Better Stories Of Solidarity With Queer Migrants: An Inquiry Into Mr. Gay Syria

Official URL: https://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b3199995

This thesis analyzes the film Mr. Gay Syria (2017, directed by Ayşe Toprak) around three conceptualizations of solidarity: affective (Hemmings 2012), reflective (Dean 1998), and intersectional (Crenshaw 1989). I argue that Mr. Gay Syria imagines, articulates and puts into action a “better story” (Georgis 2014) of solidarity, which includes bearing witness to pain and mourning, as well as to hope and (mutual) transformation. This analysis is supported by the use of Focus Group Discussion as a methodology that has the potential to create an intersectional space for reflective and affective solidarity.