Gays et lesbiennes en politique

What does it mean to be a gay or lesbian politician? This book tells the story of activists who have mobilized for decades to increase the presence of sexual minorities in political parties and assemblies. Drawing on interviews with elected officials who have made their sexual orientation public, this book analyzes the influence of being gay or lesbian on their political careers and questions what "coming out" might actually entail in the political field. This book also contributes to debates on the nature of political representation by studying how and why these gay and lesbian politicians claim to represent (or not represent) sexual minorities. At a time when the United States is often constructed in French political discourse as a counterexample of how minorities should behave in the public sphere, this book sociologically accounts for differences in the norms and practices which constrain the exercise of a political mandate in both countries.