Subjects of rights in another city of god:Violence, sexuality, and the norms of Subjects of rights in another city of god:Violence, sexuality, and the norms of

As the discourse of international human rights spreads and deepens in global and local political contexts, that discourse works by enunciating standards and norms. But are standards and norms fair to non-normative persons? Do human rights frameworks disrespect the rights, for example, of sexual and gender dissidents such as lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, and transgender persons? The poems and short stories of Gil Cuadros place these questions on the table for our consideration. This paper argues that Cuadros’ writing provides the imaginative force to think of human rights not in terms of normative subjectivity but rather as universal rights grounded in respect for the specific conditions of individual human experience. As the discourse of international human rights spreads and deepens in global and local political contexts, that discourse works by enunciating standards and norms. But are standards and norms fair to non-normative persons? Do human rights frameworks disrespect the rights, for example, of sexual and gender dissidents such as lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, and transgender persons? The poems and short stories of Gil Cuadros place these questions on the table for our consideration. This paper argues that Cuadros’ writing provides the imaginative force to think of human rights not in terms of normative subjectivity but rather as universal rights grounded in respect for the specific conditions of individual human experience.