Political Identities/Nationalism as Heterosexism

Abstract

In the past decade, feminists have produced a considerable and important literature that critically analyses the gendering of the state and state-centric nationalism. This article draws from and shifts the focus of these studies to examine nationalism not simply as gendered but as heterosexist. I first locate nationalism as a subset of political identities and identification processes, then take (heterosexist) gender identities as an indispensable starting point in the study of political identities. I next turn to early western state making and its writing technologies to materialize the normalization and practice (divisions of power, authority, labor). Finally, I chart five gender-differentiated dimensions heterosexist presumptions - and enduring problems. of (hetero)gender binaries in thought (western metaphysics/phallogocentrism) of state-centric nationalism that expose the latter's