The next session of the Queer STS reading group will be taking place on Thursday 26th November at 5pm-6pm (London time). We will be discussing Steven Angelides' (2006) essay 'Historicizing (Bi)Sexuality: A Rejoinder for Gay/Lesbian Studies, Feminism, and Queer Theory'.
In this theoretically rich and sometimes complex essay, Angelides advocates for further scholarly attention to bisexuality as a historically specific epistemological category - one that is involved in the normative definition of all genders and sexuality. Angelides argues that bisexuality exists in a 'trinary' with homosexuality and heterosexuality - acting variously as the excluded excess against which 'true' hetero/homosexuality are defined or as the primordial sexuality from which hetero/homosexuality emerge. The author goes on to argue that where the historical role of bisexuality as an epistemic category has been dismissed within queer theory, the field has not only upheld a rigid hetero/homo binary (and failed its task of deconstruction) but also neglected to consider the co-constitution of gender and sexuality that the treatment of bisexuality as a category embodies.
This text is packed full of interesting insights about queer and feminist theory and is, overall, very cogently written. The argument is, however, dense at times, so we will dedicate much of the hour's discussion to unpacking it and breaking it down before discussing it in broader strokes. If you find this piece difficult to read or have questions about terminology - don't worry! We'll puzzle through these together in the session.
Here's the abstract:
One of the principal aims of queer theory has been to challenge heteronormative constructions of sexuality and to work the hetero/homosexual structure to the point of critical collapse. Despite an epistemic location within this very structure, however, the category of bisexuality has been largely marginalized and even erased from the deconstructive field of queer theory. This article explores some of the factors behind this treatment of bisexuality and suggests that bisexuality's marginalization and erasure brings into relief the strained relationship between the fields of gay/lesbian history, feminism, and queer theory. In exploring some early influential queer deconstructionist texts, it argues that in overlooking the role the category of bisexuality has played in the formation of the hetero/homosexual structure, the project of queer deconstruction has in important ways fallen short of its goals. The author concludes with a call to rethink conventional deconstructive reading practices.
The link to the text is here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J082v52n01_06?casa_token=RgbH17OhOyYAAAAA:b0ShNyQ5tvwc0A3T4pIshTYnfyRA2XoKYJsAuRJXs5S81LCefzqBnjbNlZsJN_G4taGkxLdCgerOjQ
And the link to the Zoom session is here: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/92933818948