Why the French and Americans Understand the Gay Community and the Causes of Homosexuality Differently

• In Event: 090 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 10. Producing Sexuality Discourse

Abstract

Drawing on in-depth interviews with 25 French and 28 American members of sexual minorities, this paper shows how differences in national political context shape the way individuals understand the meaning of the “gay community” and the causes of sexual attraction. These interviews suggest that when a question is the object of political focus and social movement strategizing, it also takes on important stakes for individuals. Thus, in France, where anti-communautarisme permeates political discourse, sexual minorities are less likely to say they belong to a gay community and suggest that its existence is debatable. Americans, in contrast, take the notion of community for granted and do not see it as a social problem. In the U.S., where the causes of sexual orientation are used as arguments for or against gay rights, sexual minorities are worried about the question and are more likely to agree with the notion that genetics rather than environment determine their attractions because that is the stance defenders of gay rights take. French respondents, however, find this issue uninteresting and generally discount biological explanations. This analysis can help shed light on broader questions of how political rhetoric and legal context shape individual attitudes.

Author

• Michael Stambolis-Ruhstorfer, University of California-Los Angeles