Making minorities: Cultural space, stigma transformation frames, and the categorical status claims of Deaf, gay, and white supremacist activists in late twentieth century America

This article compares the efforts of movement activists in three dissimilar groups to replace a stigmatized status with a valued one by portraying their groups as resembling established minorities (claims of "contiguity" in "cultural space") and as differing from groups stigmatized as deviant (claims of "distance"). The most common claims assert similarity to African Americans, and frequently incorporate civil rights themes (exemplifying frame diffusion). Tactically, these minority status claims exploit both the resonance of cultural pluralism and state recognition of minorities. Strategically, minority status framing enables stigmatized groups to claim legitimacy without changing - simultaneously asserting both normality and difference.