Abstract
This article aims at theorizing a creative and processual theory of non-heterosexual identity. It will be argued that, so far, scholars have tended to theorize non-heterosexual identity from a monologic perspective, which establishes one-sidedly a casual and/or unproblematic relation between the emergence of forms of psychological suffering and the development of a non-heterosexual identity. Although it must be recognized that such a claim is important at a political level, at a subjective level, it leaves non-heterosexual people destined to be flooded by distressing and painful emotional states. To counter monologism within theorisations of non-heterosexual identity development, without ignoring the negative impacts of heteronormativity, it will be argued that non-heterosexual identity needs to be theorized (1) as part of a creative process situated in a specific sociohistorical context marked by heteronormativity, (2) as part of a situated process that produces and never ceases to produce multiple effects (self-states), which are unified to create an identity, and (3) as part of a situated process of creation that can be artificially transformed through art. These are the three claims that will move forward the argument of this article.
Highlights
Since the introduction of the concept of homophobia (Weinberg, 1972), a relationship between non-heterosexual identities and different forms of psychological suffering has been amply demonstrated (Meyer, 2003; Herek, 2004; King et al, 2008; Lewis, 2009; Cook et al, 2014; Berg et al, 2015; Barrientos et al, 2016; Semlyen et al, 2016)
All theories recognize that the emergence of psychological suffering in nonheterosexual people is related to the difficulty of developing a non-heterosexual identity in societies marked by pervasive homophobic violence and heteronormativity
To support such an argument, we claim that non-heterosexual identity needs to be theorized (1) as part of a creative process situated in a specific sociohistorical context marked by heteronormativity, (2) as part of a situated process that produces and never ceases to produce multiple effects, which are unified to create an identity, and (3) as part of a situated process of creation that can be artificially transformed through the contemporary artistic practices of performance art
Summary
Since the introduction of the concept of homophobia (Weinberg, 1972), a relationship between non-heterosexual identities and different forms of psychological suffering has been amply demonstrated (Meyer, 2003; Herek, 2004; King et al, 2008; Lewis, 2009; Cook et al, 2014; Berg et al, 2015; Barrientos et al, 2016; Semlyen et al, 2016). Becoming in Resistance and psychological suffering (Cass, 1979; Troiden, 1989; Butler, 1997; Meyer, 2003) Despite their differences, all theories recognize that the emergence of psychological suffering in nonheterosexual people is related to the difficulty of developing a non-heterosexual identity in societies marked by pervasive homophobic violence and heteronormativity (see Warner, 1991; Bilodeau and Renn, 2005). The specific processes through which a non-heterosexual person is affected by homophobic violence and heteronormativity in terms of her identity development have been addressed in very different ways. In general terms, these theories can be divided between synthesizing and critical theories of non-heterosexual identities
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