“The true north, strong and queer?” : (un)mapping discourses of homonationalism, colonialism and activism within the Canadian prison reform movement

Abstract

In the last 50 years, Canada has embodied a public national and international image of benevolence, which has supported the narrative of Canada as being a “uniquely progressive country” and “LGBTQ safe-haven.” Despite this narrative, many racial and social groups in Canada remain marginalized, criminalized, and invisible. With the theoretical and conceptual guidance of a number of critical scholars in the fields of Prison Studies and Queer Theory, this dissertation explores two trusted institutionally-based prison reform organizations via Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA); identifying, unpacking and disrupting dominant discourses of sexuality, nationalism and reform which perpetuate and nurture the ongoing marginalization and criminalization of LGBTQ2+ people in Canada. The findings of this dissertation sheds light on a number of different institutional discourses which hinder transformative social change in Canada, elucidates and explores the bridge formed by institutional organizations between radical social movements and the status quo, and further stands as an ongoing call-to-action for both our trusted organizations, activists and broader social movements to reflect on whether their fight against oppression challenges neoliberal and homonational ideologies, or whether it supports a narrative of benevolence which renders certain social groups invisible.