Joanna Wuest, "Born This Way: Science, Citizenship, and Inequality in the American LGBTQ+ Movement" (U Chicago Press, 2023)
Aug 27, 2024
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Joanna Wuest, an author specializing in the nexus of science, citizenship, and inequality within the LGBTQ+ movement, discusses her book. She critiques the notion of LGBTQ+ rights as a narrative of progress, exploring how reliance on science shaped advocacy strategies. Wuest unpacks the implications of framing sexual and gender identities as immutable, the historical pathologization of homosexuality, and the civil rights parallels. The conversation delves into the challenges facing marginalized communities in achieving constitutional recognition and the evolving landscape of queer rights.
The podcast reveals how the LGBTQ+ movement leveraged scientific arguments to frame sexual and gender identities as immutable, leading to significant legal victories.
It also cautions against over-relying on biological determinism in advocacy, as it may neglect the complexities and diverse realities within the LGBTQ+ community.
Deep dives
The Role of Science in LGBTQ+ Advocacy
The podcast discusses how science became a crucial component of LGBTQ+ advocacy, particularly in framing sexual and gender identities as innate or immutable. Early activists recognized the psychiatric view of homosexuality as a mental illness and sought to align their rights struggles with scientific arguments that depicted being gay as a normal variant of human sexuality. Pioneers like Alfred Kinsey and Evelyn Hooker contributed significantly by providing evidence that contradicted pathological views, paving the way for legal arguments grounded in biological understandings. The evolving scientific discourse allowed LGBTQ+ advocates to seek recognition and protection, transforming how sexual orientation was addressed in civil rights discussions.
Evolution of Legal Strategies
The podcast highlights the shift in legal strategies from the 1960s to today, showing how LGBTQ+ advocates learned from the Civil Rights Movement and adapted their approach to use scientific findings as legal backing. Their successes in court were bolstered by expert testimonies from reputable scientists who argued that homosexuality should not be classified as a mental illness. This progressive movement led to significant legal victories and ultimately contributed to landmark cases, such as the Supreme Court's declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973. Yet, this reliance on science also posed risks by situating rights achievements on potentially fragile scientific claims rather than fundamental human rights.
Born This Way and Its Implications
The podcast examines the cultural narrative of 'Born This Way' as both a powerful tool for advancing LGBTQ+ rights and a source of contention among activists. While the idea frames sexual and gender identities as biological and immutable, critics argue it can undermine the complexities of the LGBTQ+ experience and perpetuate harmful stereotypes. This narrative was co-opted in the legal realm, initially creating pathways to rights but later igniting debates about its sufficiency and relevance for marginalized groups within the community. Ultimately, the discussion serves to highlight the tensions between the pursuit of equality through scientific legitimacy and the need for a broader understanding of diverse identities and social justice.
Cautions and Future Directions
The podcast underscores the potential dangers associated with relying heavily on scientific claims to secure civil rights for LGBTQ+ individuals. As the conversation shifts toward issues like gender-affirming care, it reveals how scientific arguments can also foster discrimination and misinformation if misapplied. Activists are encouraged to explore legal strategies that do not solely depend on biological determinism, emphasizing the need for comprehensive rights that address class differences and systemic inequities. By recognizing the limitations of the 'Born This Way' narrative, the discussion advocates for a more inclusive approach to activism that considers the diverse realities faced by all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Scholars often narrate the legal cases confirming LGBTQ+ rights as a huge success story. While it took 100 years to confirm the rights of Black Americans, it took far less time for courts to recognize marriage and adoption rights or workplace discrimination protections for queer people.
The legal and political success of LGBTQ+ advocates often depended upon presenting sexual and gender identities as innate – or “immutable” to fit legal categories. Conservatives who oppose LGBTQ+ equality often argue that sexual and gender identity is something that can be taught. They use the offensive language of “grooming” and contagious “gender ideology” that corrupts susceptible children.
In Born This Way: Science, Citizenship, and Inequality in the American LGBTQ+ Movement(U Chicago Press, 2023), Dr. Joanna Wuest unpacks how a biologically based understanding of gender and sexuality– based on arguments from the “natural sciences and mental health professions” – became central to American LGBTQ+ advocacy. Her book is both a “celebratory and cautionary” story about the costs of relying on science to win impressive victories for queer rights. The book interrogates the “LGBTQ+ rights movement, the scientific study of human difference, and the biopolitical character of citizenship that formed at the nexus of the two.” As LGBTQ+ advocates brought “science to bear on civil rights struggles,” they transformed American politics and the epistemology of identity politics more broadly.”
Dr. Joanna Wuest is an incoming Assistant Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Stony Brook University and a sociolegal scholar specializing in sexual and gender minority rights, health, and political economy. Her book, Born This Way: Science, Citizenship, and Inequality in the American LGBTQ+ Movement, received an Honorable Mention for the Society for Social Studies of Science's 2024 Rachel Carson Prize and was featured on a recent episode of Radiolab.
