Dadaisms

So here’s the first draft of my proposal. Well, part of it at least - I haven’t included some of the sections…In fact, I’ve only included 3 of the 12 sections

1) Short descriptive title:

From Homo to Pomo: ‘gay identity’ amongst young white men in contemporary South Africa

2) Background and outline of research problem:

There is presently a lack of representation around the demographic consisting of young, white, urban gay men in post-apartheid texts. This new generation of those who may be conventionally labelled a part of a ‘gay culture’ exists in a space of liminal tensions based on issues of local South/African identity and Western influence. Assumptions of belonging by virtue of a perceived common and homogenous homosexuality currently erode a sense of progression or concern that such a lack of representation may symbolise. This demographic, in my experience, knows little about the international gay rights movement of the 1970s onwards and the later unifying experience of a struggle against Aids (Sullivan, 2008). Similarly, despite numerous historical documentations, little appreciation and understanding is shown for the struggle against legalised persecution in South Africa and the synonymity of sexual politics with racial politics (Hoad in Hoad, Martin and Reid, 2005: 17). My peers from this demographic fail to recognise the significance of Constitutional protection from discrimination and the battles fought to reach such a point. Yet this group, through the presence of international glossy magazines, are perceived to be the essentialised representations of a transnational, cosmopolitan ‘gay culture’ (Rushbrook, 2002; Sender, 2003). There exists a transnational influence in the form of ‘coming of age stories’ available on the shelves of commercial bookstores and ‘coming out’ films popularised on the Internet and television. Working in unison with these cultural presences is the lack of South African cultural artefacts which could explore and deconstruct the variety of contemporary experiences coupled with the pressures of ideological state apparatuses such as the family and the schooling system. These factors have immense implications for understandings of sexuality, sexual identity, identity politics and social reconciliation. It is the aim of this dissertation to explore the influences on this demographic and explore their possible implications.

The research problem at hand is the lack of post-apartheid textual representation of contemporary white, ‘gay’, urban South African men.  As far as a ‘mainstream’ Westernised popular understanding of ‘gay culture’, how does this demographic function in South Africa? Based on existing texts, what are the possible emic perceptions of a ‘homosexual identity’? Similarly, in a context where magazines exist as links to a transnationalised identity how can we move away a representation based on regulated superficial cosmopolitanism (Sender, 2003: 332) towards a localised literary exploration of ideology?

This dissertation seeks to explore an underlying trend of ‘pomosexuality’ in contemporary ‘gay’ texts and apply it to a South African context. It hypothesises that as a result of identity instability, ideological pressure and cosmopolitan influence (evident in transnational texts) contemporary internal attitudes about ‘gay identity’ in South Africa have moved away from a reactive all-encompassing view of community and unity, and away from a model based on a struggle for gay rights. The demographic at hand has instead potentially developed the basis of a model of an idealised and yearned-for state of indifference to sexual identity whilst instead being ethically concerned with human rights at large. This demographic has ultimately shifted from being “homo” to being “pomo”.

3) Preliminary literature study, and reasons for choosing topic:

The struggle for human rights in South Africa is historically synonymous with the quest for gay rights and the recognition of homosexual identities as viable spheres of existence in society. There is a wealth of literature, anthologies and poetry available in post-apartheid South Africa that explicitly explores the complexities of sexual identity politics, both before and after 1994. Such cultural artefacts deconstruct tendencies that homogenise ‘alternative’ identities as simply the ‘Other’ to heteronormativity. The essentialised notion of “the gay experience” (Gevisser and Cameron, 1994: 3) has shifted away from a white, middle class, urban homosexual identity to embrace a wider discourse of sexual identity which includes accounts of lesbian sangomas, “boy wives” (Epprecht, 2004: 3) and transnational gayness (Sullivan, 2008). Fifteen years after South Africa’s entry into democracy the legal framework for equality and tolerance exists in the form of a highly progressive Constitution and the Civil Unions Act (Stobie, 2007: 14). This is coupled with the ‘mainstream’ publication of novels dealing with sexual identity, and a relatively free media that offers various periodicals and websites that cater for gay concerns and interests. Whilst dominant ideologies are far from tolerant and accepting, it is important to acknowledge the progress on the front of gay rights that is evident in historical accounts of the struggle for freedom.

However, a distinct chasm has become evident in the textual representations of sexual identities in post-apartheid South Africa. The previously essentialised demographic of homosexuality has all but vanished from the focus of local literature and studies. Outside the realm of magazines, which in context can exist as products of a mode of representation  focused on developing “consumers and commodities” (Rushbrook, 2002: 184; Sender, 2003; Sigusch, 1998) my generation of white, middle class gay youths raised in a post-apartheid South Africa remain unrepresented  on matters of identity, belonging and sexual politics. The maze of identities that my peers walk potentially speaks to the nature of a contemporary South African existence. Texts exist that deal with pre-democracy identity politics and ideological pressure, such as André Carl van der Merwe’s Moffie (2006), and highlight the gauntlet of obstacles designed to suppress difference and undo steps toward the development of a healthy sense of Self (Creet, 1995). Similarly, contemporary international texts such as Alex Sanchez’s American Rainbow trilogy (2001; 2003; 2005) highlight the socialisation roles that schools and families play in creating “anxieties” about identity (Creet, 1995). An unsettling lacuna is evident, however, if one attempts to fully transpose this trilogy to a South African context. The demographic of young, white, urban ‘gay’ men is one which is transnationally perceived to be that of the ideal gay consumer (Sender, 2003: 335) or the identity that participates in a Western notion of gay culture. Certainly, a fluid presence in the form of cosmopolitan magazines exists. However, it is bizarre that this group’s exposure to these and other international texts has not led to the development of local texts equivalent to cultural artefacts such as the Rainbow trilogy in  to explore similar issues in a South African context.

From a race perspective my reason for choosing this particular demographic stems from a personal interest and not a desire to essentialise any aspect of identity, nor a desire to organise homosexuality in South Africa into any homogenous hierarchy. Gay-themed films and magazines that are available locally, even in a relatively conservative city such as Pietermaritzburg, reflect a transnational capitalist based interest in this particular demographic. The magazines and films are intentionally marketed to and directed at these men (Sender, 2003: 360). Similarly, from an age perspective personal experience has reflected a growing uncertainty amongst my generation – namely 16 to 30 year olds. It is this generation that has grown up in a democratic South Africa free from conscription and legalised persecution, with Constitutional protection largely taken for granted. I have found that the content of these texts has placed me and my peers, as members of this demographic, in a liminal space of non-identity: exposure to this content has allowed us to explore and develop aspects of ourselves in a lived cultural environment which otherwise often discourages and punishes such exploration. In this space lies the tension of international awareness and comparison, with a generalised lack of knowledge of local struggle history, against a lacuna of localised representation. Certainly magazines such as Wrapped and Gay Pages deal explicitly with gay-based issues and concerns. However, this demographic has no easily available textual representation in the form of literary information for young readers — such as the information provided in Alex Sanchez’s American Rainbow trilogy (2001; 2003; 2005). This very personal and subjective experience is the main motivation behind this research. By no means does this dissertation seek to suggest that this demographic is the most important or the one most lacking in representation. Neither does this dissertation suggest that texts representing other demographics are more readily available. It rather seeks to piece together the pre-existing international and transnational focus on this demographic with an authentic South African perspective where a lacuna currently exists in textual representation equal to that of a transnational presence and availability. The dissertation seeks to destabilise assumptions about this identity, including the connotations behind the label of ‘gay’ and assumptions of identity hierarchy currently reflected in magazines (Sender, 2003: 334).

In the context of such a lacuna models of identification and theories regarding “the formation of homosexual identities” (Troiden, 1989: 43) do exist. Richard Troiden’s model (1989: 43) suggests a progression through stages of homosexual identity development, culminating in the eventual “commitment” to “the homosexual role” (1989: 63). Such a model is antiquated and risks homogenising a group that, historically speaking, is exceptionally diverse. Whilst other models exist this particular model illustrates the unstable and unquantifiable nature of identity through its two-decade-old contextualisation. Judith Butler’s (1999) exploration of “gender trouble” is useful in understanding a “climate of contesting the singularity and stability of identity categories” (Creet, 1995: 181), and yet such contestation is lacking with regard to understanding a minority within a minority – young, white, urban ‘gay’ men. I wish to emphasise that by no means is this demographic a homogenous group. Rather, based on trends of masculinity and identity formation extended from Sean Nixon’s (1997) investigation of masculinity evident in certain texts, and Robert Morrell’s work (2001; Ouzgane and Morrell, 2005) on contextualising the changing landscape of what it ‘means’ to be a man in South Africa, I seek to explore how this demographic may exist in South Africa, and how it fits into the tension of a history of human rights advocacy and reputation of superficial cosmopolitan consumerism (Sigusch, 1998; Sender, 2003; Rushbrook, 2002). 

In such a context I seek to extend the notion of pomosexuality (Queen and Schimel, 1997) to a South African setting. Current identity discussions on texts are limited by discussions of community, activism and ‘gay rights’. The challenge, it seems, is to offer an explanation that combines a recognition of ideological obstacles with a revolutionised sexual identity that does not limit a generation seemingly grudgingly opposed to gender troubles, predefined identities and allocated modes of existence. This needs to be done in a manner that does not dismiss the achievements of the past and does not delve into a realm of superficial trends all the while losing a sense of ethos and purpose. I seek to extend the notion of pomosexuality not as a passing craze, but rather as a viable model to explore masculinity and homosexuality as reflected in texts; to explain a future of identity politics in South Africa; and maintain an ethical approach to realistic pop-culture existence (which is often lacking in magazines) in an increasingly mediated and transnational world. This will be done by using Alex Sanchez’s Rainbow trilogy (2001; 2003; 2005) as a textual starting point for insight into this transnational and cosmopolitan identity. This will then be integrated with the ideological barriers presented in André Carl van der Merwe’s novel Moffie (2006) to explore the “loaded words” (Christina, 1997:29) which mould identity in South Africa. Ultimately this insight will be combined with the archetypal ‘pomosexual man’ presented in Jonah Markowitz’s film Shelter (2007) to offer a new direction in understanding and exploring sexual identity politics.

I have selected these key texts for the base structure they offer in navigating the lacuna of representation. Alex Sanchez’s American Rainbow trilogy (2001; 2003; 2005) offers an archetypal insight into contemporary assumptions about and challenges facing a demographic of young, white, gay men. The trilogy, explicitly written for this particular demographic, explores the lived cultural experiences of ‘gay’ men progressing from high school into a university/‘real world’ environment. The trilogy is structured in a way that offers support to those readers living in similar conditions, evident in the numerous helpline numbers and websites included at the back of each novel. As such, this trilogy forms the basis of an understanding of the transnationalised cosmopolitan ‘gay experience’ offered in local magazines, as well as an understanding of the ideological forces that direct and shape identity development. The archetypes and experiences presented will be linked to a South African context through the use of Moffie (van der Merwe, 2006). The novel, though drastically different to the Rainbow trilogy in tone, structure, characterisation and intended reader offers an insight into local ideological forces that shaped (and continue to shape) attitudes and perceptions of homosexuality. Set in the 1980s Moffie explores the roles of the family and the state (through the national defence force) in implementing conceptions of ‘proper’ masculinity and acceptable behaviour– often through brute force and abuse. The novel marks a close localised form of representation available to the demographic at hand: although the reader may not relate directly to the specific instances of South African life during apartheid, one can easily relate to the ideological forms of oppression it explores, which are similar in consequence to those expressed in the Rainbow trilogy. The novel offers insight into the changing nature of politics and identity alongside the period Richard Troiden developed his model of identity development (1989: 43). The final text, Jonah Markowitz’s American-based Shelter (2007), will form the basis of developing a notion of ‘pomosexual identity’ and analysis by extending van der Merwe’s depictions of identity and Sanchez’s explorations of struggle and resolution to a contemporary South African context. The depiction of the unification of homosexuality with traditionally heterosexual activities (particularly surfing); the instability of heterosexual family life; the lack of discomfort around ‘gayness’; and the underlying critique of what it ‘means’ to be gay offers the framework for both creating local representations and understanding contemporary sexual identities. The film highlights the unsuitability of sexual labels, and from this point the dissertation will present the argument for pomosexuality.

I am potentially limited in this research by a lack of ethnographic evidence to support my discussions and conclusions. The issues I shall discuss have merit only through textual analysis and auto-ethnographic illustration. The use of auto-ethnography similarly raises some potential limitations (Wall, 2008:42). However, this will be avoided and any potential limitations overcome by the careful use of personal examples as a member of the analysed demographic solely to “advance sociological understanding” (Wall, 2008: 39) as is necessary to give postmodern insight into a postmodern concept. This dissertation is based in the discipline of English Studies, and it primarily draws on textual analysis. As such I emphasise that personal examples will be used with the thorough purpose of illustrating such analyses to the end of linking discourse with authentic South African experiences. It cannot be assumed that my subjective position is a reflection of all members of my demographic, but my experiences and the experiences of my peer group certainly illustrate the struggles and concerns that this study’s key texts raise, which in turn speaks for the deep ideological workings of South African society. This combination is necessary in order to offer a critique of current models of homosexual identity development, which this dissertation argues are outdated and out of touch.

The value in pursuing this research topic lies in a goal of reconciliation and education. Whilst contemporary studies have focused on the diversification of sexual identity politics in post-apartheid South Africa little exists in the realm of understanding and offering ‘support’ for this demographic. My exploration of representations of sexuality and the transposition of these representations to a viable pomosexual model for analysis, understanding and engagement will ideally serve as a platform for increased awareness of the difficulties that this demographic faces, and the direction that a movement of education and human rights should take. I seek to reconcile misunderstandings and misconceptions about those who claim this identity with a practical approach to what literature and cultural resources need to be provided in a step toward realistic equality.

Share on Facebook

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 10th, 2009 at 10:41 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.