Abstract
Response to Marie-Amélie George, Expanding LGBT
In her article, Expanding LGBT, Professor George attempts to provide a framework beyond incrementalism and radicalism to think about how U.S. LGBT organizations can reformulate their missions and advocacy efforts to benefit queer individuals. She argues that doing so will not only better the lives of queer non-binary, intersex, and asexual people, but also the more marginalized individuals within the LGBT community (i.e., trans and bisexual folks). As a departing point for her proposal, she uses the incorporation, about two decades ago, of the trans community into the U.S. national LGB movement.
This response focuses on three interrelated aspects that George’s article does not explore. First, whether it is possible or advisable that, in lieu of the expansion of the LGBT movement to LGBTQIA, we transition to a movement focused on inequality in general with an emphasis in sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) equality. Second, the effects historical context has on conditioning the different alternatives discussed for movement expansion. Third, whether the current social landscape could mean a setback in SOGIE equality if movements continue their advocacy with limited representation of the more marginal members of the LGBT community.
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