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《虫子法案》是英格兰的第一条民事鸡奸法，使男子之间的性交成为资本罪。但是，直到17世纪末和18世纪初，对“索氏菌”的明确迫害才开始。历史学家认为，1690年创建的“举止改革社会”是对这种压迫的崛起负责，这是首次引起公众关注的同性恋（Norton，2016年）。该项目将挑战这一论述，提供替代证据，以解释为什么在此期间开始对酷儿主观性的迫害和更广泛的意识。它将扩大酷儿理论家的工作，例如朱迪思·巴特勒（Judith Butler）和赫尔穆特（Helmut Puff），以摆脱通常表征同性恋历史基本作品的本质主义（Butler，2006＆Puff，2012）。这将使人们对后来被描述为“同性恋”的早期现代起源进行更细微的研究。作为其主要的源基础，这项研究将分析反威廉特讽刺。这些文件包含针对威廉三世国王（1650-1702）和他的法院的明确指控。通过将研究重点转移到试验和犯罪方面，以查看其他性行为的其他指标，该项目将挑战传统的历史叙事，这在19世纪将可识别的同性恋身份表达出来。相反，它将在17世纪后期以同性欲望和强烈的行为为中心定位酷儿主观性。这将通过将最近的学术思想与不限于二进制的性认同的更细微的概念融合在一起来支持这一点（Puff，2012年）。通过这种原始方法，该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。