Queer Objects to the Rescue: Intimacy and Citizenship in Kenya

In Kenya, bead necklaces, plastics, and even diapers have been used to represent the danger posed by homosexual behavior to an essentially "virile" construction of national masculinity. George Paul Meiu's book Queer Objects to the Rescue explores how these objects have played an important and surprising role in both state-led and popular attempts to rid Kenya of various imagined threats to intimate life.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 20 December 2023
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

In recent years, Kenya has witnessed a surge in anti-homosexual violence, leading to the emergence of various forms of intimate citizenship. These forms of citizenship are responses to the growing threat posed by homophobia and discrimination in the country. Campaigns urging police and citizens to purge their countries of homosexuality have gained traction across the world, but the "homosexual threat" they claim to address is often difficult to identify. To make this threat visible, leaders, media, and civil society groups have deployed certain objects as signifiers of queerness. In Kenya, for instance, bead necklaces, plastics, and even diapers have come to represent the danger posed by homosexual behavior to an essentially "virile" construction of national masculinity.

In his book, Queer Objects to the Rescue, George Paul Meiu explores the role that objects have played in both state-led and popular attempts to rid Kenya of various imagined threats to intimate life. Meiu demonstrates that the use of these objects in the political imaginary has been crucial in representing the homosexual body as a societal threat and as a target of outrage, violence, and exclusion. At the same time, these objects have also crystallized anxieties over wider political and economic instability. To effectively understand and critique homophobia, Meiu suggests that we must take these objects seriously and recognize them as potential sources for new forms of citizenship, intimacy, resistance, and belonging.

One of the key insights of Queer Objects to the Rescue is that objects are not passive symbols or mere artifacts. Rather, they are active agents that can shape and influence social and political processes. Meiu shows how bead necklaces, plastics, and diapers have been used by both state officials and ordinary citizens to perpetuate homophobia and discrimination. For instance, bead necklaces have been used to identify and target homosexuals, while plastics have been used to create makeshift shelters for those fleeing violence. Diapers, on the other hand, have been used as a symbol of shame and humiliation, particularly among men who engage in homosexual behavior.

However, Meiu also highlights the ways in which these objects can be reclaimed and repurposed by marginalized communities. He shows how bead necklaces have been used by LGBTQ+ activists to create a sense of pride and identity, while plastics have been used to build makeshift homes and community centers. Diapers, too, have been transformed into a symbol of resilience and strength, particularly among those who have faced discrimination and violence.

Queer Objects to the Rescue is a powerful and thought-provoking book that offers a new perspective on the relationship between objects, sexuality, and citizenship. It challenges us to think beyond traditional narratives of power and resistance and to recognize the potential for new forms of citizenship, intimacy, and belonging to emerge from the margins. By taking these objects seriously and recognizing them as potential sources for new forms of citizenship, intimacy, resistance, and belonging, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and just society for all.

Weight: 454g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226830568