Are We Thinking Straight? The Politics of Straightness in a Lesbian and Gay Social Movement Organization

Abstract

Daniel Cortese's book, ‘Are we thinking straight: The politics of straightness in a lesbian and gay social movement organization’ examines the political strategies of the USA organization, the Straight and Gay Alliance (SAGA), and its efforts to promote ‘safe schools’ for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans youth (LGBT). The book's main focus is on how SAGA deploys the involvement of ‘straight’ or heterosexually-identified individuals as part of SAGA's public political agenda. As a national organization with numerous local chapters across the United States, SAGA encourages parents, teachers and students to work together to ensure that schools actively protect LGBT students from homophobic or hateful comments. Cortese considers why an organization such as SAGA would promote the presence of straight members as a political strategy and whether this strategy is equally workable in geographically distinctive districts across the country. Not surprisingly perhaps, Cortese concludes that straight visibility in SAGA has its...