Description
Book SynopsisExamines the formation of gay identity and community in the former Soviet Union. This book presents the study of how and why there was no Soviet gay community or even gay identity before perestroika and the degree to which this situation has-or has not-changed since. It reveals the vibrant manifestations of gay life found at the local level.
Trade Review“An entirely original investigation of the gay and lesbian scene in Russia and a book of enormous value,
Queer in Russia will serve as a beachhead in the field of Russian queer studies. In one volume one finds a concise history of sexual transgression in the Russian context as well as the rise of queer Russian identity.”—Luc Beaudoin, University of Denver
“Laurie Essig’s book is significant both for Russianists and for queer theorists. Essig demonstrates that ‘queerness’ in Russia is not defined as a matter of identity politics, and, in so doing, she raises important theoretical questions about the nature(s) of queerness as it crosses cultural borders.”—Jehanne M Gheith, Duke University
Table of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
Part 1: The Other The Expert Gaze 1: The Law
The Expert Gaze 2: The Cure
Part 2: Self Identity Politics and the Politics of Identity
Queer Subjects and Subjectivities
Part 3: Intersections
Clothes Make the Man: Gender Transgression and Public Queerness
Patriots and Perverts: The Intersection of National and Sexual Identities
Part 4: Sex Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
