From Universalism to Post-universalism: the PaCS and Beyond
Titel:
From Universalism to Post-universalism: the PaCS and Beyond
Auteur:
McCaffrey, Enda
Verschenen in:
Modern & contemporary France
Paginering:
Jaargang 14 (2006) nr. 3 pagina's 291-304
Jaar:
2006-08
Inhoud:
The PaCS has been a positive development for many lesbians and gays in France. On social, cultural, political and pragmatic levels, it has afforded gays recognition, protection, rights and a platform on which to negotiate new gay-friendly legislation. It is important therefore that complacency and lack of strategic foresight do not undermine these advances, particularly when lesbians and gays appear divided over how their interests are best served within the framework of republican universalism. On the one hand, the pragmatic benefits of the PaCS find a natural home within a tolerant, invisible and indifferent universalism. On the other hand, the nature of the universalist model raises concerns for some gays about normalisation, heteronormative conformism and sexual identity. This article outlines the context for a rapprochement between the socio-political progress advanced by the PaCS and a radical critique of progress expressed in forms of vigilance, resistance and subversion. Tactics borrowed from civil disobedience protests and the use of spectacle will also be explored as part of a new 'strategic practicality' for post-PaCS gay activism.
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