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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... Homosexuality . 2. Homosexuality - Public opinion . 3. Gay rights . 4. Rhetoric . I. Windes , Russel R. ( Russel Rayl ) , 1930- II . Title . III . Rhetoric & society ( Thousand Oaks , Calif . ) ; v . 4 . HQ75.15 .S6 2000 306.76'6 - dc21 ...
... Homosexuality is an increasingly prominent subject of public policy discussion in the United States and other Western nations . In recent years , debates over measures to protect and extend the civil rights and lib- erties of lesbians ...
... homosexuality . Signifi- cant variations have occurred through time and across cultures in the con- struction of homosexuality and the degree to which it is accepted . Our own culture's engagement with the public policy implications of ...
... Homosexual ” is generally believed to medicalize same - sex erotic behavior , connoting the sense of pathology and possible treatment . The term " homosexuality " also sets up a homosexual / heterosexual binary which falsely structures ...
... homosexuality during the latter part of the 20th century strikingly contrasts with the limited public com- mentary in immediately preceding decades . Before the mid - 20th century , there were indeed discussions about public policy ...
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 |