Selling Out: The Gay and Lesbian Movement Goes to Market

In the 1990s gay and lesbian culture went mainstream, from Ellen's coming out episode to the push for same sex marriage. At the same time, the gay market has become one of the most sought after by advertisers like Bud Light, Absolut, Benson and Hedges, and even Ikea. But in its eagerness to be embraced by the mainstream, the gay movement's political identity has been whitewashed. Identity politics and identity based consumption tend to serve the interests of white, middle class men, and tend to underserve the interest of women, people of colour, and the poor. Alexandra Chasin's provocative indictment of the marketing of a sanitized queerness may set off a wave of controversy among all readers, gay and straight.