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》是英格兰第一部民事鸡奸法，将男性之间的性交定为死罪。然而，对“鸡奸者”的明确迫害直到17世纪末和18世纪初才开始。历史学家认为，成立于 1690 年的“礼仪改革协会”应对这种压迫的加剧负有责任，该组织首次使同性恋受到公众关注（Norton，2016）。该项目将挑战这种话语，提供替代证据来解释为什么酷儿主体性的迫害和更广泛的认识是在这一时期开始的。它将扩展朱迪思·巴特勒（Judith Butler）和赫尔穆特·普夫（Helmut Puff）等酷儿理论家的工作，以摆脱本质主义，这种本质主义通常是同性恋历史基础著作的特征（Butler，2006＆Puff，2012）。这将有助于对后来被称为“同性恋”的现代早期起源进行更细致的研究。作为其主要来源基础，本研究将分析反威廉派讽刺作品。这些文件包含对国王威廉三世（1650 - 1702 年）及其宫廷鸡奸的明确指控。通过将研究重点从审判和犯罪转移到另类性行为的其他指标，该项目将挑战传统的历史叙述，这些叙述将可识别的同性恋身份的表达置于 19 世纪。相反，它将致力于定位 17 世纪末以同性欲望和女性化行为为中心的酷儿主体性。这将通过将最新的学术思想与不限于二元性的更细致的性别认同概念相结合来支持（Puff，2012）。通过这种原创的方法，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。