{"product_id":"9780814770573","title":"The Tolerance Trap","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom Glee  to gay marriage, from lesbian senators to out gay Marines, we have undoubtedly  experienced a seismic shift in attitudes about gays in American politics and  culture. Our reigning national story is  that a new era of rainbow acceptance is at hand. But dig a bit deeper, and this  seemingly brave new gay world is disappointing. For all of the undeniable changes,  the plea for tolerance has sabotaged the full integration of gays into American  life. Same-sex marriage is unrecognized and unpopular in the vast majority of  states, hate crimes proliferate, and even in the much vaunted \"gay friendly\"  world of Hollywood and celebrity culture, precious few stars are openly gay.       In The  Tolerance Trap, Suzanna Walters  takes on received wisdom about gay identities and gay rights, arguing that we  are not \"almost there,\" but on the  contrary have settled for a watered-down goal of tolerance and acceptance  rather than a robust claim to full civil rights. After all, we tolerate unpleasant realities: medicine  with strong side effects, a long commute, an annoying relative. Drawing on a  vast array of sources and sharing her own personal journey, Walters shows how  the low bar of tolerance demeans rather than ennobles both gays and straights  alike. Her fascinating examination covers the gains in political inclusion and  the persistence of anti-gay laws, the easy-out sexual freedom of queer youth  and the suicides and murders of those in decidedly intolerant environments. She  challenges both \"born that way\" storylines that root civil rights in biology,  and \"god made me that way\" arguments that similarly situate sexuality as innate  and impervious to decisions we make to shape it. A sharp and provocative cultural critique, this  book deftly argues that a too-soon declaration of victory short-circuits full  equality and deprives us all of the transformative possibilities of full  integration. Tolerance is not the end  goal, but a dead end. In The Tolerance  Trap, Walters presents a complicated snapshot of a world-shifting moment in  American history-one that is both a wake-up call and a call to arms for anyone  seeking true equality.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51185218322706,"sku":"9780814770573","price":166.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0508\/3093\/4173\/files\/9780814770573.jpg?v=1774734438","url":"https:\/\/bargainbooks.com.au\/products\/9780814770573","provider":"Bargain Books Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}