Sexuality, Citizenship and Migration: The Irish Queer Diaspora in London

• In Event: 306 - Section on Sociology of Sexualities Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 12. Sexual Geographies

Abstract

This paper will provide an overview of a research project that examines the experiences of Irish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people living in London. Various writers have noted the appeal of global cities to LGBT people. Metropolitan centres are associated with tolerance of sexual diversity and established queer communities. There is a long history of Irish migration to the UK, particularly London. This has coincided historically with many Irish LGBT people feeling compelled to emigrate in search of a more tolerant and supportive social climate. The study explores Irish queer migrants' reasons for moving to London and experiences there. Research questions address notions of home, identity, belonging, familial relationships and subjectivity. The ways in which identities become circulated in global contexts and are rearticulated, as well as the significance of migration in the formation of Irish queer subjectivities, are examined. By exploring the relationship between sexuality, ethnicity and migration, the study attempts to uncover the ways in which contemporary sexual citizenship, migration and queer imaginaries of the metropolis are mutually implicated in complex ways. This paper considers some of the implications of the research findings for wider theories of sexual citizenship.

Author

• Roisin Ryan-Flood, University of Essex