LGBTQ+ Affirmation and Assimilation: A Discourse Tracing Project
Michael Grodesky, PhD, Principle Investigator
(This project in a work in progress. Below is the overview of the research plan for data collection, analysis and interpretation.)
Introduction:
It has been said that poetry is the language of humanity. That it expresses and documents the issues of an age through words that can be best expressed in the figurative. Exploring the discursive practices of a particular time or place can add insight into the lived experience and, moreover, document how these discourses have changed over time. In the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer and other orientations, identities and expressions (LGBTQ+) communities, there has long been an interesting tension involving the discursive meanings associated with affirmation and assimilation.
Perhaps the earliest mention of assimilation came in the 1950s with the so-called “homophile movement” and associated organizations such as the Mattachine Society that advocated for gay people to be accepted into social structures because they were fundamentally no different than anyone else. These movements sought tolerance rather than civil and social equality. (Citation)
After the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, the gay community moved into more of a liberation focus and where those of the Mattachine Society saw assimilation of social structures as a means of affirmation, many in the gay liberation movement viewed rejection of assimilation of social norms as the primary means of affirmation (Citation).
This rejection included a refutation of the traditional heterosexual values of family life and marriage—which themselves were changing in the larger culture (Citation). It was frequently argued that recognizing and embracing uniqueness as outcast members of society allowed for the formation of alternative values and norms separate from those that were heteronormative that would allow gay people to achieve a self-affirming liberation.
In his 1979 essay entitled Gay People at a Critical Crossroad: Assimilation or Affirmation? activist Don Kilhefner argued:
We must learn to honor, not hide, our being different; affirm and celebrate our gayness in original and playful ways; acknowledge a rich hidden heritage both within and outside of us; and to find new models to explain the body of information and intuitive knowledge we have been carrying for a long time but that had no way to get out. A new wave of gay liberation is forming. In deep and profound ways, none of us has really “come out” yet. (Citation)
Unknown to Kilhefner at the time was how profoundly his vision of the “new wave of gay liberation” would be affected by the coming onslaught of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS )that would nearly wipe out a generation of gay men (Citation). Moreover, the changing heterosexual norms of the 1960’s sexual revolution were causing heterosexuals to question many of the same traditional values.
On one hand, the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s gave a new and urgent reason for organizations such as ACT UP to fight for gay rights, specifically, rights to medical treatment which was arguably being delayed by a political administration that was largely ignoring the epidemic. On the other hand, the devastating effects created by HIV/AIDS, led many gay men to create more structure and commitment to relationships. What might to some be considered an embrace of “family life.” (Citation)
Fast forward to 2015 when the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell vs. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage and afforded full legal marriage rights and benefits to same sex couples and marked a monumental step forward in social progress and civil equality (Citation). Through embracing legal marriage, these couples assimilated one of the most significant social institutions in our society.
Referring specifically to gay males and putting aside the monumental importance of equal civil rights and social progress as measured by equal access to social institutions, one might argue there has been a radical shift in the internal discourse with respect to identification with the marriage institution and what that identification means to the affirmation of individuals. Indeed, in traversing the discourse within the gay male community over the past fifty years, it is not difficult to hypothesize that there has been a series of critical turning points (sometimes referred to as “ruptures) that have shaped and transformed discursive elements.
The discipline of Behavioral Science draws from core disciplines of psychology (conative/emotional functioning), sociology (social dynamics), and anthropology along with neuroscience and economics. As a behavioral scientist, and a poet, I have been interested in researching how the discursive elements of affirmation and assimilation have been considered and expressed by poets who have written about the lived experience of the gay men. I am particularly interested in how this discourse has or has not changed in poetic renditions across the rupture points from the Stonewall , HIV/AIDS and marriage equality.
Discourse tracing is a qualitative research method, related to discourse analysis, that has been employed as a means of inquiry into complex social issues involving such elements as language and power. Discourse Tracing is particularly well-suited to studying ho how the discursive practices of a given subject have changed over a period of time. The method considers data derived from the micro ( person-to-person), meso (person to culture), and macro (cultural)levels to achieve tracing.
LeGreco, a pioneer of this methodology notes:
Discourse tracing enables scholars to critically analyze the power relations associated with change and proceed with a systematic data analysis process that is accessible and transparent. (citation)
Research Question:
Using poetry as data, the purpose of this discourse tracing study is to identify and trace, over time, the change in discursive patterns ascribed to the social dynamics of affirmation and assimilation, as they are recognizable in poetic passages at micro, meso and macro levels, as at the three rupture points that include the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, and the Marriage Act of 2015.
Many researchers, including Foucault himself, have used texts as the data source for discourse analysis. In the present study, we use poetic texts as the primary data, and argue that poetry is uniquely capable of delineating the subtle transitions within a culture through language capable of “saying the unsayable.” In keeping with the methodological elements of discourse tracing, we will use formal poetic texts that represent the macro, meso and micro levels of analysis. While this initial project represents the gay male community, it is understood that this perspective and this voice is but small faction of the larger LGBTQ+ Community. Targeting the gay male community allows this researchers to maintain the research in a manageable context that would not be afforded if one were to explore the entire breadth of the LGBTQ+ Communities. Moreover, even the gay male community is far from a monolith and the lived experience of gay men varies quite widely. However, the strength of qualitative research lies in its depth rather than in its breadth. Similar inquiry into other LGBTQ+ discursive elements will of course be needed to create a meaningful picture.
Review of the Literature
In some qualitative research methodologies, there is debate as to whether an apriori review of the literature is helpful in developing appropriate questions and interpretations of the data, or whether such a review inflicts an unnecessary influence on the interpretation of the collected data, and should therefore be created after the data have been collected and analyzed. However, in the discourse method of qualitative research, an apriori review of literature is considered desirable and helpful to the development of the tracing.
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical framework for this study is based on work done with Queer Theory. (citation).Pre-gay liberation Homophile movements sought to improve public relations and increase social acceptance by assimilation of heteronormative appearances. Affirmation as a gay person was assimilation of normative appearances and a sense of tolerance rather than equality (citation).
Gay liberation movements refused to pander to the heterosexual anxiety and instead flaunted differences rather than attempting to persuade societies they were the “same.” Affirmation as a gay person was rejection of normative appearances. (citation)
General Assumptions of Queer Theory:
1. Social Constructionist
Gender/Sexuality not biological truths
2. Challenge to Heteronormality
3. Performativity
Gender is what people do rather than what they are
4. Rejection of Binaries
Affirmation vs. assimilation: Pre-1969: Assimilating Heteronormality =Affirmation
Stonewall Era: Gay Liberation Movement rejection of assimilation=Affirmation
Post-Stonewall/HIV/AIDS/Marriage Equality Affirmation = a type of Assimilation
Methodological Overview:
Phase 1: Design
Discourse tracing is a qualitative research method, with roots in Michel Foucault’s concept of discourse analysis, that allows scholars to apply critical interpretive analysis of discursive practices in complex social issues involving such elements as language, power, meaning and context, understanding that social and historical contexts generally precede personal ones (citation)
We use poetic texts as the primary data source which is to be selected, categorized, coded, and interpreted.
Phase 2. Poet Sampling and Data Gathering
Sampling and Data Gathering. We will sample American poets who have identified as being gay, and whose work includes poetic texts that relate to/describe their lived experience as a gay man. (See inclusion criteria Table I). In keeping with the specific strength of the discourse tracing method, we will sample poetry that covers the identified transitional (rupture) points from pre-1969 to the post-Stonewall period of 1969, to the HIV/AIDS era of the 1980s/1990s and post-Marriage Act of 2015. Accessing poets who wrote openly in all three of these time periods would, on the one hand, perhaps give the cleanest rendition of change over time, consistent with the fidelity of discourse tracing. However, a wider sampling of poets who may not have written in all three time periods, we argue, will give a richer assessment of the changes in affirmation and assimilation that occur over time. Since few poets likely wrote in all three time periods, we will include poets from all of these time periods (even if they did not write in all three time periods). In order for this sampling strategy to be meaningful, it is necessary for the purpose of this study to consider “poetry” as one body of discourse that includes a number of poets (Table II).We will gather data from the poets noted above with the idea of achieving data sampling saturation. Achieving saturation was evident when we began seeing repeated themes and patterns. Since there were large bodies of work by poets to draw from, we approached this by initially through an iterative process by aiming for three to four poetic excerpts per poet, coding these and analyzing. As new codes continued to emerge, we added an addition two to three more poets and repeated this process until no new codes had emerged. Qualitative indicators of “enough” that guided this study include structural richness, meaning enough samples to represent the poet’s style, thematic concerns, and context for a deep rather than thin analysis. Enough data to identify rupture points in the discourse.
The data will be ordered chronologically in a specifically designed “data matrix” and were storedon a Mac Desktop Computer, backed up on a MacBook Air and again backed up on a Data Traveler Flash Drive. Access to the poetry of the poets included in the sample was through personal holdings, and those of the Seattle Public Library and the Suzzallo-Allen Library on the University of Washington Campus in Seattle. The greatest resource was the Suzzallo.
Selected poetic passages will be transcribed into a matrix (see above). Structured coding will be performed. Source of the poetic passages will be recorded so that if used in the final paper, permission (if needed) may be obtained from publishers.
Phase 3:Data Analysis
A second reading of the data by a second researcher with coding that relates directly or indirectly, literally or figuratively to some element of the spectrum between affirmation as a rejection of assimilation and affirmation is in essence assimilation.
If possible, a third reading of the data by a third researcher with coding that relates directly or indirectly, literally or figuratively to some element of the spectrum between affirmation as a rejection of assimilation and affirmation is in essence assimilation.
Research team will review codes and extract themes that relate to the topics of affirmation and assimilation. Initial structured coding of content that relates directly or indirectly, literally or figuratively to some element of the spectrum between affirmation as a rejection of assimilation and affirmation is in essence assimilation.
Group meeting of three researchers to synthesize the data a develop a specific codebook grounded in the poetic data using process coding and tracing discursive moves.
Identifying key discursive statements, contextualizing them within their social/culture environment and tracing how these meanings shift across time or settings. Effective methods include thematic analysis to identify patterns and content analysis to uncover deeper meanings.
It is important to note that, in qualitative research, high reliability does not automatically equate to high validity (truthfulness). Overly rigid coding to force agreement can sometimes lose the nuance or richness of the discourse. However, the collaborative discussion process involved in establishing that reliability is what primarily boosts the internal validity.
The multiple coders will support internal and external validity by:
Mitigates Individual Bias: Discourse analysis involves subjective interpretation. A second coder provides a check against the singular, potentially biased perspective of a lead researcher.
Strengthens Codebook Clarity: Identifying where coders disagree forces the researchers to better define codes, leading to a more robust, standardized, and transparent coding system.
Enhances Reliability and Trustworthiness: While internal validity is about accuracy, high inter-coder agreement demonstrates that the patterns identified are not just a product of one person's imagination. It adds credibility in the eyes of reviewers.
Triangulation: Using two or more coders acts as a form of triangulation, comparing different interpretations to build a more nuanced, comprehensive understanding of the discursive data. Finally, a comparison with what AI might say about all of this?
Phase 4: Results and Conclusions:
Develop and address theoretical conclusions of the case (Queer theory, Foucault, etc.) and develop practical implications and recommendations that may apply to other cases. It is important to consider and recognize that the evaluation of the discourse content (that is, poetry) for this research must be viewed from a behavioral science perspective rather than through the English scholar viewpoint. In this case, the poetry is being utilized as data Below is a comparison of the two types of scholarship for clarification:
FEATURE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE VIEWPOINT
Goal Understanding the lived
experience/discourse behavior
Data Usage Poem as data
Context Social/Psychology context of
the particular poet
Analysis Thematic coding-poetic inquiry
Interpretation Evidence-based patterned
ENGLISH SCHOLAR VIEWPOINT
Aesthetic interpretation and critique
Poem as a complete art work
Literary history, genre and tradition
Close reading, rhetorical analysis
Subjective/argumentative
Research Time Line
Data Gathering/Coding Spring/Summer 2026
Data Analysis Fall/Winter 2026-2027
Findings/Evaluation Spring/Summer 2027