THE POLITICS OF OTHERNESS IN THE TIME OF CRISES: REVISITING TONY KUSHNER’S ANGELS IN AMERICA

Öz

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has revealed once again that the effects of health crises have been more severe for some groups compared to the others. The most prominent of these groups is non-binary or LGBTQ+ individuals who have long faced social discrimination. The disadvantaged position of LGBTQ+ people during worldwide epidemics attracted the attention of playwrights especially in 1980s and 90s. Although this could be attributed to the AIDS epidemic during the time, playwrights problematized the “otherness” issue influencing LGBTQ+ people through AIDS and the political response to it. One of the most significant of these was American playwright Tony Kushner. In “Angels in America”, Kushner put forth not only the problems of LGBTQ+ people during AIDS epidemic but also the problem of otherness in different levels as a social and political phenomenon. This article aims to explore the concepts of “responsibility” and “otherness”, which Kushner problematized in his play based on the philosophical approaches of Levinas and Benjamin, in light of the current developments regarding health crises and the political response. The article claims the disadvantaged position of minority groups during crises including AIDS and COVID-19 is more of a political issue regarding the attitudes of right-wing/conservative politics (which has not changed even today) rather than the difficulties posed by the pandemics themselves. In that respect, Kushner’s activist theatre proves to be guiding in evaluating the conditions of “the others” during the pandemic.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Covid-19
• LGBTQ+
• theatrical activism
• Tony Kushner
• Angels in America

Kriz Dönemlerinde Ötekileştirme Politikaları: Tony Kushner’ın “Angels in America” Oyununun Yeniden Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Yakın zamandaki COVID-19 pandemisi sağlıkla ilgili krizlerin etkilerinin bazı grupları diğerlerine göre daha yoğun bir şekilde etkilediğini de bir kez daha gözler önüne sermiştir. Bu gruplar arasında tarihte olduğu gibi günümüzde de toplumsal ayrımcılığa maruz kalan “non-binary” ya da LGBTQ+ bireyler ön plana çıkmaktadır. LGBTQ+ bireylerin salgın hastalıklar sırasındaki dezavantajlı durumu, özellikle 80’li ve 90’lı yıllarda tiyatronun da ilgisini çeken bir konu olmuştur. Bunun sebebi 80’lerde baş gösteren AIDS salgını olarak açıklanabilirse de, bu salgından yola çıkarak bazı oyun yazarları LGBTQ+ bireylerin ötekileştirilme sorununu oyunlarına taşımışlardır. Bu oyun yazarlarından en önemlilerinden birisi ise Amerikalı oyun yazarı Tony Kushner’dır. Kushner, “Angels in America” oyunuyla sadece AIDS salgınında LGBTQ+ bireylerin yaşadığı sorunları değil, daha genel anlamda toplumsal ve politik bir sorun olarak ötekileştirmeyi ele almıştır. Bu makalenin amacı Kushner’ın oyununda Levinas ve Benjamin’in felsefelerinden yola çıkarak sorunsallaştırdığı “başkalarına karşı sorumluluk” ve “ötekileştirme” kavramlarını günümüz koşullarında politikacıların kriz dönemlerinde “ötekiler”e yaklaşımı ışığında yeniden değerlendirmektir. AIDS ve COVID-19 gibi kriz dönemlerinde dezavantajlı grupların yaşadığı problemlerin salgınların kendisinden çok sağ/muhafazakâr politikalardan kaynaklandığı ve bu durumun günümüzde de değişmediği iddia edilmektedir. Bu anlamda Kushner’ın aktivist tiyatrosu günümüzde “ötekilerin” yaşam koşullarının değerlendirilmesi açısından da yol göstericidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Covid-19
• LGBTQ+
• aktivist tiyatro
• Tony Kushner
• Angels in America

Kaynakça

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