Selling Out: The Gay and Lesbian Movement Goes to Market

by Alexandra Chasin

In the 1990s, a new niche market emerged in the United States: gay and lesbian consumers were targeted by both mainstream and gay and lesbian producers. Selling Out asks: What is the relationship between this niche market and the social movement that works for gay and lesbian rights? Locating the niche market and social movement in the context of the rise of consumer culture and pictorial advertising and the rise of identity-based social movements over the course of the 20th century, Alexandra Chasin examines specific sites of intersection between them: the gay and lesbian press, advertising, boycotting, and the mechanisms of funding the movement.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, History, Queer, Business, Gay, Economics

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 22, 2000

Reviews

[Rome · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so good, if a tad dry, but i do think a great deal of nonfiction suffers from this, so perhaps the problem is me. an excellent look into things like pink capitalism and the idea of the dollar as a form of boycott and the corporatization of gay identity. once again a thank you to my thesis advisor for making me read this. very intriguing ideas just A Lot because its not readily digestible but books should make us think! well i think theres like. some books are entertainment some are a statement and this one is Informative and should make you Reflect. n e ways it gave me much to think about.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great commentary on how advertising to queer communities (or to any marginalized community) is intended to create a feeling of enfranchisement, and/or to make the consumer feel that the company as a whole is non-discriminatory. Makes the point that it's only about money, and that being advertised to only makes people FEEL like a legitimate part of America, doing nothing to actually increase enfranchisement in the system.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did the gay rights movement sell out? Because corporate America and the bulldozer that is neoliberal capitalism bought it.

[Susie Dumond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I probably used this book in every paper I wrote during grad school. Chasin does an excellent job of pointing out how the LGBT movement has become complicit in the capitalist system. She is prescient in her examination of how rallying behind the "gay dollar" is damaging to LGBT people. Read this book and then watch your local pride parade to get an idea of how many corporations are seeking to profit off of this moment in social justice history. I also love her discussion of funding the movement. I would love to see a new edition of this book.

[misstippin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I haven't read this & I'm probably not ever going to. I made it through the introduction and a small part of the first chapter. Some of the other QBC members struggled along further but I don't think anyone particularly enjoyed it. I thought it read like a research paper or doctoral dissertation: tons of citation and reiteration and not a lot of analysis or new ideas on the topic. Boo.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

so well written.
(although a little dry at times.)

very much enjoyed the chapter on boycotting.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

stunning indictment of the current LGBT movement and the surrounding culture's supposed acceptance of us.

[Carmelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent--love the section revealing the inefficacy of boycotts.

[butterbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

better than it was the first time. highly recommended for anyone interested in how identity-based consumerism interacts with social movements.left a little wanting on the conclusion.