The gay community is falling apart. In its place, new gay groups are emerging, reflecting the degree of perceived stigma. Why is it a win to be post-gay?
That gay people are gradually gaining social respect is an undeniable fact. In Western countries in particular, in many cases, we can speak of their full equality (including in terms of the possibility of marrying and raising children). Simply put, the stigma attached to different sexual orientations is disappearing with the passage of time. Thus, the term 'community', which the Encyclopaedia of Sociology, for example , defines as 'a social unit characterised both by a particular type of social ties within, among its members, and by a specific position outside', begins to lose its meaning.
After all, the label "community" seems to imply that all gay people (or even LGBT people) are the same, have the same interests, goals, etc., which could no doubt also be contradicted - this has been pointed out by a number of studies in the past, according to which gay people are just as diverse as any other social group. But for quite a long time, there was a strong and dominant anti-gay stigma in society, which practically forced gays to form or actually group together in this "community" - that's why gay neighborhoods, gay bars, various gay organizations and associations, etc. were created in the past, simply so that gays could provide much needed support to each other and fight stigmas together.
"The classic 'subcultural' gay lifestyle, gay bars and the associated visuality, all still exist today, but for many contemporary gays their original meaning has disappeared. The so-called gay community has always been a product of social stigma and discrimination. Today's legal and social advances have allowed the emergence of other temporary gay identities and lifestyles," summarized Dr. According to Christian Eichert, co-author of the Bayes Business School and Goldsmith University of London study, it is the increased acceptance of gays into mainstream society that has led to the splintering of this "community" into five brand new (gay) lifestyles that really have nothing to do with the "community" anymore. However, the degree of perceived stigma continues to play a major role in identifying with them.
- So so-called underground gays still do not feel that they can outwardly act as gay. Coming out publicly could have harsh consequences for them, from rejection by family or friends to job loss to physical violence. This is also why underground gays usually avoid the various "identifying features" stereotypically associated with gay men (and instead try to conform to a strictly "straight" style).
- Discreet gays then, although they have sufficient social recognition and legal protection to act out as gay, feel that society tolerates rather than respects them. In addition, they still want to uphold a certain subcultural heritage and honour their different lifestyle - and so they prefer gay neighbourhoods, distinctive clothing, like to attend extravagant events and de facto fulfil the idea of a former stereotypical gay identity that is associated/associated with members of the 'gay community'.
- Hybrid gays, on the other hand, leave the already defined gay spaces and live in a new space somewhere on the border of the gay and heterosexual world. At the same time, they also manage to use their position to "push" gay interests into heteronormative spheres (but the reverse is also true - and hand in hand with this trend, e.g. gay football clubs etc.).
- Assimilated gays enjoy the acceptance of their families, friends and colleagues, but with one important condition - they must avoid gay politics and also gay subcultures. They are then accepted by wider society as "perfectly normal", provided that their lives and consumption interests conform to the ideas of heterosexual men.
- While all the previous groups continue to encounter different boundaries to their identity, the so-called post-gays are the only group of gay men who receive not only tolerance but also respect. They live and work with people who honor the principles of human diversity. Post-gays can express themselves freely and as they choose, they can enjoy the occasional gay party or pride, but all of this is in terms of consumerism rather than linking their participation in these events to any political statement or even to the promotion of their own identity.
The whole research then took place over a period of seven years - and was quite wide-ranging. It focused, among other things, on the extent to which gay teachers, civil servants, students, and even soldiers consider themselves part of the "gay community" just mentioned, as well as wider society. He also suggested that although "times are changing" and stigma is fading, not all gay people have a choice among the new five gay groups. Indeed, underground and discreet gays still face stigmas and often have to hide or fight for their rights. Post-gays, on the other hand, can enjoy social recognition, respect and freedom of self-expression. In fact, in their case, it could be said that "being gay" has de facto lost its full meaning for many of them - while for other gay men, their different sexual orientation is a life-defining characteristic (and not always a matter of choice).
But while the "gay community" is essentially disintegrating, what remains for all gay people, according to the research, is a sense of vulnerability. Just mention hate crimes, the recriminalization of homosexuality, etc., and everyone is suddenly aware that, despite much progress, it is precisely a different sexual orientation that can be exploited at any time, for example, to build a political career.
