ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with post structural conceptualisations of 'the state' and uses this to unpack the radical/assimilationist binary that can underpin forms of sexual and gender politics. It examines the changing landscapes of LGBT political activism. The chapter considers LGBT community and voluntary groups who work with public services, through the lens of Spectrum, the LGBT forum in Brighton. It offers insights into the multiple ways in which activisms formed through partnership working can deploy tactics of resistance and collusion, as well as the costs of working with 'the state'. The chapter outlines some of the ways in which the state can be seen as messy and performed, before moving to examine the implications that this has for considerations of the dichotomy of assimilation/radicalism. This dichotomy can be used to critique equalities gains, seeing some forms of activism not only as inferior but also as selling out.
