“Our sexualities are crossed by power relations which orient them, marginalizing certain practices and communities and normalizing others. These relationships produce a sexual hierarchy: this is what we call “the normative sexual order”. » These are the words that Chacha Enriquez chose to place at the very beginning of his introduction to Queer sexualities and dissidencethe collective book that the academic coordinated and which is being published these days by Éditions du stir-ménage.
In 2008, Chacha Enriquez left France for Quebec to finish her studies then, from 2015, teaches queer sociology at UQAM. “It’s the first course in French-speaking Quebec to have the word “queer” in its title,” explains the man who has been a queer activist for around twenty years. “It was while preparing another course, for college, that I noticed that there were very few essays published in Quebec and in French on queer sexualities, and even fewer that are accessible, it’s that is to say, whose tone would not be too theoretical, not too scientific. » The book was therefore largely born from the desire to offer educational material to better understand and make people understand queer sexualities. “This is all the more important,” explains Chacha Enriquez, “as most students have not had sexuality education classes, or only from the angle of danger. »
Reference book
Signed by “dissidents of the sexual order”, that is to say people who “resist sexual marginalization through their activism, their sexuality education practices or their academic work”, the fifteen chapters cover a multitude of topics. “I myself learned a lot while preparing the book,” admits Chacha Enriquez. My hope is that it becomes a reference work, that it encourages other queer people to publish, that they feel legitimate to do so, and that it allows anyone who has questions about their sexuality to find tools for understanding, analysis and reflection. The location of each chapter has been thought out, but we can easily start with the text that appeals to us the most. »
It was while preparing another course, for college, that I noticed that there were very few essays published in Quebec and in French on queer sexualities, and even fewer that are accessible, that is- that is to say whose tone would not be too theoretical, not too scientific.
The voluminous book brings together twenty-one lesbian, gay, bisexual, aromantic and asexual people, sex workers, HIV-positive, in polyamorous or intergenerational relationships, lovers of BDSM, pornography, practices kinkyof cruising or chemsex who reflect on “the liberation of sexual and romantic practices” from sociology, sexology, social work or a field perspective. Marie-Pier Boisvert, Mathilde Capone, Marianne Chbat, Julie Descheneaux, Jorge Flores-Aranda, Blake Gauthier-Sauvé, Marie Geoffroy, Stéphanie Gingras-Dubé, Adore Goldman, Julie Lavigne, Miko Lebel, Hugues Lefebvre Morasse, Sabrina Maiorano, Mélina May , Rossio Motta-Ochoa, Alex Nadeau, Gabrielle Petrucci, Gabrielle Richard, Em Steinkalik and Gui Tardif address bisexuality, pleasure, the culture of consent, sextingsex work, cruising gay, pornography, polyamory, sexuality education, chemsexBDSM and asexuality.
Sexual liberation?
While we live in a society that calls itself and thinks itself sexually liberated, the work brings some important nuances. “Most sexual norms act with less rigor than before,” begins by recognizing Chacha Enriquez. That said, when it comes to the public sphere, such as sex work, the cruising gay or sexting, we notice an increase in forms of criminalization. Each time, the authorities advocate abstention rather than harm reduction. We are also observing an increase in mononormativity, more and more attacks against the fluidity of sexualities, loves and genders. There is a regulatory node here that the research we have carried out clearly highlights. »
Following the conservative mobilizations that were organized around the world, Chacha Enriquez chose to add to the work a chapter, co-signed with Gabrielle Richard, on “ backlash heterocisnormative”. “At home, we feel that conservative elites, in order to take power or keep it, are seeking to mobilize an electoral base around the strengthening of gender norms. The creation of this moral panic is of course the approach of Pierre Poilievre, but it is also the game of the CAQ and the PQ, for whom the next election will be decided by who is the most transphobic. All of this is intended to produce animosity against trans people and silence LGBTQ+ communities. While we are in the midst of an economic, ecological and housing crisis, Bernard Drainville is tackling mixed toilets in schools. This is a perfect example of attention diversion. »
Regarding gender, Chacha Enriquez welcomes the incomprehension of part of the population: “It’s normal for people to feel worried, confused, to ask questions, but that in no way justifies the hostility, intimidation and violence. The most important thing the book, which itself is the result of consultation between sexual dissidents, could accomplish is to build bridges between communities. » On this subject, Chacha Enriquez writes in his introduction that “we wish to create a space for dialogue, in order to be able to strengthen the exploration and affirmation of our pleasures, our desires and our limits. And we hope that this reading of critical reflections will open gaps towards more sexual freedom. »