Homonationalisms (A Roundtable)

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Society for the Study of Homosexuality in the Middle Ages (SSHMA)

Organizer Name

Michelle M. Sauer

Organizer Affiliation

Univ. of North Dakota

Presider Name

Graham N. Drake

Presider Affiliation

SUNY-Geneseo

Paper Title 1

Homonationalisms: Now

Presenter 1 Name

Dorothy Kim

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Vassar College

Paper Title 2

Homonationalisms: Then

Presenter 2 Name

Michelle M. Sauer

Paper Title 3

Homonationalisms: Future

Presenter 3 Name

Will Youngman

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Case Western Reserve Univ.

Paper Title 4

Homonationalisms: And Beyond

Presenter 4 Name

Natalie Grinnell

Presenter 4 Affiliation

Wofford College

Start Date

16-5-2015 1:30 PM

Session Location

Valley I Hadley 101

Description

“Homonationalism” is a conceptual frame for understanding the complexities of how “acceptance” and “tolerance” for gay/lesbian subjects has become a conduit for evaluating national sovereignty. This roundtable discussion will explore if, how, and why such a concept can apply to the Middle Ages and to medievalists employing queer theory. Especially significant is the discourse of exceptionalism, which often plays a vital role in nation-state formation, set against how sexuality has become a crucial in constructing “citizens” across gender, class, and race (nationally and transnationally). Does homonationalism support imperialist structures? How does our own complicity in homonationalism affect the way we view the Middle Ages? Can/should we construct secular queer politics for the Middle Ages? And is homonationalism an analytic tool for apprehending state formation, or simply another way of distinguishing “good queers” from “bad queers” in medieval contexts?

Michelle M. Sauer