians migrate mostly to medium‐sized cities, as do heterosexuals following the internal migration patterns in recent decades in Brazil. Although, compared to heterosexuals, gay men and lesbians still migrate more to large cities. Therefore, when moving beyond the Global North, the migration patterns of gay men and lesbians differ with an emphasis of flows to medium‐sized cities as opposed to concentrating to larger cities like in the Global North. Lastly, the results show that gay men, lesbians and heterosexuals have different migration patterns suggesting that sexuality could be a defining factor in internal migration.
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Rural areas have long been represented as unwelcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. However, demographic trends show that lesbians are more likely than gay men to live in rural Australia, especially as they age. Despite this, little is known about lesbians’ motivations for living in these areas, how they experience rural communities, or what aspects of rural places support positive ageing for this group. Lesbian and feminist geographies highlight how lesbians have often cultivated socio-political links with the natural world. Building on this work, in this article we explore how older lesbians experience place-based belonging in rural communities and the role of more-than-human actors in fostering a sense of home. Through in-depth interviews with 13 women over 55 and participant-produced photography, we identified three overarching themes: (1) More-than-human Community; (2) Gardening as Placemaking and Community Building;(3) Belonging and Acknowledging Risk. In contrast with notions of lesbians as being ‘out of place’ in rural communities, we argue that belonging is established both through human and more-than-human kinships formed in rural places. By visually representing their lives in rural communities, our participants challenged the invisibility of older lesbians and demonstrated how the rural can offer rich possibilities for multi-species futures.
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Pride events challenge hegemonic notions of sexuality and gender within places they are held. This is particularly the case in rural communities that are perceived, rightly or wrongly, as prejudices towards individuals with a diverse sexuality or gender identity. However, while academic literature has extensively explored Pride events within an urban context, limited attention has been paid to the rural context, and still little to those in their infancy. This paper examines how stakeholders responded to the cancellation of a Pride event in the Australian rural township of Wagga Wagga due to COVID19. The pandemic, in this context, provided an opportunity to understand attitudes towards the event and its cancellation. Through this process, eight topics were identified as: council funding, cancellation as homophobic, last-minute cancellation, cancellation regretted, cancellation supported, organisers acknowledged, LGBTIQI+, and Pride event. Based on these findings, implications for the cancellation of social contentious events in response to such circumstances are identified. These implications suggest the need for a more considered approach to communicating about the cancellation to prevent allegations of prejudice and demonstrate the value of such events.
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Academic literature has typically taken a metro-centric perspective to studying LGBTQI+ pride events; with limited attention being paid to rural LGBTQI+ pride events, particularly from an organisation perspective. This study addresses this gap by developing a framework to assist with the organisation of pride events in rural communities. Ten experts with experience of organising such events in rural communities were interviewed. The aim of the interview was to identify the components that needed to be managed when organising such an event and considerations relevant to implementing each component. Seventeen components were identified that needed to be addressed at different points in the event organisation process – that is before the event, during the event, and after the event. Based on these components, the Rural Pride Event Organisation Framework is put forward.
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This article explores the dynamics between the structure of overarching gendered social relations and the practice of gendered identities in the cultural space of one particular tourist destination, Magaluf on the Mediterranean Island of Mallorca. Although there have been many studies concerning constructions of gendered identity in tourism, these have tended to examine sexual relations rather than everyday touristic practice. The data are drawn from several months of ethnographic fieldwork, which involved the production of maps of the resort. The position of the researcher is used in a reflexive analysis of the maps postfieldwork. The article demonstrates how the resort is encoded in the assignation of place names with an idealized type of masculinity that excludes women from the public sphere and furthermore how elements of touristic practice serve to reinforce ideas of women as sexual objects and belonging to the domestic sphere.
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This article discusses the implications of an ethnographer’s sexuality with regard to his fieldwork. Adopting a self-reflexive stance, the author discusses how his queer identity and the fear of repercussions against his intellectual and physical body affected his fieldwork. As a native Brazilian, he was still an outsider in the rural community in which he did his fieldwork. But more than his outsider status, his memories of growing up in the closet in Brazil informed some of his research choices and shaped his reactions to the experience of returning to the closet to conduct research in a community where machista attitudes, notions of queerness, and his own internalized homophobia positioned his queer self as an outsider.
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This article examines the construction of multiple gendered and national identities in the Israeli army. In Israel, hegemonic masculinity is identified with the masculinity of the Jewish combat soldier and is perceived as the emblem of good citizenship. This identity. I argue, assumes a central role in shaping a hierarchal order of gendered and civic identities that reflects and reproduces social stratification and reconstructs differential modes of participation in, and belonging to, the Israeli state. In-depth interviews with two marginalized groups in the Israeli army—women in “masculine” roles and male soldiers in blue-collar jobs—suggest two discernible practices of identity. While women in “masculine” roles structure their gender and national identities according to the masculinity of the combat soldier, the identity practices of male soldiers in blue-collar jobs challenge this hegemonic masculinity and its close link with citizenship in Israel. However, while both identity practices are empowering for the groups in question, neither undermines the hegemonic order, for the military's practice of “limited inclusion” prohibits the development of a collective consciousness that would challenge the differentiated structure of citizenship.
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Discussions of the intranational migration of sexual dissidents have focused on rural-to-urban movement, and have largely conceptualized ‘queer migration’ through a symbolic rural–urban binary, consequently normalizing rural-to-urban displacement while eliding the real diversity of queer relocations. There is also a strong suggestion of teleological and ontological finality in the normalization of rural-to-urban relocation narratives, intimating a once-and-for-all emergence from the rural ‘closet’. To elicit greater complexity, I suggest that the explanatory scale of queer migration should be downsized from fixed rural–urban contrasts to the actual movement of the queer body through space. To this end I rethink ‘queer migration’ as an ‘embodied queer identity quest’, suggesting that while ‘coming out’ often underpins relocation decisions, the personal, embodied and individualistic nature of this experience generates movement on a variety of paths and scales. Arguably most important among these are peripatetic migrations, which most tellingly counter the teleology of rural-to-urban models. Moreover, in evoking embodied displacements predicated on ‘coming out’, I seek to contemplate the possible affects of bodily sexual desires in shaping the contours of queer migration.
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The present paper examines the complex politics of gay/lesbian belonging through a case study of Daylesford, Victoria, an Australian country town. It contributes to two research bodies: gay/lesbian rural geographies and the politics of belonging. Daylesford hosts ChillOut, Australia's largest rural gay/lesbian festival, which provides a telling context for investigating gay/lesbian belonging in rural Australia. We use qualitative data from the 2006 ChillOut Festival, including interviews with local residents, newspaper commentaries, and visitors’ surveys, to explore how Daylesford has been constructed, imagined, and experienced as a ‘unique’ site of gay/lesbian belonging in rural Australia. We find that ChillOut crucially contributes to its wider reputation as a gay-friendly country town, but also, we argue, to the contested nature of gay/lesbian belonging. This was most powerfully demonstrated by the local council's refusal to fly the gay-identified rainbow flag on the Town Hall during the 2006 Festival and its subsequent banning of the display of all festival flags from that key public building. Because ChillOut was the catalyst for this protocol, the resolution was viewed as homophobic. Indeed, the homophobic and heterosexist rhetoric that ensued in the Letters to the Editor section of the local newspaper revealed some residents’ underlying antagonism towards ChillOut and the local gay/lesbian community. Moreover, appealing to a shared ‘Australian identity’ and associated normative ‘family values’, these letter writers deployed a multi-scalar politics of belonging, where a sense of gay/lesbian belonging to Daylesford at the local scale was contested by the assertion of a ‘more meaningful’ national scale of allegiance fashioned by heteronormativity.
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Ever since the time of ancient Athens and the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, homosexuality has been associated with the city. Historians over the past decade have chronicled urban gay and lesbian groups in Renaissance Italy, Enlightenment France and Britain, and modern America and Australia, and social scientists have also identified emerging gay communities in Asia. Their researches show how homosexuals formed urban networks of sociability and solidarity, and how the presence of such minority communities impacted on urban development from Castro Street to Soho. Homosexuals often moved to cities to escape the sexual and social constraints of traditional life, and they played a major role in transforming the city and in creating a particular urban ethos. The city, in turn, is the site for the construction of much contemporary gay and lesbian culture.
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Critical perspectives on space and spatiality have been underdeveloped theoretically and underapplied empirically in the context of queer studies (including queer theory). In this paper we demonstrate how critical perspectives on one form of spatiality, diffusion, can enhance understandings of queer cultures, identities, and politics. We begin by reviewing traditional approaches to diffusion within geography and explicating a specifically queer approach to the topic. Our approach builds on existing critical perspectives and certain principles of structurationism. We then apply this approach to our empirical research and activism in two very different locales: Duluth, Minnesota, and Seattle, Washington. In so doing we illustrate the complex and nuanced spatialities of heteronormative power and resistances to it.
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In this paper the author proposes a precise and grounded focus to study the formation of a particular regime of gendered commerce in one area of London during the 1980s. The study demonstrates the ways in which a distinctive grouping of media professionals and cultural entrepreneurs occupied a pivotal role in the transformations taking place in Soho during this period. Shifts in the material and symbolic structures of social space were central to this process of urban change, which drew on earlier representations of city life to claim cultural authority. It was this metropolitan regime which actively shaped the production of a series of identifiable masculine identities. Such personas were plural and diverse, rather than unified and monolithic. The product of different masculine communities in the area, they were linked by consumer culture, but differentiated by their access to heterosocial or homosocial space. -from Author
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This paper explores ideas of masculinity and femininity as articulated in the representation of the rural landscape among farm families in a community of Southern France. It is shown that the local discourses of the farming landscape emphasise the embodied inherited relationship between the farmer and the land. In these discourses, the good farmer is one who has an innate understanding of nature. This sympathetic feel for the land is associated with traditional peasant farming. In contrast, the alienated and exploitative attitude of the bad farmer towards nature is associated with modern agriculture. It is argued that this rhetoric of landscape and identity reproduces patriarchal ideologies which exclude and marginalise women from farming. The real farmer can only be a man because only men are seen as having this natural connection with the land. Women in contrast are defined by their lack of connection to farming and the land. Through an analysis of discourse, it is shown how an imagery of earth and blood constitutes a cultural idiom which legitimates men's mastery over nature and women.
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1996 saw the publication of Frédéric Martel’s Le Rose et le noir, a comprehensive study of three decades of gay life in metropolitan France. The predominantly anti-communitarian stance adopted by Martel in the epilogue to the first edition of his work had evolved, by the time of the book’s publication en poche in 2000, into a more nuanced view of the interactions and intersections between queer and republican identities in contemporary France. This development was influenced, in large part, by concrete changes which took place over the second half of the 1990s, centring around the introduction of the PACS in 1999, and leading to an ever-broadening debate. This paper will begin by setting forth the ways in which Martel’s position changed and analysing the attitudinal, social, and legislative backdrop which paved the way for such a change to occur. It will then bring Martel’s work into a dialogue with the writings of Eric Fassin and Maxime Foerster, both of whom have, like Martel, offered crucial analyses of the place of queer citizens within the contemporary French republic. Particular attention will first be paid to the ways in which Fassin, in his writings, has underlined the salience of the ‘droit du sol/droit du sang’ debate, traditionally associated with questions of ethnic belonging, in light of public and political discussions revolving around questions of queer kinship raised by the introduction of the PACS. This will lead into an examination of Foerster’s assertion that gay citizens of the Republic, in the era of the PACS, find themselves in a role previously held by women, in other words, as elements that require integration within a republican model. Foerster argues that this requirement to integrate is indicative of the fact that the traditional republican claim that the citizen is a blank canvas is at best misguided, and, at worst, has been deliberately subverted. This paper will examine the manner in which Martel and Fassin’s observations can be used to further strengthen the points raised by Foerster, concluding with the latter that a true engagement with the issues raised by debates around queer citizenship over the past decade can, in fact, allow the contemporary republican citizen to ‘devenir ceux [qu’il] est’. In other words, the article will conclude that the potential impact of the PACS legislation and the broader discussions it has provoked could be a renegotiation of the relationship between queer citizens and the republic.
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Abstract In this paper I explore cultural constructions of “rural gay masculinity,” focusing first on the stereotype of the “rustic sodomite” seen in a number of Hollywood movies; second, on the construction of an idyllic Eden in the gay imaginary; and third, on gendered and sexualized performances among members of the men's movement and the “radical fairies.” In doing so, I suggest how the rural/urban divide is meshed, in complex and distinct ways, with homosexual/heterosexual and masculine/feminine dichotomies in cultural texts and practices. Set against these representations, of course, are the lives of homosexual men born and raised in the country: I discuss accounts of the lives of “farm boys” as a way of contextualizing and complexifying the dominant modes of representation outlined. In all of these portrayals, “rural gay masculinity” is figured in distinct ways, especially in relation to urban effeminacy. I end by calling for further exploration of these issues in an effort to more fully theorize the cultural meanings and experiences of “rural gay masculinity.”
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This paper examines the relationship between rurality and heterosexuality. It argues that in discussing the spatialisation of sexual identity in rural areas, previous research has concentrated either on homosexuality or masculinity in isolation. As is common in research generally, little attention has been given to the construction and performance of heterosexuality. Using two case study examples, one from the UK and one from New Zealand, the paper examines the centrality of conventional notions of heterosexuality to rural (and particularly farming) relationships. It suggests that ideas about the suitability of partners and spouses conform to highly traditional notions of heterosexuality. This particularly evident in the context of farming masculinities and the relationship between 'natural' masculinity and acceptable femininity. Ideas about the farmer's wife are shown to incorporate highly conventional assumptions not only about gender role but also feminine sexuality.
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This article examines the relationship between the sexuality and understandings of nature. Employing a case of ‘romance’ in ‘outback’ Australia, we dissolve the boundaries between ‘nature’ and ‘society’ to show some of the varied ways in which the construction and performance of heterosexuality is shaped by (and is integral to) dominant ways of knowing nature. In practical terms, we draw on a reality TV series in which single men in ‘outback’ Australia (‘bush bachelors’) advertise for potential partners (‘sheilas’) from the UK. The series charts the development of the relationships as they are played out in remote parts of Western Australia. In this article we critically read the series and draw out three key themes characterising the relationality of nature and heterosexuality. Initially, we look at how nature frames the expectation and reality of sexual relationships in the ‘outback’, particularly in terms of its power and hostility. We then explore the centrality of nature to constructions of ‘outback’ masculinity and the way such constructions dominate the heterosexual relationships that develop between the couples. Finally, we show how a further dynamic of the nature/sexuality relationship involves the expectation of a particular kind of femininity as appropriate to the physical, social and cultural nature of the ‘outback’.
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This paper focuses on the representation of post-productive countryside in Finland by exploring how the rural is presented in the context of second home tourism. Being an integral part of rural areas and their history, second homes are an established example of the post-productive consumption of countryside. The international and Finnish literature on rural images provides the theoretical framework for the paper. Research on rural visions has been active in recent years with an emphasis on the Anglocentric interpretations of the rural idyll. This paper contributes to this discussion by providing an empirical review of Finnish popular discourses of second homes. The review is based on an analysis of second-home owners' motives and media representations. The second home countryside is analysed as a farmscape, wildscape and activityscape. The results suggest that the Finnish second home landscape is seen as wilderness (1), life at second homes imitates visions of traditional rural life (2), and the environment is used for traditional consumptive and leisure activities (3).
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The existence of a ‘rural idyll’ has been widely accepted by social scientists working within the rural field. Yet the term itself has received relatively little critical attention. In particular, the variable characteristics and impacts of the rural idyll amongst different groups within the rural population has been largely overlooked. The cultural turn in rural geography and the emphasis which has recently been placed on identifying and studying the rural ‘other’ provides an important opportunity for the notion of a rural idyll to be unpacked from the perspective of different rural dwellers. This paper investigates the role of the rural idyll in maintaining rural gender relations. It examines women's attitudes towards and experiences of two key elements of the rural idyll; the family and the community. Drawing on material from interviews with women in rural Avon in the south west of England, the paper shows how women's identity as ‘rural women’ is closely tied in to their images and understanding of rural society. It is argued, in particular, that the opportunities available and acceptable to women are built on very strong assumptions and expectations about motherhood and belonging within a rural community. Some of the more practical implications of these expectations are explored in the context of women's involvement in the community and in the labour market.
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This study examines the geography of the population of gay men located in the Connecticut River Valley area of Massachusetts where, by the 1990s, a significant minority lived on the metropolitan edge and in rural towns. Previous research has focused on the rich social life of urban gay men or on the isolation of those in rural areas. In contrast, in this study, interview data indicated that many gay men have created a way of life that was gay, non-urban and home centered, with gay men integrated into the larger community. Interviewees described their fives in the region as being positively affected by a level of tolerance. if not complete acceptance, more often associated with large urban centers. Gay men's attitudes toward the relatively large and public lesbian population in the region were complicated. The legacy of lesbian separatism from the 1970s and early 1980s caused some division, and there had been some resentment on the part of gay men in being the less visible and powerful part of the gay and lesbian population. However, in the Valley lesbians had done much of the hard work of increasing acceptance of lesbian and gay people. and recently gay men and lesbians have collaborated on significant projects, Overall, a gay male culture has formed at relatively low densities indicating both the diversity of rural areas and the de-linking of gay social networks from urban cores and the presence of self-conscious diversity in rural areas.
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Studies of rural life and lifestyles have yet to seriously address issues of sexuality. This paper outlines some of the experiences of lesbians and gay men who live in the countryside. It begins by tracing the history of the relationship between homosexuality and rurality in fiction and film, paying particular attention to the role of rural utopias in the lesbian and gay imagination. The paper then goes on to consider the structural difficulties experienced by those gay men and women who are born and raised in rural areas, and the lifestyles of those who choose to move to country locations in an attempt to create alternative communes. The paper ends with discussion of the ethics researching ‘rural others’.
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The urban biases of empirical research on gay men, women, and families have resulted in minimal knowledge about gay people in rural settings. The diversity of lives of rural gay women and men and the variety of patterns of meeting the challenges of rural living are described. Processes of help-seeking and help-giving are discussed and the need for a helping community of family, friends, and caring others is affirmed. Collaboration between rural gay people and rural community psychologists is suggested to promote the development of helping communities for gay people and thereby initiate a process of change in rural settings.
Article
The formation of lesbian and gay identity and community in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts was greatly shaped by social changes and trends in gender ideology which originated outside the region. Safe and supportive space for the exploration of homosexual identity was limited and limiting, as gay and lesbian residents turned to homoerotic communities away from the area to try to come to terms with and act out their same-sex desires. Gay men and lesbians in the Valley began to generate self-affirming and politically oriented institutions, however, within the context of the radical political culture of the 1960s.
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This study describes thematically the life experiences of 20 gay men in the rural setting of northern New England and examines what coping skills they have evolved. A qualitative study was undertaken, so that the researchers could learn of rural gay men in their own words, particularly in terms of how they understood their life experiences. This material was analyzed and 9 common themes were discovered. In descending order of frequency of occurrence in subjects' narratives, the themes are: early awareness of difference, internalized homophobia, positive aspects of rural living, negative aspects of rural living, positive family of choice, compulsory heterosexuality, isolation, current life partner, and family censorship.
Article
In recent years, geographers and urban sociologists have sought to map and understand the emergence and development of lesbian and gay spaces within the city - popularly dubbed 'the scene'. It is often asserted that the city is a space of sexual liberation and that specifically the 'scene' can play an important part in lesbian and gay men's identity formation and development. However, despite the range and richness of the academic literature on the production and emergence of lesbian and gay urban spaces, relatively little attention has been paid to the actual role of the scene in the 'coming out' process and the way young lesbians and gay men negotiate transitions to adulthood. This article addresses this neglect by drawing on empirical work with lesbians and gay men in the UK to explore what the scene has meant to them. In the first half of the article we focus on the positive roles that the scene can play in helping young people to find themselves as they make the transition from childhood to adulthood. In the second half of the article we consider the risks that they can encounter in the process. We conclude by reflecting on the scene as a paradoxical space, and on the implications of this research for the youth transitions and urban studies literatures, and for social policy. Copyright (c) Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2003.
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"Building on previous work by Castells, and Adler and Brenner, I explore the public character of a lesbian concentration in the Connecticut River Valley region of Massachusetts. From the late 1980s this area has gained national media attention for its lesbian population. Using a number of data sources I examine how lesbian residences and services are distributed in the Valley. I find a strong service core in the small city of Northampton, but residences, while showing some clustering around Northampton, reach well into a rural hinterland. In these rural towns lesbians live at low physical densities while forming relatively high proportions of the towns' populations. Unlike previous studies of gay male and lesbian space that have tended to focus on center cities, this paper starts to chart this space on the low-density, semi-rural edge of a metropolitan area. Previous studies of residential concentrations of gay and lesbian persons have also found highly visible gay male territories - sometimes with a lesbian minority - but showed lesbians forming social networks or somewhat underground concentrations. Several parts of the Valley area are different; comprising a visibly lesbian space. This paper contributes to analyses of diverse populations in contemporary metropolitan and exurban regions and to discussions of methods in research on lesbian and gay populations." Copyright Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishers Ltd 1997.