Queer French: Globalization, Language, and Sexual Citizenship in France

Smart, insightful, and far-reaching in its implications for our understanding of sexualities and sexual politics in contemporary France, Queer French is a must for anyone interested in understanding France at the beginning of the twenty-first century.Lawrence R. Schehr, Professor of French, Interim Director, Program in Comparative and World LiteratureCould queer lives exemplify the elusive "third way" between seemingly incompatible claims to universalism? Provencher's original study shows how French queers articulate their own mode of sexual citizenship by incorporating markers of globalized identities into the French republican model. Based on popular culture and actual interviews, this book is a unique contribution to the current debates on globalization and sexuality.David Caron Associate Professor of French The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA Denis M. Provencher examines the tensions between Anglo-American and French articulations of homosexuality and sexual citizenship in the context of contemporary French popular culture and first-person narratives. In the light of recent political events, and the perceived hegemonic role of US forces throughout the world, an examination of the French resistance to globalization and 'Americanization', in this context, is timely.The author argues that contemporary French gay and lesbian cultures rely on a set of long-standing French narratives that withstand US models of gay experience. He maintains that French gay experiences are mitigated through (gay) French language that draws on several canonical voices - including Jean Genet and Jean-Paul Sartre - and various universalistic discourses.Drawing on material from a diverse array of media, the book draws out the importance of a French gay linguistic and semiotic tradition that emerges in contemporary textual practices and discourses as they relate to sexual citizenship in 20th and 21st century France. It will appeal to an interdisciplinary readership in gender and sexuality studies, cultural studies, linguistics, media and communication studies and French studies.Contents: Introduction: globalization and the French (gay) resistance. Part 1 Theoretical Considerations: An assault on French gay culture: an English presence in the French gay press; The next gene(t)ration: 'Genet' as an authentic model for queer French. Part 2 Everyday Expressions: French articulations of the closet and coming out: 'Faire le coming out', 'sortir du placard' and 's'assumer'; 'S'assumer dans la famille': coming out in the French (republican) family; Gay Paris: language, sexuality and space in the French capital; Conclusion: a queer French model for the 21st century; Appendix; Bibliography; Index. About the Author: Denis M. Provencher is Assistant Professor of French and Intercultural Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA. He has published widely in the field and has had work appear in French Cultural Studies, Contemporary French Civilization, Contemporary French & Francophone Studies (SITES), Speaking in Queer Tongues (2004) and The Sitcom Reader (2005).