Learning from History: A Queer Problem

The author explores the ways in which the development of grand narratives of U.S. history may have influenced the direction, tactics, and expectations of lesbian and gay activists. Moving beyond the critiques of identity politics, this study uses and explains postmodern concepts to outline narratives of U.S. reform, and lesbian and gay histories and suggests that lesbian and gay politics have been formed symbiotically within these narratives, shaping them and allowing them to shape those politics. Finally, proposals for using history and postmodern theory to break from this pattern are offered.