Authenticating Queer Space: Citizenship, Urbanism and Governance

The focus of this paper is the impact of the 'new urban order' on sexualised spaces in cities. The paper explores how sexual 'others' are conscripted into the process of urban transformation and, by turn, how city branding has become part of the sexual citizenship agenda. The interweaving of urban governance and sexual citizenship agendas produces particular kinds of sexual spaces, at the exclusion of other kinds. The paper considers the extent to which the idea of sexual citizenship has been woven into the tournament of urban entrepreneurialism and how this affects sexualised spaces. This process is read as an instance of 'the new homonormativity', producing a global repertoire of themed gay villages, as cities throughout the world weave commodified gay space into their promotional campaigns.