‘Scene’ as a critical framing device: Extending analysis of chemsex cultures

Abstract

The term ‘chemsex’ references an identifiable set of circumstances and behaviours ascribed to gay male culture at the same time as operating as a politically salient category capable of spurring policy and programmatic responses. Increasingly, the word ‘scene’ is used in association with ‘chemsex’ in media reporting, expert commentary and research on the phenomenon. Rather than dismissing the coupling of chemsex and scene as mere vernacular, ‘scene’ offers a fruitful entry point for exploring how the combination of sex and drugs achieves cultural salience over time. In this article, I read chemsex cultures through the material and representational elements characteristic of ‘scene’. By emphasizing scenes’ temporal logics, I speculate on the value of this alternative approach in generating new understandings of chemsex cultures.