Known around the world as a bastion of machismo and Catholicism, Latin America in recent decades has emerged as the undisputed gay rights leader of the Global South. More surprising yet, nations such as Argentina have surpassed more "developed" nations like the United States and many European states in extending civil rights to the homosexual population. Setting aside the role of external factors and conditions in pushing gay rights from the Developed North to the Global South -- such as the internationalization of human rights norms and practices, the globalization of gay identities, and the diffusion of policies such as "gay marriage" -- Out in the Periphery aims to "decenter" gay rights politics in Latin America by putting the domestic context front and center. The intention is not to show how the "local" has triumphed the "global" in Latin America. Rather the book suggests how the domestic context has interacted with the outside world to make Latin America an unusually receptive environment for the development of gay rights. Omar Encarnacion focuses particularly on the role of local gay rights organizations, a long-neglected social movement in Latin America, in filtering and adapting international gay rights ideas. Inspired by the outside world but firmly embedded in local politics, Latin American gay activists have succeeded in bringing radical change to the law with respect to homosexuality and, in some cases, as in Argentina, in transforming society and the culture at large.

About the Author
Omar G. Encarnacion is Professor of Political Studies at Bard College.

Reviews
"This important volume on LGBT movements in Latin America focuses on Argentina and Brazil, and shows the importance of activist strategies in attaining equal rights for homosexuals in those countries. Encarnacion observes that 'gay rights victories in the legislature and the courts will prove sustainable only if accepted by the majority in society."' -- S. L. Rozman, Tougaloo College, CHOICE "In this skillfully argued comparative study, Omar G. Encarnacion explains why Argentina was the first country in Latin America to pass a law approving same-sex marriage, whereas the large and dynamic Brazilian movement has been less successful in securing equal rights. Out in the Periphery challenges scholars and those interested in LGBT activism to look beyond the United States to understand how monumental victories can be achieved." - James N. Green, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes Professor of Latin American History, Brown University "This book is methodically researched, clearly argued, and beautifully written. The comparison between Argentina and Brazil (and, for that matter, the rest of Latin America) is authoritative. This is a must-read for anyone interested in not just civil and gay rights in Latin America but also the interaction between international diffusion and local suitability." - Javier Corrales, Dwight W. Morrow 1895 Professor of Political Science, Amherst College "Omar Encarnacion's insightful and original research makes a sustained contribution in foregrounding Latin American LGBT politics within a framework that marries comparative and international analysis. This text centers the ways in which domestic movements have engaged with and interpreted international influences in order to advance their agendas in their own contexts." - Elisabeth Jay Friedman, Professor of Politics and Latin American Studies, University of San Francisco "This important volume on LGBT movements in Latin America focuses on Argentina and Brazil, and shows the importance of activist strategies in attaining equal rights for homosexuals in those countries." - Choice



Book Information
ISBN 9780199356652
Author Omar G. Encarnacion
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 231mm * 155mm * 15mm