Progay/Antigay: The Rhetorical War Over SexualityCombining humanistic rhetorical criticism with social scientific concepts, Ralph R. Smith and Russel R. Windes examine how the discourse of the progay/antigay debate shapes the self-understanding and strategies of the two opposing sides. The struggle over issues such as lesbians and gay men serving openly in the military, same-sex marriage, and inclusion of "sexual orientation" in anti-discrimination and hate crime laws have evolved along with the development of rival progay and traditionalist antigay communities. In the process of presenting their arguments to the wider society, the two sides exercise extraordinary influence on each other. As a result of the public policy debates, the progay movement has moved toward an essentialist, non-sexual identity, while the traditionalists have shifted toward a secular public self-representation. Progay/Antigay also analyzes the internal disagreements within the two movements. The same-sex marriage debate illustrates important dimensions of the contest over sexuality. The authors examine rhetorical strategy and counter-strategy in this specific institutional context. Progay/Antigay also discusses how the study of the variant sexuality issue provides the opportunity to assess paths for reconciliation and to judge concepts of political pluralism and multiculturalism. |
From inside the book
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... claims " through symbolic action . Therefore , we have attempted to discipline our own preferences among these claims and their political consequences . Our emphasis on the symbolic construc- tion of reality , however , makes us ...
... claims of antigay opponents . But , as rhetorical critics seeking to un- derstand the symbolic acts present in progay / antigay conflict , we strive to limit ourselves to the premises that ( a ) all constructions of meaning are ...
... claims and relational and situational definitions . The study of communication about public policy toward variant sexu- ality initially can be organized by recognizing that symmetrical relation- ships of interdependence and mutual ...
... claims , tra- ditionalist and progay advocates strategically construct themselves , their relationships to their antagonists , and their legitimate position in the pub- lic sphere . Both lay claim to virtue in their struggle against an ...
... claims , and a deeper appreciation of the fundamental challenges which attempts at moral persuasion make to beliefs ... claim our attention ” ( p . 4 ) . As a con- sequence , Cover asserts , public policy must be understood as part of ...
Contents
1 | |
Chapter 2 Analysis of Communication in Contests Over Variant Sexuality | 35 |
Chapter 3 Appeals in Progay and Traditionalist Discourses | 57 |
Chapter 4 Antagonistic Construction of Identity and Conflict | 93 |
Chapter 5 Debate Within Communities | 127 |
A Case Study | 155 |
Chapter 7 Criticism of the Variant Sexuality Issue Culture | 181 |
References | 203 |
Index | 227 |
About the Authors | 239 |