Bridging the divide between queer theory sage and anarchism

Abstract

Much of the struggle for a queer public commons involves tactics and philosophical understandings embraced by anarchists and queers alike. A few of these overlapping positions include: an embrace of the insurrectionary possibilities of pleasure; a rejection of social controls and formal hierarchies in favor of mutual aid networks and DIY community building; the use of direct action; and a culture of resistance. The interconnections between these movements are often under-theorized and under-valued. Yet, rather than build on these linkages, much of today’s queer theory finds itself facing a divide separating theory from practice. This article explores this divide in relation to historically-informed examples of current queer activist practices in which queers and anarchists share common cause. The examples highlight the links between anarchism and efforts aimed at reproductive health and sexual self-determination, public assembly, and battles against social prohibitions and vice squads. The article concludes with a call for a mutual engagement between queer activism and anarchism.