Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Work – A Comparative Study between the US and Denmark

Submission Type

Event

Expected Graduation Date

2015

Location

Room E104, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

Start Date

4-18-2015 10:00 AM

End Date

4-18-2015 11:00 AM

Disciplines

Gender and Sexuality

Abstract

Within the past ten years, research on the lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) community has increased drastically. While most of this work focuses on public opinion, this study concentrates on how LGB people interact with the public space, and the way in which society influences how they view themselves, not just in the United States, but in the happiest country in the world: Denmark. I conducted interviews with LGB people in Denmark and the US in order to get a better understanding of the ways that LGBs in both countries performed their sexual identity in public. I found that Danish LGBs are more likely than those in the US to concentrate on educating the public about their queerness. I argue that this may be because Danish LGBs are more comfortable expressing themselves as queer than American LGBs, given the liberal nature of their country.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 18th, 10:00 AM Apr 18th, 11:00 AM

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity Work – A Comparative Study between the US and Denmark

Room E104, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University

Within the past ten years, research on the lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) community has increased drastically. While most of this work focuses on public opinion, this study concentrates on how LGB people interact with the public space, and the way in which society influences how they view themselves, not just in the United States, but in the happiest country in the world: Denmark. I conducted interviews with LGB people in Denmark and the US in order to get a better understanding of the ways that LGBs in both countries performed their sexual identity in public. I found that Danish LGBs are more likely than those in the US to concentrate on educating the public about their queerness. I argue that this may be because Danish LGBs are more comfortable expressing themselves as queer than American LGBs, given the liberal nature of their country.