Selling Out: The Gay and Lesbian Movement Goes to Market (Paperback)

by Alexandra Chasin (Author) "The 1990s was a banner decade for gay men and lesbians..." (more)
Key Phrases: lesbian niche market, gay niche market, lesbian nonprofits, United States, San Francisco, Anita Bryant (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Is it possible to have a meaningful revolution in the middle of a capitalist spending frenzy? This, Chasin contends, is the central question facing the gay rights movement. In a passionate, if ultimately utopian, analysis of gay politics, Chasin asserts that the creation of a gay-oriented consumer market--in tandem with the mainstreaming of a gay politic that disavows broad-based coalitions with women and people of color--has prevented homosexuals from pursuing a more radical vision of social change. Although the movement has brought same-sex marriage and gays in the military into public debate, it has not promoted a comprehensive vision that would "provide all people with access to the full range of social institutions, over and above the equal right to them." Chasin, who has taught at Yale University, is terrific on the specifics: she notes the way recent gay-targeted ads evoke images of assimilation and national identity by using the U.S. flag or the Statue of Liberty, and she points out that advertising and magazine copy often create the impression of an all-white, predominately gay male community, while hypersexualizing the few images of racial minorities. Likewise, she deftly assesses how the contemporary marketing of gay culture resonates with the way consumption has historically contributed to ethnic identities. But while her arguments are capable, they often feel overintellectualized and don't always adequately account for the myriad contradictions inherent in struggling for social justice under the constraints of capitalism. Agent: Malaga Baldi.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Many in the gay press seem to take pride in announcing every new commercial or advertisement that targets gays and lesbians, and books such as Grant Lukenbill's Untold Millions: Secret Truths about Marketing to Gay and Lesbian Consumers (1995) tout the potential of the gay and lesbian market. Chasin, cochair of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission's board of directors, questions in this thoughtful treatise, however, whether this is the kind of "acceptance" that leads to progressive social change. She documents the existence of the gay and lesbian "niche market of the 1990's," looks at the gay and lesbian press, and examines specific advertising campaigns. She then investigates the role of boycotts and focuses on the 1977 campaign against orange juice marketers who had used Anita Bryant as a spokesperson. Chasin also considers fundraising and gay and lesbian nonprofit organizations, and asks what strings might be attached to moneys raised. Throughout her analyses, Chasin acknowledges conflicts and differing points of view among gays and lesbians but warns against "cultural assimilation." David Rouse --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (June 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312239262
• ISBN-13: 978-0312239268
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #823,681 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read..., June 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Selling Out: The Gay and Lesbian Movement Goes to Market (Hardcover)

Selling Out offers a welcome breath of fresh air into the stifled and conservative rhetoric of present-day lesbian and gay identity politics. As both an author as well as a committed activist, Chasin is able to innovatively and deftly examine and deconstruct issues concerning the commodification and niche marketing of the LGBT activist movement and to courageously question, among other issues, whether or not visiblity alone for the LGBT community is an effective means of gaining equal rights. Through its combination of exhaustive research and eloquent, intelligent writing, Selling Out becomes an indispensable resource not only for scholars, but for any reader with an interest in gaining an amazingly thorough and fresh analysis of important issues concerning the queer community. I offer my sincerest graditude and congratulations to Alexandra Chasin for giving us this truly remarkable eye-opener!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding..., June 6, 2000

By	Elizabeth Brown (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selling Out: The Gay and Lesbian Movement Goes to Market (Hardcover)

I have read many books on controversies in the gay and lesbian liberation movement, but I've read none more fascinating and eloquent than this one. Chasin challenges us to question if what we really WANT is to be a part of the homogenized mass-media culture that we've been seeking to gain acceptane in. I was also impressed by the exhaustive research that went into this piece. I was also impressed to learn that Ms. Chasin has worked with the IGLHRC association, and with up-and-coming activist Kerri Gawreluk. It's wonderful to finally see a book that is a result of collaboration between true pioneers in the new gay/lesbian generation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, but case studies could have been expanded on, July 13, 2001

By	dave-o (boston) - See all my reviews

Chasin's analysis of the relationship between capitalism and civil rights movements (particularly the gay movement) is long overdue. It is intelligently researched and well-thought out. However I am not interested particularly in economic theory and at times the book feels too academic, like Chadrin just transposed her college dissertation to book format. If it had been better edited to perhaps weed out some of the more theoretical parts and if she had expanded on contemporary case studies the book would feel more readable to a non-business-oriented reader. I was disappointed that there was no mention of 'Gay Day' at Walt Disney World and how this very corporate commercial venue is a summer mecca for (often upper-middle class white male) gays across the U.S. as it seems like an ideal study for the subject. The author is to be commended however for her writing about the drawbacks of the 'mainstreaming' of the gay movement and how commercial gains are not necessarily positive ones.