Singapore v. Foucault: Biopolitics and geopolitics in contemporary queer films

Abstract

In February 2011, the Singapore state censors ordered that the American film The Kids Are All Right be limited to a single print and be restricted to audiences twenty-one years old and above. Some members of the public expressed disappointment with the bureaucratic decision regarding the story of a lesbian family drama set in suburban California. They contended that the maintenance and sharing of a household, as well as the personal interactions on an everyday basis, can be as daunting for gay parents as they are for straight parents. Not only is family life physically intrusive, but it is also mentally challenging (Chen 2012; Au 2011). Among other aspects of life, most homosexuals, like heterosexuals, also wish to find a partner and settle down. For gays and lesbians, the additional hurdle to establish or locate an appropriate “gay-friendly” space makes the initial process more vexing. Regrettably, mainstream queer scholarship has often overlooked the intimate aspect of gay and lesbian personhood, and more often than not has unknowingly misrepresented gays and lesbians by casting homosexuality in rather stereotypical frames.