The Role of Queer Social Spaces in Shaping Some Queer Substance Use

• In Event: Innovations in Queer Criminological Research

Abstract

Historically, queer social spaces such as bars, nightclubs, and coffeeshops have been one of the few environments where queer people could come together, socialize, and cultivate a sense of community. Today, these sites remain mainstream spaces that offer attendees temporary freedom(s) and access(es) to safer alternatives than their heteronormative counterparts. A small but growing body of research examining queer social spaces has highlighted the dependence of these places on the consumption of substance use (Hunt et al., 2019); for example, a bar cannot exist if it does not sell enough alcohol. While normative approaches examining queer substance use, and substance use more broadly, have primarily emphasized experiences of victimization(s) to describe pathways toward substance use, others have nuanced these interpretations to consider the function of substances in (re)building and sustaining some queer communities. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 44 self-identified queer people who have used substances within queer social spaces, this paper investigates the intersection of queer social spaces and substance use. Particularly, this study focuses on the importance of using substances within queer social spaces to explore gender, sexuality, and pleasure(s).

Author

• Alessandra Early, University of Missouri - St. Louis