At queere flersprogethed og migration

Abstract

This article seeks to partly redress the ways in which sexuality has been overlooked in multilingualism scholarship, especially in the Nordic countries. We do so by queering multilingualism in contexts of migration in two seemingly different contexts, Denmark and Israel, which however share a commonality: they are both widely recognized as ‘liberal’ countries with regard to sexuality. Through analysis of an eclectic corpus of data encompassing news reports, educational material and documentaries, we illustrate problematic language ideological ties that link certain languages – Danish and Hebrew – to notions of sexual liberation and freedom while associating other languages such as Arabic with intolerance and sexual backwardness. We also show the existence of sexual double standards: Denmark has a self-perception as being a nation that safeguards sexual tolerance. However, there are compulsory courses in Danish sexual morality for migrants. Taught in Danish, these courses are based on the belief that there are special rules for sexuality, which migrants must learn to demonstrate that that they ‘fit in’. Similarly, Israel has important legislation that recognizes the rights of sexual minorities and has succeeded in marketing itself as an attractive LGBT tourist destination. However, this alleged paradise of sexual liberation is not equally accessible to all who identify as queer. Paradoxically, queer Palestinian men from the West Bank are forced to hide themselves in the gay bubble, Tel Aviv.