Description
Book SynopsisThis book argues that there is an important connection between ethical resistance to British imperialism and the ethical discovery of gay rights. By closely examining the roots of liberal resistance in Britain and resistance to patriarchy in the United States, it shows that fighting the demands of patriarchal manhood and womanhood plays an important role in countering imperialism.
Trade Review'In tracing an idea from the earliest times to the twenty-first century, Richards is pushing back against the scholarship on both imperialism and the history of sexuality that argues that causal connections over such a long period can be superficial … It is a strength of Richards' work that he weaves together insights from a range of disciplines, cultures, and historic periods in a way relevant to contemporary political struggles. This is an important argument that deserves widespread consideration.' Charles Upchurch, Law and History Review
Table of Contents1. Patriarchy and democracy; 2. Imperialism and patriarchy; 3. The rise of gay rights; 4. The fall of empire; 5. Gay rights in former British colonies: legacy of empire?; 6. Gay rights as universal human rights.
