The courage to connect : sexuality, citizenship, and community in Provincetown / Sandra Faiman-Silva.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Faiman-Silva, Sandra L.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sexual orientation.

Gay people.

Community life.

Toleration.

Cultural pluralism.

Provincetown (Mass.)--Social conditions.

Provincetown (Mass.).

Cultural pluralism--Massachusetts--Provincetown.

Toleration--Massachusetts--Provincetown.

Community life--Massachusetts--Provincetown.

Gay people--Massachusetts--Provincetown.

Sexual orientation--Massachusetts--Provincetown.

Massachusetts--Provincetown.

Physical Description:

x, 278 pages : illustrations ; cm

Place of Publication:

Urbana : University of Illinois Press, [2004]

Summary:

Based on over six years of fieldwork, The Courage to Connect traces the transformation of the well-known Cape Cod community of Provincetown from its nineteenth-century origins as a Portuguese fishing town to its present status as a welcoming, sexually diverse tourist enclave. In this book Sandra L. Faiman-Silva critically examines the history of the Portuguese ethnic community and the local economy, as well as the ways that gay and straight cultures intersect in areas such as public education, local government, and the police. Using queer and critical culture theory to analyze day-to-day local encounters, she lays bare the roots of social conflicts and shows how they can be resolved. Capturing the pathos and joy of a community that has struggled to accommodate radical social changes, The Courage to Connect serves as a model for understanding how communities can construct themselves to overcome their differences.

Contents:

1. Provincetown History as Diversity 13

2. Portuguese Ethnics: Reinventing Traditions 33

3. Socioeconomic Transitions: From Fishing to a Pink Economy 52

4. Mainstreaming Diversity: Community Life as Lived 76

5. "We're Here, We're Queer! Get Used to It!" Gay/Bi/Les/Trans

from Margin to Center 110

6. The Politics of Citizenship: Police-Community Relations 128

7. A Culture of Resistance in Provincetown's Schools 159

8. Encountering Queer Sexualities: Dealing with Difference 184

9. Learning to Connect, Loving the Connection: Lessons from Provincetown 208

A. Provincetown Human Rights Resolution 235

B. Provincetown Hate Crimes Resolution 236

C. Domestic Partnership Bylaw, 1993 237

D. Certificate of Domestic Partnership 241

E. Provincetown Police Department Values 242.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [245]-261) and index.

ISBN:

025202897X

OCLC:

52799638