Queer – LGBTQ2S+ Histories of Violence

For those unfamiliar with the gay “dating” app, Grindr, think of it as a classic gay cruising spot, but digitized. As with most social platforms, there’s an added hurdle or benefit (depending on who you ask) of anonymity. For those not out to their families, this is part of the appeal; perhaps there is an argument that this could even be seen as a safety precaution. However, for others, anonymity acts as a shield for hateful/predatory behaviour.

My inspiration for writing this blog post comes from my interest in how queer archives operate as evidence of a community’s collective history and ways of knowing and doing. Though much of my work thus far in the archives has provided a rich queer history, much of it has also shown the problematic side of the mainstream queer community–mainstream here refers to white gay men and lesbian women. I am struck by how much of the content in the archives seems to mirror ideologies that I have personally experienced on Grindr.

Scott Symons (Photographed by John McConnell, Scott’s lover)

Reza Baraheni (from the Archive of The Institute for Cultural Research and Studies)

Being multi-faceted, violence is hard to define and distinguish. Sometimes it is overt like raid, confiscation and beating; sometimes it is subtle, covert and soft. Some consider an experience as violent, while others understand that very experience in a different way. Here is a story of two novelists and their books. One has experienced violence with his soul, psyche and his skin and flesh, and the other experienced it in the form of a restless mind in a more subtle way.

Reza Baraheni and Scott Symons were born almost in the same year, and both wrote their first novels in the same period. One wrote one of Canada’s first homosexual novels, and the other authored the first modern Iranian novel with homosexual themes and references. They had similar political concerns and were engaged in similar literary activities besides story writing. Both have gained a prominent reputation in their society’s intellectual circles, although they were finally forced to abandon their homelands.

Tag: Queer

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