The Glorious Sexual Revolution: William III and the Expression of Queer Subjectivities in Early Modern Britain

光荣的性革命：威廉三世和近代早期英国酷儿主体性的表达

• 批准号: 2854608
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Manchester Metropolitan University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2854608
• 关键词: Glorious; Sexual; Revolution; William; III

The 'Buggery Act' of 1533 was England's first civil sodomy law, making sexual intercourse between men a capital offence. However, the explicit persecution of 'sodomites' did not begin until the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Historians have argued that the 'Society for the Reformation of Manners', created in 1690, was responsible for this rise in oppression, bringing homosexuality to public attention for the first time (Norton, 2016). This project will challenge this discourse, offering alternative evidence to explain why the persecution and wider awareness of queer subjectivities began during this period. It will expand on the work of queer theorists, such as Judith Butler and Helmut Puff, to move away from the essentialism that has typically characterised works foundational to the history of homosexuality (Butler, 2006 & Puff, 2012). This will allow for a more nuanced study of the early modern origins of what is later characterised as 'homosexual'. As its primary source base, this research will analyse anti-Williamite satires. These documents contain explicit accusations of sodomy against King William III (1650 - 1702) and his court. By shifting research focus away from trials and criminality to look at other indicators of alternative sexual behaviour, this project will challenge conventional historical narratives which place the expression of a recognisable homosexual identity in the 19th century. Instead, it will work to locate queer subjectivities which centre on same-sex desire and effeminate behaviour in the late 17th century. This will be supported by incorporating recent scholarly ideas with more nuanced conceptualisations of sexual identity that are not restricted to binaries (Puff, 2012). Through this original methodology, this project has the potential to transform our understanding of the development of homosexual desire and behaviour in Britain.

1533年的《鸡奸法》是英国第一部民事鸡奸法，将男性性行为定为死罪。然而，直到17世纪末和18世纪初，对鸡奸者的明确迫害才开始。历史学家认为，成立于1690年的“礼仪改革协会”是造成这种压迫上升的罪魁祸首，使同性恋第一次引起公众的关注(诺顿，2016)。这个项目将挑战这一论述，提供替代证据来解释为什么迫害和更广泛的同性恋主观性意识始于这一时期。它将扩展酷儿理论家的工作，如朱迪思·巴特勒和赫尔穆特·帕夫，以摆脱通常将作品描述为同性恋史基础的本质主义(巴特勒，2006和帕夫，2012)。这将允许对后来被描述为同性恋的早期现代起源进行更微妙的研究。作为其主要来源，本研究将分析反威廉姆斯的讽刺作品。这些文件明确指控威廉三世国王(1650-1702)和他的宫廷犯有鸡奸罪。通过将研究重点从审判和犯罪行为转移到另一种性行为的其他指标上，该项目将挑战传统的历史叙事，这些叙事将把可识别的同性恋身份表达在19世纪。相反，它将致力于定位17世纪末以同性欲望和娘娘腔行为为中心的同性恋主观性。这将通过将最新的学术思想与更微妙的性别身份概念化相结合来支持，这些概念并不局限于二进制(Puff，2012)。通过这个独创的方法，这个项目有可能改变我们对英国同性恋欲望和行为发展的理解。