The Possibilities and Limits of Queer Space Theory: Through the Prism of the Women's Prison Estate

这篇论文试图将想象中的酷儿监狱概念化。这个项目可以更好地理解酷儿空间理论的可能性和局限性，并对女性监狱的未来提供一个原创性的评论。想象一座同性恋监狱不仅是一项独特的理论贡献，而且旨在减轻监狱的性别性质对LGBTQ囚犯的潜在有害影响。这篇论文建立在大量文献的基础上，这些文献假设空间和身份之间的关系是复杂的。我们的建筑环境既不是无价值的，也不是中立的，相反，性别是通过“场所”和“空间”形成的，“在一个权力关系系统中秘密运作，以保持或传播可能颠覆或支持霸权的社会价值观”(利科，2001年，第31页)。虽然我们没有英国LGBTQ囚犯的确切数字，但据估计，监狱中22%的女性认为自己不是异性恋(Bromley Briefits Prison Factfile，2021年)。对监狱中公开的双性恋和同性恋女性的研究很少；这可能在一定程度上反映了这样一种观点，即女性监狱更容易接受多样化的性别和性取向表达。然而，Carr等人(2016)报告说，同性恋恐惧症和变性人恐惧症仍然是“严重的问题”(第15页)，女同性恋者和双性恋者面临着“耻辱的暗流”。首先，本文需要更好地理解女同性恋者和双性恋者在监狱中的经历，具体探索空间的谈判。(重新)想象监狱并不是一条未被践踏的道路。杰里米·边沁将监狱重新想象为一个全视镜(1785)，希拉里·科塔姆将监狱重新想象为一个学习环境(2011)，威尔·阿斯洛普作为一个创造性的空间(2006)，朱克斯将监狱重新想象为建立在希望的建筑上的监狱(2018)。尽管其中一些想象从未完全实现或建立，但它对监狱建筑和设计的更广泛讨论的影响是巨大的。边沁的环视镜留下的遗产在监狱建筑中是无与伦比的，甚至在更广泛的建筑中也是如此。阿斯洛普和科塔姆的创造性意图并没有被忽视，比以往任何时候都更多的对话集中在扩大监狱中的学习和创造机会上，朱克斯的影响得到了学术受众(UKRI Impact Fund奖)和HMPPS的认可，希望的建筑不仅启发了新的利默里克女子监狱，而且导致两座监狱拆除了窗栏--一个否则，自然化和正常化的监狱建筑。本文使用酷儿空间理论来支撑想象中的酷儿监狱。酷炫空间不是指非异性恋者使用或占用的空间和地方，而是一种用来挑战我们建筑环境框架下的行为、规则和期望的策略(Doder，2011)。因此，酷儿空间可以被用作重新探索、重新运作、改造和竞争排外和压迫性空间的工具。然而，根据摩尔(2020)的说法，这个术语仍然存在争议。更具体地说，对空间进行排列化的过程，对“空间”和“酷儿”的定义，以及哪些空间可以和不可以被“排列化”，在文献中是不发达和不一致的。首先，通过更广泛地研究酷儿空间是如何被概念化的，以及实际上酷儿空间的关键特征，我们可以更好地理解我们可能认为是“酷儿空间”的空间的性质和共同特征。随着对女同性恋和双性恋女性在监狱中的经历有了更好的理解，再加上对同性恋空间更好、更细微的理解，我们就可以开始想象想象中的同性恋监狱可能会有什么。

This thesis is an attempt at conceptualising an imaginary queer prison. This project can better our understanding of both the possibilities of, and limits of queer space theory as well as offering an original comment on the future of the women's prison estate. Imagining a queer prison is not only a unique theoretical contribution but aims to alleviate the potentially harmful effects the gendered nature of prison has on LGBTQ prisoners. This thesis builds on the vast literature that supposes the relationship between space and identity are complex. Our built environment is neither value-free nor neutral, but rather, gender is formed through 'places' and 'spaces', operating "covertly within a system of power relations to perpetuate or transmit social values, which may stand to subvert or support hegemonic power" (Lico, 2001, p. 31). While we do not have exact figures of LGBTQ prisoners in the UK, it is estimated that 22% of women in prison identify as non-heterosexual (Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile, 2021). Research on openly bisexual and gay women in prison is scarce; this may, in part, be a reflection on the idea that women's prisons are more accepting of diverse gender and sexuality expressions. However, Carr et al (2016) reports that both homophobia and transphobia remain "serious problems" (p. 15), with lesbian and bisexual women facing an "undercurrent of stigma". Firstly, then, this thesis needs to better understand the experiences of lesbian and bisexual women in prison, specifically exploring the negotiation of space.(Re)imagining the prison is not a path untrodden. Jeremy Bentham reimagined the prison as a panopticon (1785), Hillary Cottam reimagined the prison as a learning environment (2011), Will Aslop as a creative space (2006), and Jewkes reimagined a prison built on the architecture of hope (2018). Although some of these imaginations are never fully realised, or built, the impact on broader discussions of prison architecture and design is vast. The legacy of Bentham's panopticon is unparalleled in prison architecture, and indeed architecture more widely. Aslop and Cottam's creative intentions have not gone unnoticed, with more conversations than ever focussed on expanding learning and creative opportunities in prison and Jewkes' impact has been recognised by both academic audiences (UKRI Impact Fund award) and HMPPS, not only has the architecture of hope inspired the new Limerick women's prison but has resulted in two prisons removing window bars - an otherwise, naturalised, and normalised staple of prison architecture.This thesis uses queer space theory to underpin the imaginary queer prison. Queering space' refers not to spaces and places used or appropriated by non-heterosexual people, but a strategy used to challenge behaviours, rules and expectations framed by our built environment (Doderer, 2011). Thus, queering space can be used as a tool for re-exploring, re-functioning, transforming, and contesting exclusionary and oppressive spaces. The term, however, according to Moore (2020) remains contested. More specifically, the processes of queering a space, definitions of both 'space' and 'queer', and indeed which spaces can and cannot be 'queered' are underdeveloped and inconsistent in the literature. By first, examining how queer space is conceptualised more broadly, and indeed the key characteristics of queer space, we can better understand the nature and shared characteristics of spaces we might think of as a 'queer space'. With a better understanding of lesbian and bisexual women's experience in prison, in combination with a better, more nuanced understanding of queer space, we can then begin imagining what then, the imaginary queer prison might hold.