Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2018

Thesis Director

Ryan P. Burge

Abstract

Running parallel to the groundbreaking and historic advancement of LGBTQ rights over the past decade has been the rise in the prominence and public discourse of queer conservative thinking. From the Log Cabin Republicans to far-right nationalistic politics, queer conservatives underscore both diverging ideologies within the modern American conservative tradition and the increase of far-right politics in Western societies. This study argues that queer conservatism, while traditionally less explored in the broader context of sexuality politics, is consequential to an understanding of the LGBTQ community and queer politics. Thus, an exploration of queer conservatism as a political ideology is explored, in addition to novel quantitative analyses of this community. Additionally, theories are offered to explain the rise of far-right nationalistic views within queer conservatism after the 9/11 and Pulse nightclub terrorist attacks. This study concludes that, while queer conservatism is a subset of the LGBTQ community, its foundations, legacies, and implications are critical to broader discussions of intersections of sexuality, heteronormativity, race, and post-9/11 politics.

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