Sexuality and Australian Identities

Abstract

Stories of nation and national types grew from, reacted to and existed in opposition to Australia's lived sexual history. In their search for a singular, historically based identity, the legend-makers hunted archetypes which appealed to them as white men, and which reinforced hegemonic national ideals. But it was not just a convenient blindness which made sexuality, gender and race their most obvious omissions. Rather, these were the troublesome instruments which split the nation into multiple and plural identities. Show more