Rosky — Volume 61, Issue 3

Social and legal opposition to LGBT rights rests partly on the fear that exposing children to homosexuality or gender variance will cause them to become queer. Rosky traces the historical evolution of this fear, arguing that while centuries-old anxieties about seduction persist, contemporary opposition has reframed concerns around indoctrination, role modeling, and public approval of queerness. The article examines how religious conservative opponents reformulated fear-of-the-queer-child rhetoric during the 1970s rise of the LGBT movement, introducing claims about indoctrination and role modeling rather than relying solely on seduction narratives. Rosky argues that LGBT advocates have responded defensively by countering claims empirically, insisting that queerness cannot be learned or taught. However, this defensive strategy presupposes that queerness should be avoided, thereby conceding the normative premise underlying opposition. The article proposes that LGBT advocates shift strategy by challenging the normative assumption that heterosexuality is preferable to queerness, rather than merely defending empirical claims about sexual orientation formation.

Topics: Civil Rights · Legal Theory

Keywords: LGBT rights · queer child · indoctrination · sexual orientation · gender variance · social opposition · fear narratives