Escaping narrow human rights framings in the context of sexual orientation and gender identity

Abstract

This study focuses on two concepts in regard to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement: Nancy Fraser’s conceptual framework of recognition, redistribution and representation as conditions for social justice and Ronald Holzhacker’s three modes of interaction of LGBT civil society organisations (CSOs) with their respective political environment. Human rights framings are the link between these two differing approaches, in explaining the shift in interpretations and the development of the framing of the rights of LGBT persons in terms of human rights framings to accommodate LGBT rights claims as a legitimate human rights concern. This study aims to come to an informative conceptual model of evaluation which can serve to further the understanding of the LGBT movement’s interaction and work in differing political environments in the European context. It can also be used to outline the goals and demands deemed reasonable to be pursued in each of the three outlined social settings, firmly grounded into a human rights paradigm. An attempt will be made to offer some alternatives regarding the LGBT movement in relation to human rights framings that have become somewhat traditional and rather narrow. This study aims to provide an alternative model of combining two very different fields of study in order to propose a fresh insight into a much contested subject with the view of expanding LGBT concerns into related fields of study which can prove enriching.