Homo Economics : Capitalism, Community, and Lesbian and Gay Life

**__Homo Economics__** is the first honest account of the tense relationship between gay people and the economy. This groundbreaking collection brings together a variety of voices from the worlds of journalism, activism, academia, the arts, and public policy to address issues including the recent economic history of the gay community, the community's response to its changing economic circumstances, and the risks inherent in a narrow definition of liberation. Cover 1 Homo Economics: Capitalism, Community, and Lesbian and Gay Life 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 12 Part I A Community Divided 34 1 The Gay Marketing Moment 36 2 A History in Ads: The Growth of the Gay and Lesbian Market 44 3 High Anxiety: I Was a Stepford Queer at the Inaugural Ball 54 4 Sexuality, Class, and Conflict in a Lesbian Workplace 58 5 Gentrification and Gay Neighborhood Formation in New Orleans: A Case Study 78 6 Beyond Biased Samples: Challenging the Myths on the Economic Status of Lesbians and Gay Men 98 7 Lesbian and Gay Occupational Strategies 106 Part II The Contradictions of Capitalism for Lesbians and Gay Men: Some Theoretical Perspectives 120 8 Queer Political Economy: The Social Articulation of Desire 122 9 The Political Economy of the Closet: Notes toward an Economic History of Gay and Lesbian Life before Stonewall 156 10 The Sexual Division of Labor, Sexuality, and Lesbian/Gay Liberation: Toward a Marxist-Feminist Analysis of Sexuality in U.S. Capitalism 168 11 Do Gay Men Have a Stake in Male Privilege?: The Political Economy of Gay Men's Contradictory Relationship to Feminism 198 12 Homosexual Liberation: A Socialism of the Skin 218 Part III Arguments and Activism 226 13 Where Has Gay Liberation Gone?: An Interview with Barbara Smith 228 14 The Hoax of "Special Rights": The Right Wing's Attack on Gay Men and Lesbians 242 15 Lavender Labor: A Brief History 256 16 Laboring for Gay Rights: An Interview with Susan Moir 262 17 Class Action: Bringing Economic Diversity to the Gay and Lesbian Movement 274 18 Domestic Partner Benefits: A Primer for Gay and Lesbian Activists 282 19 AIDS and the Moral Economy of Insurance 294 Contributors 308 Index 312 Capitalism, Community, and Lesbian and Gay Life Since a cocky k.d. lang reveled in Cindy Crawford's feminine attentions on the cover of Vanity Fair in the summer of 1993, other icons of "lesbian chic" have been showing off their buzzcuts in androgynous ads, while gay men flex their pecs in mainstream magazines and, more figuratively in the upper echelons of the business world. This book investigates the complex relationship between gay people and the United States economy. It addresses such issues as the gay community's recent economic advances and the risks inherent in a narrow definition of liberation This piece examines the recent surge in mainstream media attention the gay community, looking at the origins and implications of corporate interest in the gay market. Edited By Amy Gluckman And Betsy Reed. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.