Anthropological Explorations in Queer Theory

182 Pages·2014·1.1 MB·English

by  Mark Graham

AnthropologicAl ExplorAtions in
QuEEr thEory
Queer Interventions
series editor:
Michael o’rourke
Independent Colleges, Dublin
Queer Interventions is an exciting, fresh and unique new series designed to publish
innovative, experimental and theoretically engaged work in the burgeoning field of
queer studies.
the aim of the series is to interrogate, develop and challenge queer theory, publishing
queer work which intersects with other theoretical schools and is accessible whilst
valuing difficulty; empirical work which is metatheoretical in focus; ethical and political
projects and most importantly work which is self-reflexive about methodological and
geographical location.
the series is interdisciplinary in focus and publishes monographs and collections
of essays by new and established scholars. the editors intend the series to promote
and maintain high scholarly standards of research and to be attentive to queer
theory’s shortcomings, silences, hegemonies and exclusions. they aim to encourage
independence, creativity and experimentation: to make a queer theory that matters
and to recreate it as something important; a space where new and exciting things can
happen.
Titles in this series:
Queering Fat Embodiment
Edited by cat pausé, Jackie Wykes and samantha Murray
isBn: 978-1-4094-6542-3
Queer Futures
Reconsidering Ethics, Activism, and the Political
Edited by Elahe haschemi yekani,
Eveline Kilian and Beatrice Michaelis
isBn: 978-1-4094-3710-9
Somatechnics
Queering the Technologisation of Bodies
nikki sullivan and samantha Murray
isBn: 978-0-7546-7530-3
Anthropological Explorations
in Queer Theory
MArK grAhAM
Stockholm University, Sweden
© Mark graham 2014
All rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy-
ing, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Mark graham has asserted his right under the copyright, Designs and patents Act,
1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
published by
Ashgate publishing limited Ashgate publishing company
Wey court East 110 cherry street
union road suite 3-1
Farnham Burlington, Vt 05401-3818
surrey, gu9 7pt usA
England
www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British library
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
graham, Mark, 1960–
Anthropological explorations in queer theory / by Mark graham.
pages cm. – (Queer interventions)
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBn 978-1-4094-5066-5 (hardback) – isBn 978-1-4094-5067-2 (ebook) –
isBn 978-1-4094-7388-6 (epub) 1. Queer theory. i. title.
hQ76.25.g7294 2014
306.7601–dc23
2014004285
isBn 9781409450665 (hbk)
isBn 9781409450672 (ebk – pDF)
isBn 9781409473886 (ebk – epuB)
IV
Contents
List of Figures vii
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 Things 19
2 Sexonomics 37
3 Smells 55
4 Species 71
5 Intersections 91
6 Failures 107
7 Explications 127
References 147
Index 165
For Stefan
List of Figures
P.1 The Flush Bar, courtesy of Stockholm Vatten ix
5.1 Map of Gravelly Hill Interchange in Birmingham.
Source: OpenStreetMap from Wikimedia, reproduced on a Creative
Commons Licence. 95
5.2 Aerial view of Gravelly Hill Interchange, Birmingham a.k.a.
Spaghetti Junction, September 2008. Source: Wikimedia, reproduced
on a Creative Commons Licence. 96
5.3 Motorway, railway and waterway at Gravelly Hill Interchange,
Birmingham, © Optimist on the run, 2009 / CC-BY-SA-3.0 &
GFDL-1.2. Source: Wikimedia, reproduced on a Creative
Commons Licence. 97
This page has been left blank intentionally
Preface
P.1 The Flush Bar, courtesy of Stockholm Vatten
Consider the picture above. It depicts a queue outside the entrance to the
‘Flush Bar’ (Spol Bar) guarded by a doorman – a turd – whose job is to vet the
hopefuls eagerly awaiting to be flushed down the toilet. The doorman appears
to be male. His sign reads: ‘We don’t let in any television soap stars here’. The
celebrity hopefuls include a used and irritated tampon, whose bubble reads
‘Can’t even a red-headed babe slip in?’, together with a condom with a scary
Halloween face, a used cotton bud complete with sunglasses and gendered as
female (note the full red lips and long blond ‘hair’), and an angry cigarette butt
who threatens to ‘stub himself out’ (fimpa) on the doorman if refused entry.
At the back of the queue stands another couple, two turds waiting their turn.
‘She’ is shorter than ‘he’ is, has longer eyelashes, fuller lips and, like the used
tampon, breasts. This heterosexual couple evidently expects to be allowed in
without any problems. Their sign reads: ‘Hi, Surely we can go in first, we’re
on the S.H.I.T list’.