Overview

"Intimate Activism tells the story of Nicaraguan sexual-rights activists who helped to overturn the most repressive antisodomy law in the Americas. The law was passed shortly after the Sandinistas lost power in 1990 and, to the surprise of many, was repealed in 2007. In this vivid ethnography, Cymene Howe analyzes how local activists balanced global discourses regarding human rights and identity politics with the contingencies of daily life in Nicaragua. Though they were initially spurred by the antisodomy measure, activists sought to change not only the law but also culture. Howe emphasizes the different levels of intervention where activism occurs, from mass-media outlets and public protests to meetings of clandestine consciousness-raising groups. She follows the travails of queer characters in a hugely successful telenovela, traces the ideological tensions within the struggle for sexual rights, and conveys the voices of those engaged in ""becoming"" lesbianas and homosexuales in contemporary Nicaragua."

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9780822354376

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Reviews

Intimate Activism is an excellent ethnography of gender- and sexual-rights activism in postrevolutionary Nicaragua. Cymene Howe deftly folds the rich stories and description into a lively and sharp analysis. She has crafted an important work that provides new and productive ways of thinking about liberalism, activism, and global cultural flows. - Martin F. Manalansan IV, author of Global Divas: Filipino Gay Men in the Diaspora Cymene Howe's richly textured ethnography offers a nuanced insight into the workings of lesbian and gay activism in postrevolutionary Nicaragua, showing how both the contours of Nicaraguan history and the shadow cast by U.S. movements shape local efforts to create visibility and pride. This evocative work sets a standard for understanding the transnational foundations of activism in the global South that should resonate in the field for years to come. - Ellen Lewin, coeditor of Out in Theory: The Emergence of Lesbian and Gay Anthropology Of particular interest is Howe's reporting on three lesbian discussion groups, one hosted by a European-backed nongovernmental organization, another facilitated by local grass-roots activists, and a third convened in a rural setting. Throughout, Howe keenly observes intimate pedagogies : small face-to-face meetings that address deeply personal aspects of people's lives. - Foreign Affairs

Cymene Howe's richly textured ethnography offers a nuanced insight into the workings of lesbian and gay activism in postrevolutionary Nicaragua, showing how both the contours of Nicaraguan history and the shadow cast by U.S. movements shape local efforts to create visibility and pride. This evocative work sets a standard for understanding the transnational foundations of activism in the global South that should resonate in the field for years to come. --Ellen Lewin, coeditor of Out in Theory: The Emergence of Lesbian and Gay Anthropology

Author Information

Cymene Howe is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Core Faculty in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Rice University. She is coeditor, with Gilbert Herdt, of 21st Century Sexualities: Contemporary Issues in Health, Education, and Rights.

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