Geografie 2014, 119, 179-198
Urban spatiality in the context of (homo/hetero)sexuality: Introduction to a theoretical debate in geographies of sexualities
The relevance and importance of sexualities as a geographical issue is yet to be recognized in Czechia, wherefore the main purpose of this article is to give spark to momentum to Czech geographies of sexualities. Consecutively, understandings of the issue produced from outside of the ‘West’ may contribute to our general knowledge about diverse spatialities of sexualities. For the sake of coherence, I narrow my discussion to urban geographies of sexualities and their various epistemologies. I begin with presenting evidence which suggests that sexualities have already been considered to be an important geographical subject in most Anglophone countries over the past 20 years. For this reason, the article is focused mostly on an Anglo-Saxon literature review figuring sexualities as being either social relations, axis of difference, social identities or categories not less important than gender, race and social class. I highlight the importance of discourse and its role in the social construction of sexualities. Finally, I provide a possible course for the study and production of geographies of sexualities in Czechia.
Keywords
geographies of sexualities, sexual identities, non-heterosexuality, gay ghettoes, gay/pink economy, heteronormativity, queer geography, Czechia.
