{"product_id":"queer-in-russia-a-story-of-sex-self-and-the-other-paperback","title":"Queer in Russia: A Story of Sex, Self, and the Other - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLaurie Essig\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eQueer in Russia\u003c\/i\u003e Laurie Essig examines the formation of gay identity and community in the former Soviet Union. As a sociological fieldworker, she began her research during the late 1980s, before any kind of a public queer identity existed in that country. After a decade of conducting interviews, as well as observing and analyzing plays, books, pop music, and graffiti, Essig presents the first sustained study of how and why there was no Soviet gay community or even gay identity before \u003ci\u003eperestroika\u003c\/i\u003e and the degree to which this situation has--or has not--changed.\u003cbr\u003e\tWhile male homosexual acts were criminalized in Russia before 1993, women attracted to women were policed by the medical community, who saw them less as criminals than as diseased persons potentially cured by drug therapy or transsexual surgery. After describing accounts of pre-\u003ci\u003eperestroika\u003c\/i\u003e persecution, Essig examines the more recent state of sexual identities in Russia. Although the fall of communism brought new freedom to Russian queers, there are still no signs of a mass movement forming around the issue, and few identify themselves as lesbians or gay men, even when they are involved in same-sex relations. Essig does reveal, however, vibrant manifestations of gay life found at the local level--in restaurants, discos, clubs, and cruising strips, in newspapers, journals, literature, and the theater. Concluding with a powerful exploration of the surprising affinities between some of Russia's most prominent nationalists and its queers, \u003ci\u003eQueer in Russia\u003c\/i\u003e fills a gap in both Russian and cultural studies. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn entirely original investigation of the gay and lesbian scene in Russia and a book of enormous value, Queer in Russia\" will serve as a beachhead in the field of Russian queer studies. In one volume one finds a concise history of sexual transgression in the Russian context as well as the rise of queer Russian identity.\"--Luc Beaudoin, University of Denver\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLaurie Essig has taught sociology at Columbia University and Trinity College in Connecticut. She is a columnist for \u003ci\u003eNew York Blade\u003c\/i\u003e and Chicago's \u003ci\u003eOutline\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 272\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.78 x 9.4 x 5.88 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 15, 1999\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51817125380384,"sku":"9780822323464","price":56.63,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/d3e7d292fd4c36b217cfc609f92bc1d0.webp?v=1781096617","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/queer-in-russia-a-story-of-sex-self-and-the-other-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}