In this engaging conversation, Kevin Guyan, a researcher from the University of Edinburgh, unpacks themes from his upcoming book, revealing how LGBTQ equality in the UK is constrained by societal classifications. He dives into the 'rainbow trap,' highlighting the tension between demand for inclusion and the necessity of fitting into categorizing systems. Topics include the impact of algorithms on dating apps, the portrayal of queer lives in film and TV, and the complexities of trans representation in sports, all advocating for more nuanced understandings of identity.
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Understanding the Rainbow Trap
The Rainbow Trap means inclusion with strings attached, forcing LGBTQ people to fit predefined categories.
This inclusion often benefits only those identities most palatable to institutions, excluding many others.
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Case Studies from Life and Research
Kevin Guyan chose case studies from personal experience and prior research, including police, dating apps, and film industry.
He uses a horizontal sweep to explore common rainbow trap mechanisms in various UK sectors.
insights INSIGHT
Safety Depends on Classification
Police hate crime laws and immigration classifications both decide who gets safety or protection based on restrictive categories.
Those failing to fit legal definitions face exclusion or harm, showing the life-or-death power of classification.
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Queer Lives, Classifications, and the Dangers of Inclusion
Kevin Guyan
How Countries Go Broke
Principles for Navigating the Big Debt Cycle, Where We Are Headed, and What We Should Do
Ray Dalio
In this book, Ray Dalio provides a groundbreaking analysis of the Big Debt Cycle, addressing critical questions about debt growth, the potential for a major reserve currency country like the US to go broke, and how to identify and mitigate debt-related risks. Dalio draws on his experience as a global macro investor and his study of 35 historical cases of governments facing financial crises over the past 100 years. He offers a template for identifying and managing debt problems, which he has discussed with treasury secretaries and central bankers worldwide. The book explains the mechanics of debt sustainability, potential government debt reduction strategies, and the role of central bank interventions in managing debt crises.
Looking across six systems – the police and the recording of hate crimes; dating apps and digital desire; outness in the film and television industry; borders and LGBTQ asylum seekers; health and fitness activities; and DEI initiatives in the workplace – Rainbow Trap documents how inclusive interventions – such as new legislation, revamped diversity policies and tech fixes – have attempted to bring historically marginalized communities out of the shadows. Yet, as part of the bargain, LGBTQ people need to locate themselves in an ever-growing list of classifications, categories and labels to 'make sense' to the very systems they are seeking to access. This requirement to be classified catches LGBTQ communities in a rainbow trap. Because when we look beyond the welcoming veneer of inclusive interventions, we uncover sorting processes that determine what LGBTQ lives are valued and what queer futures are possible.
This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.
New Books in Critical Theory 