Queer Whispers; Gay and Lesbian Voices of Irish Fiction

by Jose Carregal

ISBN: 9781910820889

Published: 2022-08-12

The first comprehensive survey of LGBTQ fiction in contemporary Ireland. Before Ireland decriminalized same-sex sexual activity in 1993, the nation was essentially devoid of an LGBTQ literary tradition, due to the political and cultural dominance of conservative, censorious ideology. Though the situation has drastically changed in some ways since then--the first nation to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote, Ireland is today hailed as a beacon of equal rights--there is still much work to be done to fully claim parity, visibility, and recognition for all LGBTQ artists. ​ Queer Whispers is the first comprehensive survey of Irish LGBTQ fiction, spanning the late 1970s through today. The book foregrounds the cultural contribution of Irish writers whose subversive, dissident voices not only challenged the homophobia and heteronormative values of pre-1993 Ireland but also continue to interrogate the persistent discrimination in today's seemingly more liberal atmosphere. Through...