From Identity to Politics: The Lesbian and Gay Movements in the United States.

• Author: Grindstaff, Davin
• Position: Book Reviews

From Identity to Politics: The Lesbian and Gay Movements in the United States. By Craig A. Rimmerman. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002; pp. xi + 239. $69.50; $19.95 paper.

Craig A. Rimmerman presents a compelling and timely argument for substantive changes in contemporary lesbian and gay movements. His argument for re-thinking current strategies derives from the book's central thesis:

In recent years, the mainstream lesbian and gay movements have largely been based on a fundamentally flawed conception of American politics. It is one that reinforces a narrow form of identity politics rooted in a top-down, state-centered approach and that embraces the language and framework of liberal democratic institutions, interest-group liberalism, and pluralist democracy. (3)

Following a provocative critique of these strategies, Rimmerman advocates an issue-centered approach to lesbian and gay politics, one grounded in coalition building with other social movements, grassroots organizing, and cultural politics. I will specify the ways in which this book succeeds admirably in the first of its aims while falling short of its second.

From Identity to Politics has much to offer those who study both social movements generally and lesbian/gay movements in particular. Its diverse perspectives on social movement, ranging from "resource-mobilization" and "political-process" approaches to "new social movement" theories, uncover the complex nature of social movements in contemporary America. The book also contains a rich history of the struggles facing non-heterosexual persons in the United States due to Rimmerman's thorough examination of case examples. Finally, From Identity to Politics bridges the prevalent gap between gay and lesbian activism and "queer" academia. While providing a theoretically challenging position on identity politics, its concrete discussion of movement strategies renders it accessible to readers who may not be familiar with other lesbian and gay scholarship. Yet the book only partially succeeds as rhetorical inquiry, even though this is not its stated purpose. The desire to critically explore the persuasive efficacy of m ovement strategies is an admirable aim, but one that remains slightly unfulfilled. This shortcoming will leave rhetorical scholars wanting more, but perhaps it will also motivate and direct future inquiries within the field of communication. The project's lack of a uniquely rhetorical orientation, which would enable close textual readings, appears to be the primary...