The confluence of us : creative-relational (love) making of gay men's identities

Rodriguez-Dorans, E

Abstract

This essay explores gay men's identities as processes of creative-relational construction of the self. I problematize the common sex-centered conception of being gay as “I am gay because I have sex with men.” Bringing together Paul Ricœur's work on identity as autobiography, Audre Lorde's concept of the erotic as a constructive force, and Derek Greenfield's understanding of relational orientation, in the light of an interview with Manoel, a young gay man from Malta, creative-relational inquiry affords a richer notion of gayness as “I am gay when I am with you” and “I am gay because I love you.”

Citation

Rodriguez-Dorans, E. (2020). The confluence of us : creative-relational (love) making of gay men's identities. Departures in Critical Qualitative Research, 9(2), 103-113. https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2020.9.2.103

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: May 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Jul 13, 2021
• Journal: Departures in Critical Qualitative Research
• Electronic ISSN: 2333-9497
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 103-113
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2020.9.2.103
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2020.9.2.103
• Related Public URLs: https://online.ucpress.edu/dcqr
• Additional Information: Access Information : This article is available to read for free via the University of Edinburgh's Institutional Repository at: https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/the-confluence-of-us-creative-relational-love-making-of-gay-mens-