Queering Absence: The Rhetoric of the Homophile Movement
Restricted (Penn State Only)
Author:
Nagel, Jeffrey
Graduate Program:
Communication Arts and Sciences
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
May 24, 2022
Committee Members:
Cheryl Glenn, Outside Unit & Field Member Bradford Vivian, Chair & Dissertation Advisor Stephen Browne, Major Field Member Andrew High, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies Pamela Vanhaitsma, Major Field Member Member Committee, Special Member
Keywords:
homophile movement rhetoric queer theory absence social movements memory silence passing invisibility forgetting
Abstract:
In this dissertation, I examine key moments in the rise and institutionalization of the American homophile movement, especially those groups on the East Coast, and argue for a greater appreciation of their ongoing importance to queer activism than is generally appreciated. I construct a working theory of “rhetorical absence” through four case studies of the movement over their activism in the late 1950s through early 1970s, highlighting the theoretical pairs of passing and protest, embodiment and silence, visibility and invisibility, and memory and forgetting. Each dyad presents one component of a broader conceptualization of queerness and absence as central animating forces for modern critical rhetoric. Thus, this dissertation provides a foundation for further explorations of both the history of queer social movement and contemporary analysis of queerness’ disruptive rhetorical potentiality.
