The Tolerance Trap
How God, Genes, and Good Intentions are Sabotaging Gay Equality
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
From Glee
to gay marriage, from lesbian senators to out gay Marines, we have undoubtedly
experienced a seismic shift in attitudes about gays in American politics and
culture. Our reigning national story is
that a new era of rainbow acceptance is at hand. But dig a bit deeper, and this
seemingly brave new gay world is disappointing. For all of the undeniable changes,
the plea for tolerance has sabotaged the full integration of gays into American
life. Same-sex marriage is unrecognized and unpopular in the vast majority of
states, hate crimes proliferate, and even in the much vaunted “gay friendly”
world of Hollywood and celebrity culture, precious few stars are openly gay.
In The
Tolerance Trap, Suzanna Walters
takes on received wisdom about gay identities and gay rights, arguing that we
are not “almost there,” but on the
contrary have settled for a watered-down goal of tolerance and acceptance
rather than a robust claim to full civil rights. After all, we tolerate unpleasant realities: medicine
with strong side effects, a long commute, an annoying relative. Drawing on a
vast array of sources and sharing her own personal journey, Walters shows how
the low bar of tolerance demeans rather than ennobles both gays and straights
alike. Her fascinating examination covers the gains in political inclusion and
the persistence of anti-gay laws, the easy-out sexual freedom of queer youth
and the suicides and murders of those in decidedly intolerant environments. She
challenges both “born that way” storylines that root civil rights in biology,
and “god made me that way” arguments that similarly situate sexuality as innate
and impervious to decisions we make to shape it. A sharp and provocative cultural critique, this
book deftly argues that a too-soon declaration of victory short-circuits full
equality and deprives us all of the transformative possibilities of full
integration. Tolerance is not the end
goal, but a dead end. In The Tolerance
Trap, Walters presents a complicated snapshot of a world-shifting moment in
American history—one that is both a wake-up call and a call to arms for anyone
seeking true equality.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this lively scholarly work, Northeastern University sociologist Walters (All the Rage) manages the rare trick of producing a feast for the mind that is also incredibly funny and humane. In a cogent literary and political analysis, inflected by personal anecdotes and reflections, Walters argues that the concept of tolerance traps LGBT people into being regarded as perpetual outsiders, "tolerated" rather than treated as full citizens. In making gay rights contingent on "just like you" arguments, Walters asserts, the movement not only leaves behind LGBT people who don't fit an idealized standard, but also fails to effectively challenge homophobia and transphobia. The book leaves no shibboleth intact both liberal and conservative orthodoxies on LGBT people are deftly skewered. Walters demonstrates an impressive command of her material and she deserves credit for making a nuanced argument that calls for robust "integration" as opposed to assimilation or separatism, with a wide-ranging analysis that touches on feminism, the military, marriage, the Internet, and discourse around scientific research. Walters's humane, transformative vision soars in this must-read for anyone interested in LGBT politics.
