All posts tagged: pandemic

“All the Gay People Will Disappear”

by Benjamin Haber and Daniel J Sander The original context of the above tweet, which preceded Twitter’s introduction of threads, was part of a longer ironic statement in support of the legalization of gay marriage in the state of New York.1 Baldwin suggested that if one really opposed such a move, especially on religious grounds, then they should perform an incantation, and “all the gay people will disappear.” In late 2020 and early 2021, Baldwin’s tweet began recirculating out of context, divorced from the original discussion around gay marriage. Instead, queers, in replies and quote tweets, affirmed the at times self-deprecating idea that “gay people,” primarily signifying cis white homosexuals, had overstayed their welcome, becoming cringeworthy, and really ought to disappear. In highlighting the playful stretching of Baldwin’s tweet back and forward in time, we look to foreground a shift in queer representation as marked for death to one bored to death. For Douglas Crimp, the disappearance of gay representation during the advent of the HIV/AIDS pandemic was paradoxically achieved through new forms of overdetermined …

InVisible Culture’s COVID-19 Response

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in the lives of the readers, contributors, and editors of InVisible Culture. As a graduate student-run journal, we are sympathetic to the impacts of these challenging times on our contributors. Writing, researching, and all other aspects of living our daily lives are being compromised and restructured in the face of these new pressures. We recognize that readers, contributors, and our board alike need to prioritize care for ourselves in other ways right now. In the midst of this crisis, the editorial board of InVisible Culture has decided to amend our regular work practices. We believe that maintaining them would cause unnecessary pressure on our contributors and the editorial board during these difficulties. Given the precariousness of this moment, it would be unethical to expect the same workflow to carry on. Thus, while our forthcoming issues are still scheduled for release, IVC has postponed their launch dates. In this same vein, IVC will not be soliciting new material until further notice; however, we encourage all those who are interested …