In Lisa Duggan’s book, Equality, Inc., Duggan says, “‘Equality’ becomes narrow, formal access to a few conservativizing institutions, ‘freedom’ becomes immunity for bigotry and vast inequalities in commercial life and civil society, the ‘right to privacy’ becomes domestic confinement, and democratic politics itself becomes something to be escaped” (65-66). Duggan example of equality becoming narrow is what she refers to as “gay tunnel vision” which focuses on issues such as marriage equality rather than issues faced by disadvantaged populations within the queer community. Her reference to conservativizing institutions relates to the Human Rights Campaign sponsoring things like pride marches. She mentions how institutions like the Human Rights Campaign do not focus on the true issues queer communities face but rather superficial issues that primarily affect upper middle class cis white gay men. They also make a profit on these fights for equality. Further, Duggan’s mention of freedom reinforces her idea of gay tunnel vision in that many within the queer face inequalities that are not addressed. Finally, Duggan mentions the “right to privacy” becoming “domestic confinement” because many queer issues have been limited to issues such as gay marriage which is an attempt to assimilate to straight heteronormative ideas.
Lisa Duggan, “Equality, Inc.,” in The Twilight of Equality?: Neoliberalism, Cultural Politics, and the Attack on Democracy (Boston: Beacon Press, 2003), 43-66.