2017/08/04 by Joseph Orangias, Jeannie Simms, Sloane French · 1 citation
Psychology · Social Sciences · #LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy #African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues #Sex work and related issues #Queer #Gender studies #Politics #Sociology #Narrative #Stigma (botany) #Public space #Lesbian #Honor #Criminology #Political science #Psychology #Law #Art
paper · doi:10.1080/00918369.2017.1364106
openalex publication_date 2017/08/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Public monuments function as cultural agents, reifying dominant public narratives or fostering change. Either way, their representation of people and events intervene in public discourse and contribute to cultural, economic, political, and social environments. Queer monuments, defined here as heritage sites that honor gender and sexual minorities, represent communities that have often been excised in dominant public narratives. This article provides a preliminary global inventory of queer monuments and describes three of their major functions: (1) to provide visibility and reduce stigma; (2) to educate the public on the abuse and attempted extermination of gender and sexual minorities; and (3) to stimulate public debate and discourse about gender and sexual minority rights. This still rare type of monument is growing more common and prompting more active and equitable representations in public space. Queer monuments have the potential of lessening stigma and improving the lives of sexual and gender minorities.