Description
Book SynopsisIn the 2010s, London’s LGBTQ+ scene was hit by extensive venue closures. For some, this represented the increased inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in society. For others, it threatened the city’s status as a ‘global beacon of diversity’ or merely reaffirmed the hostility of London’s neoliberal landscapes. Navigating these competing realities, Olimpia Burchiellaro explores the queer politics of LGBTQ+ inclusion in London. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted with activists, professionals and LGBTQ-friendly businesses, the author reveals how gender and sexuality come to be reconfigured in the production and consumption of LGBTQ+ inclusion and its promises. Giving voice to queer perspectives on inclusion, this is an important contribution to our understanding of urban policy, nightlife, neoliberalism and LGBTQ+ politics.
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Between Corporate Inclusivity and the Closure of Queer Spaces: The Neoliberal Politics of Inclusion in East London 2. Coming Out for Business: Lesbian Tech CEOs and the CEO-ization of Queer Politics 3. Diversity Work and Queer Value: Putting Queer Differences to Work in the LGBTQ-friendly Corporation 4. The Straightening Tendencies of Inclusion: The Friends of the Joiners Arms and the Normativities of Gentrification 5. As Soon as this Pub Closes: The Temporalities of Gentrification and Other Queer Utopias 6. Conclusion
