Creating ‘Ideal’ Non-Ideal Victims: ‘Stills’ and Queers

In this chapter, it is theorised that over time, gay men and Gypsy Roma Travellers were largely left out of the so-called civilising process with the consequences that they remained ‘decivilised’—powerless groups unable to be brought in line with bourgeoisie expectations concerning ‘proper’ behaviour that would have allowed them to be viewed as decent, moral, legal, sane and rational. Thus concerns are raised here that even today GRTs and gay men may be considered ideal non-ideal victims—they do not the ideal victims make—they do not belong to the in-group/groups. Moreover, given their intersectionality and evident vulnerability, it is made clear that gay GRTs may be considered, albeit arguably, the ultimate ideal non-ideal victims.