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Linguistic ambivalence amidst suburban diversity: LGBTQ2S municipal ‘social inclusions’ on Vancouver’s periphery

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  • Alison L Bain

    (York University, Canada)

  • Julie A Podmore

Abstract

Social inclusion frameworks to enhance ‘diversity’ inform late neoliberal municipal governance in North American metropolitan areas, especially in central cities, but suburban LGBTQ2S constituencies are neglected by researchers. This paper, therefore, uses linguistic discourse and content analysis of an LGBTQ2S-inclusion archive of municipal public-facing communication in the Canadian peripheral municipalities of Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey, in the Vancouver city-region to trace the micro-patterns of linguistic ambivalence shaping suburban sexual citizenship. It demonstrates municipal variance in vernacular vocabularies of LGBTQ2S social inclusion that signals equivocation within divergent local linguistic political opportunity structures for suburban sexual and gender minorities. It concludes with a typological narration that details varied gradations of linguistic obfuscation, revealing patterns of civic ambivalence towards LGBTQ2S social inclusion amidst suburban diversity. Across a shared regional geography, the paper shows that LGBTQ2S populations are infrequently referenced relative to other marginalized social groups and that their presence in social inclusion frameworks is dictated by the extent to which they align with civic priorities, particularly festivalization and marketization, but also safety, welcoming newcomers, integrating seniors, and anti-discrimination initiatives.

Suggested Citation

  • Alison L Bain & Julie A Podmore, 2021. "Linguistic ambivalence amidst suburban diversity: LGBTQ2S municipal ‘social inclusions’ on Vancouver’s periphery," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 39(7), pages 1644-1672, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envirc:v:39:y:2021:i:7:p:1644-1672
    DOI: 10.1177/23996544211036470
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maria Cristina Paganoni, 2012. "City Branding and Social Inclusion in the Glocal City," Mobilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 13-31, February.
    2. Alan Collins, 2004. "Sexual Dissidence, Enterprise and Assimilation: Bedfellows in Urban Regeneration," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(9), pages 1789-1806, August.
    3. Pierre Filion, 2015. "Suburban Inertia: The Entrenchment of Dispersed Suburbanism," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(3), pages 633-640, May.
    4. Michael Ekers & Pierre Hamel & Roger Keil, 2012. "Governing Suburbia: Modalities and Mechanisms of Suburban Governance," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(3), pages 405-422, December.
    5. Alison L Bain & Julie A Podmore, 2021. "Relocating queer: Comparing suburban LGBTQ2S activisms on Vancouver’s periphery," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(7), pages 1500-1519, May.
    6. Natalie Oswin, 2012. "The Queer Time of Creative Urbanism: Family, Futurity, and Global City Singapore," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 44(7), pages 1624-1640, July.
    7. Jamie Peck, 2005. "Struggling with the Creative Class," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 740-770, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Karine Duplan, 2023. "What Would an Inclusive City for Gender and Sexual Minorities Be Like? You Need to Ask Queer Folx!," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(3), pages 138-149.

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