'Did queer Muslims even exist?' – racialised grids of intelligibility in Swedish LGBTQ contexts. (3rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kehl, Katharina
• Is Part Of: Social identities. Volume 26:Number 2(2020)
• Page Start: 150
• Page End: 165
• Publication Date: 2020-03-03
• Subjects: LGBTQ -- intelligibility -- race -- migration -- Swedish gender exceptionalism -- queer; Group identity -- Periodicals; Ethnicity -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals; Political sociology -- Periodicals; 302.15
• DOI: 10.1080/13504630.2019.1671183
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-4630

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article explores racialised grids of intelligibility around gender identity and sexuality in white Swedish LGBTQ contexts. By analysing personal stories shared on a separatist Instagram account by and for LGBTQ people racialised as non-white and/or Muslim, the article identifies some of the predominant narratives through which they become intelligible, both to other people and to themselves. Four frameworks are particularly recurring: the notion of them being victims of a 'hateful other', strong expectations to come out, exotification and tokenism (both sexualised and otherwise), and a general lack of representation. I argue that all of these revolve around notions of LGBTQ people racialised as non-white and/or Muslim as never quite belonging and thus never quite recognisable. They are instead frequently situated between white, gender-equal and LGBTQ-friendly 'Swedishness' and threatening, LGBTQ-phobic racialised 'others', made intelligible only in relation to either of these.