Rhetoric and Etiological Beliefs About Sexuality
Reader Responses to Cynthia Nixon’s New York Times Interview
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7315441 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adam Jowett (0000-0001-7312-8484, Coventry University, corresponding author), Sophie Barker (Coventry University) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 766-783 |
| Publication date | 2017-08-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Homosexuality (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0091-8369 • E-ISSN: 1540-3602 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00918369.2017.1364544 |
| PMID | 28777708 |
| OpenAlex | W2735862243 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 36 |
In 2012, the U.S. actress Cynthia Nixon was quoted in the New York Times Magazine as having stated that "for me, it [being gay] is a choice. I understand that for many people it's not, but for me it's a choice, and you don't get to define my gayness for me." The interview attracted international media attention and public criticism by lesbian and gay activists. This article suggests a rhetorical approach to understanding etiological beliefs and provides a discursive analysis of 198 online comments by readers of Pink News, a gay news Web site that reported on Nixon's controversial interview. This article explores common arguments used in readers' comments about Nixon and examines the rhetorical construction of sexuality. The analysis examines three themes within the data. First, biological essentialism was treated by many readers as common knowledge; second, readers suggested that only bisexuals have "choice"; and, third, it was suggested by both Nixon's critics and her supporters that counterarguments colluded with homophobia. The article suggests that there is an ideological dilemma whereby both "born-this-way" and "choice" arguments can be understood as colluding with anti-gay prejudice
Homosexuality · Human sexuality · Lesbian · Psychoanalysis · Rhetoric · Sociology · Theology · Gender Studies · Law in Society and Culture · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Philosophy · Psychology · Rhetoric and Communication Studies
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |