Andy Holmes

University of Toronto, Sociology, Graduate Student

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Papers by Andy Holmes

Queer compromises: How homophobic violence pushed gays and lesbians to make police alliances in Toronto, 1981-2001

Sexualities, 2025

Interactions between LGBTQ2+ communities and the police are historically fraught with violence. L... more Interactions between LGBTQ2+ communities and the police are historically fraught with violence. LGBTQ2+ activists demand equitable police relationships, legal recognition, and protection under the law. However, LGBTQ2+ groups also tend to hold more antagonistic views of the police. How have gay and lesbian activists navigated this tension? This article draws from 246 archival documents and 313 newspaper articles focusing on events from 1981 to 2001 between gay and lesbian organizations, activists, and the police in Toronto, Canada. This paper illustrates how gay and lesbian activists eventually formed police alliances as a result of homophobic police brutality and public gay bashings. Recognizing the centrality of safety in these conversations, I conclude with a discussion of political compromises LGBTQ2+ investments in policing may take.

format_quoteHomophobic violence fueled the development of queer liberal police partnerships to ensure community safety initiatives.format_quote

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Situational Fluidity and the Use of Identity Labels in Interactions

Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 2025

The number of people who identify as LGBTQ+ more than doubled in the past decade, and with this g... more The number of people who identify as LGBTQ+ more than doubled in the past decade, and with this growth has come an upsurge of expressive identity labels. However, that there are more labels available does not explain how people decide which to use. On the basis of 52 interviews, the authors show that LGBTQ+ people adopt multiple terms and adjust their usage relative to the interactional demands at hand. Inspired by research in psychology and population studies on sexual fluidity, the authors call the sociological variant situational fluidity. Two pathways motivate it. First, respondents anchor newer labels with established terms in the interest of smoother interpersonal interactions. Second, anticipating resistance encourages some individuals to alter their preferred labels in order to buffer against possible policing or pushback. This process-based account offers an alternative

format_quoteLGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. doubled from 3.5% in 2012 to 7.6% in 2023, particularly among Generation Z at 22.3%.format_quote

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Distinguishing but not defining: How ambivalence affects contemporary identity disclosures

Theory & Society, 2023

Coming out, or the disclosure of a minority identity, features prominently across dis- ciplines, ... more Coming out, or the disclosure of a minority identity, features prominently across dis- ciplines, including several subfields of sociological research. In the context of sexu- ality, theoretical arguments offer competing predictions. Some studies propose that coming out is increasingly an unremarkable life transition as the stigma associated with non-heterosexualities attenuates, while others posit entrenched discrimination. Rather than testing these theories or providing incremental evidence in support of one position, we use 52 in-depth interviews with recently-out individuals to explain how identity disclosures in the present moment can validate plural possibilities. Our findings show that ambivalence is the core narrative which animates the contempo- rary coming out process. Respondents identify three interpretive frameworks that structure their experience of sexuality as at once incidental and central: generational differences, identity misrecognitions, and interfacing with institutions. We also detail a fourth theme, intersectionality, which shows the analytic limits of ambiva- lence in the coming out process. These patterns suggest more broadly that sexuality, like ethnicity, may provide symbolic resources—“distinguishing but not defining”— in the service of crafting a modern sexual self.

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“A Rollercoaster of Emotions”: Social Distancing, Anxiety, and Loneliness Among People With Disabilities and Chronic Health Conditions

Emerald Publishing Limited eBooks, Jan 26, 2023

Purpose: Although social distancing measures enacted during COVID-19 prevented the spread of the ... more Purpose: Although social distancing measures enacted during COVID-19 prevented the spread of the virus and acted as important coping mechanisms during this stressful time, they also contributed to loneliness and anxiety. The pros and cons of social distancing measures were especially relevant among people with disabilities and chronic health conditionsa high-risk group concerned about infection through contact with non-household members and visiting public places like school, healthcare providers, and work. Methods/Approach: Drawing on data from a national online survey (N 5 1,027) and in-depth virtual interviews (N 5 50) with Canadians with disabilities and chronic health conditions, we examine the positive and negative effects of three types of social distancing measuresavoiding public places, transitioning to remote work or school, and avoiding contact with non-household memberson perceptions of increases in anxiety and loneliness during the pandemic. Findings: We find that the relationships between engaging with social distancing measures and anxiety and loneliness could be positive or negative, with measures acting as both adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms. Although avoiding public places or non-household members and transitioning to remote work or school often resulted in increased anxiety and loneliness, respondents also described situations where these measures helped them cope with concerns about catching COVID-19. Implications: Our !ndings highlight potential implications for public health policy in allocating different coping resources among marginalized groups during times of crisis and demonstrate the importance of using a social model of stress, coping mechanisms, and mental health.

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Trading Blame: Drawing Boundaries around the Righteous, Deserving and Vulnerable in Times of Crisis

Sociology, 2023

Symbolic boundaries shape how we see and understand both ourselves and those around us. Amid peri... more Symbolic boundaries shape how we see and understand both ourselves and those around us. Amid periods of crisis, these boundaries can appear more salient, sharpening distinctions between ‘us’ and ‘them’ and reinforcing inequalities in the social landscape. Based on 50 in-depth interviews about pandemic experiences among Canadians with disabilities and chronic health conditions, we examine how this community distinguishes between the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’, and how emotions related to blame and resentment inform the boundaries they draw. We find that people with disabilities and chronic health conditions drew boundaries based on unequal health statuses and vulnerabilities and between those who are and are not legitimately entitled to government aid. Underlying these dimensions are a familiar set of moral tropes that respondents use to assert their own superiority and to inveigh their frustrations. Together, they play an important role in solidifying boundaries between groups, c...

format_quoteDuring the pandemic, many Canadians with disabilities were ineligible for key financial supports, highlighting systemic economic barriers affecting this group.format_quote

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When Victims Look like Criminals: Rehumanizing Victim Representation in Serial Killer Cases

Journal of Canadian Studies , 2022

In 2018 the Bruce McArthur serial killer case became the largest forensic homicide investigation ... more In 2018 the Bruce McArthur serial killer case became the largest forensic homicide investigation in Toronto, Canada's history. Victims of serial killers tend to be portrayed negatively by newspapers because they often embody stigmatized identities. However, this research asks, How do newspapers frame victims who belong in between marginalized and liberated identities? Under the frameworks of post-gay and intersectionality theory, the identities of many of McArthur's victims reflect an opportunity to analyze how serial killer victims are puzzlingly framed by newspapers. Through an analysis of 277 articles in three major Canadian newspapers, the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and the National Post, findings show that the framing of victims through textual accounts as nonpartisan is discrepant with their negative visual representations. While newspapers tend to simply frame these victims as belonging to Toronto's gay village without layering stigma around queerness onto them explicitly, most articles provide close-ups, passport photos, and occasionally mugshots of victims, ultimately portraying them in undesirable ways. This inconsistent framing between textual description and image selection highlights the important role photos, activists, and non-profits can play when featured or quoted in newspapers as they can humanize and dignify victims in the absence of family or friends to do so. This textual-visual discrepancy shows that deeply racialized queer injustices can exist in newspaper framing despite the absence of overtly prejudicial narratives.

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Resisting Pinkwashing: Adaptive Queerness in Vancouver Pride Parades

Mapping LGBTQ Spaces and Places, 2022

and parts of Asia to celebrate members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, q... more and parts of Asia to celebrate members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, queer) community (Bruce, 2016). The popularity of Pride parades is underscored by the fact that in the United States alone, more than six million people attend them in over 116 U.S. cities (Bruce, 2016). Pride parades also range in size where in Fargo, North Dakota, there are approximately 350 people who attend, whereas cities like New York attract approximately one million participants (Bruce, 2016). As diverse as the places and sizes of Pride parades are, so too are those who march in them (Ammaturo, 2016; Bruce, 2016; Peterson et al., 2017). Today, Pride parades feature a diverse array of groups that participate in them ranging from drag artists, local queer organizations, LGBTQfriendly churches and businesses, chapters of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, corporate sponsors, BDSM and fetish groups, and politicians among others (Ammaturo, 2016; Bell & Binnie, 2004; Bruce, 2016). These parades mark an annual celebration of the progress of LGBTQ rights, a display of queer culture, and continue to be important events for LGBTQ communities across the world. However, Pride parades are not immune to controversy and contestations. From anti-LGBTQ protesters threatening parade participants, such as in Poland's recent turn towards "LGBT-free zones" (Ash, 2020), to disagreements about whether groups including uniformed police of cers should participate (

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Marching with Pride? Debates on Uniformed Police Participating in Vancouver's LGBTQ Pride Parade

Journal of Homosexuality , 2021

How do activists defend their opinions regarding uniformed police being celebrated in Pride parad... more How do activists defend their opinions regarding uniformed police being celebrated in Pride parades? Twelve semi- structured in-depth interviews were conducted in Vancouver, Canada with six people who supported the celebration of uniformed police and six people unsupportive of uniformed police in Vancouver’s Pride parade. Findings show four ways people frame their stance on uniformed police in Vancouver’s Pride parade. Those who support a police presence justify their stance with two arguments: historical progress and the trans- national versus local resonance of social movements. Activists who do not support the police invoke two different arguments: memory of historical marginalization, and pinkwashing. These findings show that people who support the police in Pride parades focus on positive social change that the LGBTQ community has achieved, while those who are against focus on the specific ongoing oppression of members of the LGBTQ community by the police.

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Exploring Activist Framing in Vancouver's Uniformed Police Debate: Should Police March in Pride Parades?

Sojourners, 2019

How do people defend their opinions regarding uniformed police marching in Vancouver's Pride para... more How do people defend their opinions regarding uniformed police marching in Vancouver's Pride parade? A sample of 100 comments were analyzed from two competing online petitions that both sought opposite action to take regarding the presence of uniformed police in Vancouver's 2018 Pride parade. The first petition was created by Black Lives Matter Vancouver and requested police to not wear their uniforms when marching in the parade. The second petition was created by activists to include uniformed police in the parade. Those who support including uniformed police in the parade frame their stance in six ways: protection, change, community, inclusion, and Black Lives Matter as Hateful. On the other hand, those who do not support uniformed police defend their stance through the frames of: origins of Pride, ongoing violence, oppressive institutions , solidarity, and safety. These frames contribute to literature on social movement framing and infighting within LGBTQ communities by demonstrating ways people frame their stance of uniformed police marching in Pride parades. This paper ultimately analyzes implications such frames pose in order to make larger theoretical arguments about limitations to collective LGBTQ social movements.

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Exploring How Racism Intersects with Sexuality Among Homosexual Men in Western Colonial States

Ignite, 2018

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Canadian Bill C-16: Decolonizing the Protection of Two- Spirit, Gender Non-Binary and Transgender People

Journal of Political Studies , 2018

On June 15, 2017, Bill C-16, an amendment to add “gender identity and gender expression” to Canad... more On June 15, 2017, Bill C-16, an amendment to add “gender identity and gender expression” to Canada’s Federal Human Rights Act and Criminal Code, passed the Senate. This article argues that Bill C-16 is a necessary step towards decolonizing the rigid European-imposed gender binary that has institutionally structured Canadian society. Due to the fact that cisheteronormativity (the normalization of cisgender and heterosexual identities) has enacted violence towards Two-Spirit, trans, and queer people, queer rights and Indigenous rights cannot be understood without analyzing how they are inextricably linked and constructed in direct relationship with each other.

format_quoteOpposition to Bill C-16 often masks colonial violence against marginalized gender identities, particularly Indigenous and Two-Spirit individuals.format_quote

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Normalizing Queer Spaces: Have Pride Parades Lost Their Political Touch?

Journal of Political Studies, 2017

Has equality for everyone within the LGBTQ2+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, two-spirit) c... more Has equality for everyone within the LGBTQ2+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, two-spirit) com- munity been met? This paper addresses this line of inquiry by demonstrating how Pride parades have become de-politicized by resisting anti-racist activism. The backlash to Black Lives Matter’s (BLM) protest against police racism in Toronto’s 2016 Pride parade highlights the politics of assimilation to a heterosexual and cisgender society. In this world, BLM’s plea for safety is disregarded in the presence of a political landscape that has now become driven by profit and consumerism in a ‘homonationalist’ ‘post-gay’ movement that this paper explores.

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