Minority sexualities, kinship and non?autological freedom in Montenegro

I propose an alternative conception of freedom in actually existing liberal order by focusing on how gay men Podgorica, Montenegro maintain love and kinship relations. For theorists late liberalism, the demands those social relatedness have been seen as opposed. By contrast, Podgorica we can trace a notion non-autological understood ability to engage certain practice while thinking through its conditions constraints from multiple perspectives way that my interlocutors saw respectful others. Linking anthropological discussions with focus ordinary ethics, offer understanding relational category practised open shared deliberation imaginative identification, which echoes Polanyi’s freedom. Gay who pursued sexual fulfilment well stringent family expectations did not enact always-already individualised subjects made autonomous choices; they came into being particular socio-moral persons deliberating either collectively, actual conversation, or engaging identification placing both relationality at heart freedom, this article contributes about concept. Je une de la liberté dans un ordre libéral existant en me concentrant sur manière dont les hommes homosexuels au Monténégro, entretiennent des relations amoureuses et parenté. Pour théoriciens du libéralisme tardif, exigences libérale celles parenté sociale ont été considérées comme opposées. En revanche, à nous pouvons trouver d'une non-autologique. Celle-ci est comprise capacité s'engager certaine pratique tout réfléchissant ses contraintes partir multiples, que mes interlocuteurs considèrent respectueuse autres. reliant anthropologiques l'éthique ordinaire, je compréhension catégorie relationnelle pratiquée travers délibération ouverte partagée, d’une imaginative, ce qui fait écho Polanyi. Les gays recherchaient l'amour l'épanouissement sexuel répondant aux attentes strictes leur famille ne pratiquaient pas sujets toujours déjà individualisés faisaient choix autonomes; ils sont devenus personnes socio-morales particulières délibérant soit collectivement, par conversation réelle, s'engageant avec plaçant relationnalité coeur liberté, cet contribute Scene One: It’s cold October evening 2013 capital Montenegro. am going Mirko’s place. Mirko, man his mid-thirties, has one best friends for many years. He is also director most prominent LGBT organisation second publicly out country, 2012. The building where he lived was centre town. In dark front yard, noticed two silhouettes standing nearby, looking me. Instead getting scared, realised these were probably police officers assigned Mirko when gay. individual context – be Montenegrin public sphere included regular protection several months. difficult spot if you know around. They kept safe. blurred boundary between constraint. Two: went Ivan’s house watch film him long-term partner Nikola. Following pattern unmarried people Montenegro, Ivan same parents life. When arrived, first entered living room greet mother father. After brief chat them, headed bedroom Nikola regularly spent least four nights week. other three Nikola’s small rented apartment side told day after work, cooked lunch mother. remembered father recently helped fix bicycle. Despite intimacy sleepovers parental house, theirs effectively still ‘love dares speak name’.11 ‘The dare name’ phrase poem ‘Two Loves’ written Alfred Douglas published 1894. usually interpreted referring homosexuality. years ‘transparent closet’ (Švab Kuhar 2014). No speaks openly fact are relationship.22 Švab developed concept ‘describe situation members informed child's homosexuality but refuse accept consequences their child’s coming out’ (2014: 15). bodily behind closed doors, eyes ears shut. *** These scenes pose challenges conventional opposition free watched police; ‘coming ‘hiding closet’; autological subjectivity genealogical society, use terms offered Elizabeth Povinelli. Povinelli’s vocabulary, subject refers ‘discourses, practices, fantasies self-making, self-sovereignty, value associated Enlightenment project contractual constitutional democracy capitalism’ (2006: 4). Genealogical society ‘to discourses, placed various kinds inheritances’ Both refer forms governance body, intimacy, sexuality liberalism including However, it would wrong assume coming-out makes good subject. Or silence relationship (only) suffer under interrelatedness. find elements not-quite-liberal dynamic them needs further exploration. A ways manage someone’s children (or activists fighting state depending protection) need link anthropology morality relationality. work Jain ascetic confessional practices India, James Laidlaw (2002) framed socially historically grounded possibility choose preferred crafting oneself personhood. Freedom ethical ‘consists choosing kind self wishes be’ (Laidlaw 2002: 324), is, practise chosen ‘technologies self’ (Foucault 1988: 16). This specific, definite limited does presuppose existence (neo)liberal agents constraints, whatever be. quite reflect position friends, because focuses moral took place among suggests develop emerges regulates interpersonal What happens our ‘freedom’ ‘choice’ instead more less coherent, singular system (for example, Jainism) may become complex? ‘actively answering question what ought live’ 324) means wanting person loving son, actively denies possibility? argue such situations responsibility towards self-in-relationship-with-others. As reflection emic ideas help us widen scope analytical From perspective, capacity ‘ethical reflection, reasoning, dilemma, doubt, conflict, judgement, decision’ 2014: 23) regarding socio-historically become. remains stable across diverse spatio-temporal conjuctures, particularities conjuncture shape ‘codes’ practised, Heywood (2015) illustrates discussion ‘double morality’ Italy. words, device, Western/Global North (as Holbraad 2018 warns), share socio-cultural contexts includes emancipation oppression specific configuration (Sopranzetti 2017; Leach 2009; Venkatesan 2016; Lino e Silva Wardle 2019). example ethnographic configurations emerge who, writing history queer liberation Brazilian favela, claims possible ‘minoritarian’ ‘political territories assumed homeland values’ (2019: 145; forthcoming). Some anthropologists suggested pay attention affect, emotions intuition better understand pursue (MacDougall 2019; Miller Lukes Others argued immersed routines everyday life, resolves binary ‘obligation’ (Lambek 2010; Das 2015). Yet, think should remain part especially deliberate right thing do. form life premised rather than reasoning focused framework moments breakdown. philosophy Sophie Grace Chappell (2014, 2019) useful parcel ethics particularly her notions deliberation, identification. concepts, discussed detail later article, crucial contours cumulatively ‘reflexive relationality’. interlocutors, inasmuch involved practice, Their so much personhood, reflexive way, others and/or perspectives, navigate enabled stay true themselves simultaneously feel treated respect. socialist, ‘acting freely’ acting conscious bear mutual human relationships outside there no reality realizing responsibility. Being therefore longer means, typical ideology bourgeois, duty It relieved necessity choose, relief assigns oneself; thus releasing fundamental connectedness, point solidarity ceases take being, cannot shifted onto (2018 [1927]: 22) Polanyi develops philosophical response criticisms 20th-century socialism fails address people’s visions exclusively socio-economic injustices. considers key values could enter socialist vocabulary ‘grammars socialism’, paraphrase Fedirko al. (this issue). Polanyi, ‘social knowledge’, awareness all actions affect economic relations, law, politics, forth. similarity lies freedom: move do wish responsible difference prescriptive, progressive emancipatory presumes equal distribution polity,33 requires global political community. case Podgorica. only invest effort figuring seemed considering them. meant often seem accommodate families’ homophobia own lives. interpretative labour invested heavier Before illustrate argument ethnographically, let briefly myself describe fieldwork. bisexual woman lives abroad, some, far all, experiences, questions concerns My motivation provoked ago said acquaintance ‘is like me, free’, jumped asserted ‘but neither confusing embarrassing him. wanted some see free. learning since 2011 friend ethnographer rights movement early days. touch activists’ worlds ever chaired founding meeting Queer became NGOs working issues country. asked chair back 2013, needed someone willing name visible signature document had taken relevant institutions officially register organisation. learned collaboration organised anthropologists, sociologists philosophers 2014–16 called ‘Queering Montenegro’. Supported Rosa Luxembourg Stiftung, aim three-year set meetings formulate contextually sensitive fight transphobia Furthermore, attended five eight (to date) Pride Parades 2013–15 2019–20, events parties; prepared ‘Queer Dreambook’ (Brkovi? 2016); provided consultations activist topics over forged deepened personal friendships work. learnt ten semi-structured interviews conducted 2012 aiming perspective gender, activism. 2019, seven (some earlier), explications respect other. … [pauses] Actually, one’s means: ‘You please’. one’s. And want society. People try any little blemish space free, very so. But wish. mean this? doesn’t express ourselves. that, decide moment development consciousness then behave decently [pristojno]. emotions. Go ahead, kiss, hold hands, normal intimate your boyfriend girlfriend. That fine. arrogantly [bahato]. We doing. With eloquently summarised circulates according wish, navigating enables yourself calling ‘non-autological freedom’ differentiate ideal liberal, decisions independently obligations. Autological fiction ideal-type model exist perhaps any) strongly shapes imaginations, hopes practices. reading, ‘autology’ ‘genealogy’ dominant discipline exert strong effects settler (post)colonies. disciplinary pair operated postsocialist freedoms used EU observers indicator ‘European progress’ whole country away Balkan traditions (Kalezi? Brkovi? Vukovi? Petri?evi? activism exemplary locus disciplining’ Balkans/Southeast Europe (Bili? 2016, Slootmaeckers process captured obligation, discourses autology genealogy. reorganisation inclusion exclusion (cf. Dzenovska 2018) occurred nor oppressed discursive Law Same-Sex Partnerships adopted 2020 Parliament successfully row suggest relatively high level visibility thorny issue attracts few Prides part, 200–300 participants ex-Yugoslav region, representatives institutions, foreign embassies, tourists happened day. handful local mostly volunteers wore face masks disguise themselves. Similarly, anxiety even though Partnership 2020, will legal same-sex partnerships reasons. said, ‘We now law “gay marriage”, don’t bar Podgorica’, illustrating uneven change feels sorts paradoxes, problems exclusions ethnographers noted throughout (South)East Kajini? Takacs 2007; Kulpa Mizielinska 2011) invisible are, however, form, thinking-through positions. person, protection; organise cordons; sleep lover talk openly. mine If could, changed stop ‘unfree property fictional, individualised, liberated make choices, act knot obligations done collectively moved skyscraper. 85 apartments. Everybody knows problem anyone live everyone else. started circus, throw parties every night, leave trash elevator, definitely say say: ‘Look faggot.’ Here, explained judgements resident attending points view. agreed remark defining bahatost carry ‘mental load’ David Graeber (2012) calls interpretive straight added that: ‘Others luxury snap [when annoyed doing] “What doing?!” don’t, “crazy faggot”.’ ‘snapping’ reflects sense inequality later. engaged level. put parents’ shoes, trying figure (not) prevent feeling embarrassed offended. aspect in. claimed weak physically hurt her. kiss consideration feelings. afraid endangering delicate balance established. At given moment, initiated periods close doing this. always refrained speaking transparent closet enough chosen, gotten otherwise, decided ignore parents. Stated briefly, wants be, allow wants, Importantly, ‘behaving nicely’ (pristojno) withholding heteronormativity, transphobia. emphasis others, resembles [1927]) caveat distributed equally, supposed incomplete version ‘true freedom’; step full-fledged autonomous, Instead, qualitatively different Let look conceive Non-autological examine studies morality. imaginary, exerts carving pursue. exists autonomously, prior choices made. assumptions found Jarrett Zigon’s (2007) theoretical framework. Zigon breakdown mode being-in-the-world, reason available options appropriate follow. leads ‘move world’; allows once again dwell unreflective comfort familiar’ (Zigon 2007: 138). path assemblage systems. instance, (2011) ethnographically demonstrates, remaking personhoods Russian Orthodox drug rehabilitation programmes shaped Christianity, Soviet legacies neoliberalism. An not, single choice takes during radical breakdown.44 recent (2018) offers ‘disclosive ‘the condition potentiality humans nonhumans alike; condition, beings becoming’. Disclosive precondition beings, nonhuman, protected negated humans. Therefore, discusses becomes restricted, practised. view, breakdown, unlike retracts world, thinks-through options, chooses new, simply word carries problematic connotations write people. imaginary entail selves advance. involves investing (that produce along way).55 draw inspiration here Butler (1993), helps critically ‘choosing subject’. (1993: x), wilful instrumental ‘woke morning, perused gender choice, donned day, restored garment night’. imposed produced repetition norms, time produces (and challenge reshape) norms. mention following assumption personhood separately from, to, enacted worked out, just