Lez Be Honest Together

 | 23 | Lesbian | Chemical Engineering | Chicago |

[morethanablurb]

Summary

As demonstrated throughout this blog, there is lack of not only queer and comprehensive sex education, but also LGBTQIA* inclusion in all fields of study, in both high school and college courses. In my post analyzing the article found in the online version of Advocate, it is shown how widespread this issue is. Eight states have strictly forbidden any discussion of LGBTQIA* identities (Broverman). Even in the most liberal of states there is a lack of LGBTQIA* inclusion, such as in Massachusetts, which the aforementioned article cited as only having discussion of the LGBTQIA* community incorporated into forty-four percent of public schools. Schools which discuss sex using anything other than models of abstinence are hard to come by, and it is even more difficult to find a school whose sex education includes those who fall outside of heterosexual and cisgender.

As shown in previous posts which analyzed scholarly sources citing data from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), LGBTQIA* students are at higher risk of STDs/HIV contraction, teen pregnancy, physical and emotional abuse, and suicide (Maguth & Taylor, McGarry). Additionally, reports from the Center for American Progress support this data, showing that LGB students are more likely to be threatened with a weapon in school, much more likely to commit suicide, and transgender youth report higher rates of suicidal ideation (Krehely). However, the same data from GLSEN shows that inclusive education leads to less-hostile environments for LGBTQIA* identifying students. Clearly, if we want to reduce these rates and better the lives of millions of youth and adults throughout the United States, the deficits in education need to be addressed.

To counteract cultural ignorance surrounding queerness, such as in the reading about intersectionality in which miseducation lead to the stigmatization and generalizations about queer people of color (Meem, Gibson, & Alexander, pg. 180-181), we must call for LGBTQIA* inclusion in all fields of study. Additionally, much like in Sins Invalid, in which sexual positivity was a healing force for people with disabilities, sexual positivity and comprehensive/queer sex education must also be demanded to help LGBTQIA* youth suffering from mental illness or low self-esteem surrounding their identities, and to reduce their risk of contracting HIV/STDs and teen pregnancy. This is not simply an issue for LGBTQIA* identified people and allies, the activism this blog is calling for is also the burden of parents and educators, and friends and family of LGBTQIA* students. 

Image source: http://www.ragemonthly.com/2011/10/20/a-queer-look-at-literature/

Works Cited

Broverman, Neal. “The Next LGBT Battle: Sex Ed | Advocate.com.” The Next LGBT Battle: Sex Ed | Advocate.com. Here Media Inc., 10 Sept. 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.

Krehely, Jeff. “How to Close the LGBT Health Disparities Gap.” American Progress. Center for American Progress Action Fund, 21 Dec. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/report/2009/12/21/7048/how-to-close-the-lgbt-health-disparities-gap/>.

Maguth, Brad M., and Nathan Taylor. “Bringing LGBTQ Topics into the Social Studies Classroom.” The Social Studies 105.1 (2013): 23-28. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.

McGarry, Robert. “Build A Curriculum That Includes Everyone.” Phi Delta Kappan 94.5 (2013): 27-31. Professional Development Collection. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.

Meem, Deborah T., Michelle Gibson, and Jonathan Alexander. Finding Out: An Introduction to LGBT Studies. Los Angeles: Sage, 2010. Print.

“Sins Invalid | An Unshamed Claim to Beauty in the Face of Invisibility.” Sins Invalid, n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2015. <http://www.sinsinvalid.org/>.

[queernaebae-blog]

Great summary,

I think it’s really important to acknowledge that having a greater reaching sexual education does not just help LGBT folks, but it helps everyone. I think that to completely understand the necessity of sex education is viral for people planning to have sex, or even people who don’t want to have sex. I think preparation, no pun intended, is better for students in order to continue joining the conversation about their sex life, or lack thereof. 

[morethanablurb]

Getting an HIV test from IMPACT Program on Vimeo.

This video was created by the IMPACT LGBT Health and Development Program at Northwestern University in partnership with Center on Halsted. IMPACT is an alternative source for queer sex education for the many LGBTQIA* students whose schools are failing to provide comprehensive and inclusive education for.

 - See more at: http://www.impactprogram.org/youth-blog/whats-it-like-to-get-an-hiv-test/#sthash.cJxIxUqR.dpuf

[queernaebae-blog]

What I like the most about this video, is that it reduces the fear of “never having gone to take a test.” It, for me, also validities that other people are also getting tested. I think young LGBT people, might think that there’s a bandwagon with knowing your status and they really don’t. I enjoyed the stepwise approach to folks getting tested and I liked that you included extra information to help folks with learning their status. Great link. 

[queerakinship]

Post 11: Reflection

This research project has heightened my perspective on how important the bonds we create are, romantic or otherwise. I have realized just how significant it is now to say that the family I have is one I have chosen. It also challenged my views on adoption. I have always been supportive of adoption, however, I advocate on the side that let’s create societies where children can remain with their families. I have realized now how that rhetoric continues to put the idea of biological families on a pedestal, being the more perfect, pure form of family.  How can I call for the destruction of the family while at the same time advocate to keep them together? This project really challenged my stance on adoption and I am not sure where I stand, but I recognize that maybe from this discomfort I will move forward to a new way of thinking about adoption.

In addition this project has helped me understand more what kinship is. I had always considered it to be a close friendship, but kinship doesn’t have to happen with someone who is close to you. Kinship can take in the form of two strangers who have something in common with each other such as ability/disability, racial background, or similar gender expressions and so on and then two of them noticing and acknowledging each other in their own way. That recognition of someone else who shares some form of existence, who may understand or experience the same emotions is a kind of kinship. Even though that interaction may happen in only a few seconds, it is still meaningful and important. How one finds and expresses kinship is determined by the individual and that is beautiful. Kinship is not determined by length of time knowing someone, or how much a person knows one another; it is the simple reality of mutual existence.

Understanding kinship differently can help society build stronger communities. In realizing that family is not just a white heterosexual offspring producing unit, people can start to recognize the important of kinship that shared among friends, colleagues, peers, and even strangers. A broader understanding of kinship humanizes communities and helps create a sense of belonging and togetherness in a society that so heavily values individualism and independence. Having kinship is not about losing independence, but recognizing that one is not alone and accepting the fact and human connection is often as rewarding as it is exhausting.  Kinship is building a community with each other in a culture that desperately wants to separate us because we are strong as a collective, and from kinship maybe we can achieve a solidarity where change can be created.

[queernaebae-blog]

Lux,

Your reflection speaks volumes about the education and understanding you’ve gained as both a result of the project and as a reflection of your own experiences and understanding. “Having kinship is not about losing independence” I really liked this, because initially, in my own separation from my nuclear family structure, I thought that by leaving that family I wouldn’t have any independence, and until I realized this, I struggled.

Fantastic. 

[queerakinship]

Post 5: Real Life Example

I have interviewed two people for this project. J is an adoptee from China and S is genderqueer and living in a queer apartment. Both of their stories paint a picture of kinship and work to reimagine family as something a person determines for their selves.

               J was adopted when she was 9 months old to a middle class white family from a Chicago suburb. Growing up J dealt with racism within her adoptive family as well as in her predominately white community. In addition, J’s adoptive family was a toxic environment due to multiple reasons. When was 18, she left for college and never looked back. In college J met floor mates, class mates, and professors who she considers her family. J mentions that one factor in her kinship structure is that she was drawn to people who were the same ethnicity as her. J feels more comfortable with Asians, other adoptees and people who share parts of her identity. College was the first time she also met other adoptees. One thing J said that stood out was her commenting on how lonely it was living with her adoptive family. Even though she was surrounded by people and her family, she was lonely. J elaborates to how she felt isolated and alone because she was adopted. In addition, she mentions feeling disposable like her worth was nonexistent because she was adopted. She names her roommate from sophomore year as someone she really cherishes, calling her roommate a sister. J states that even she doesn’t have a family in sense of ‘two-parents,’ but she has never once felt lonely with her chosen family. J’s chosen family includes her sister she met sophomore year and her mentor who is also an adoptee. J also includes her adoptee activist peers who are located all over the nation. She says that even they are far away and some of them she’s never met, they are still a part of her family because they understand what it is like to grow adopted. That shared experience was important to J when it came to her creating her chosen family.

               S was kicked out of their house when they came out as LGBTQ when they were 17. S is now going to school part time and working full time. They live in what they call a Queer apartment. S describes how they cohabitate with 4 other people, who are also a part of the LGBTQ community and how the 5 of them are kindred. S is poly with D and V while V and D are ‘married.’ S says they are not really married but that’s just what they call it since they’ve been together for over a decade now. S discusses their time being homeless and how that was really debilitating. They felt as though their worth as a person was stripped from them. That affected the kind of people S kept in their life. S says that her coworker at her job at a store was the first to make them feel as if they were worthy of care, love, and safety. S says that their chosen family of misfits is everything they could want. They feel loved and worthy of that love and they are happy.

               Both interviews pointed out similarities in being in familial situations of feeling uncared for and unloved. That caused them to reevaluate their perceptions of ‘family’ and what that meant to them. To them family meant being safe, being surrounded by people who made them feel valuable and worthy of love and care. Their sense of family originated from a place that lacked those qualities. Therefore, family is not about meeting the ‘nuclear’ standard, but rather meeting the emotional needs of the people they care about.

[queernaebae-blog]

Lux,

I really liked this interview. I liked the different experiences of the two people you interviewed, and it’s interesting to see how “kin family” and “chosen family” developed in the course of your research. I liked your definition of the abolishment of a “nuclear family” structure. 

Awesome.

[letstalkaboutconversionther-blog]

Post 9: Recommendations

      One recommendation I would put forth is the obvious which is expanding movements to result in the government banning conversion therapies in all fifty states. This is obviously something that is a work in progress and is more recent since the first state to ban it (in regards to minors) only did so three years ago. This is important because we now allow same sex marriages which shows the need for acceptance of people with different identities yet in those same states conversion therapy is allowed to continue with is doing the opposite work of promoting acceptance. The banning of conversion therapy in total may be a stretch because as mentioned above some people can willingly participate but expanding protection of minors who might not have a choice is an achievable goal.

           A second recommendation would be to expand conversion therapy as a topic in education.  Conversion therapy should be expanded outside of education received by medical students. Higher education systems have a chance to offer whichever courses they choose which means offering courses about conversion therapy but also treatments that harm people like this could be beneficial in increasing awareness about the topic. It could not only be included in LGBTQIA studies but other departments like psychology and history to reach more students and have a broader impact.

           A third recommendation would be to reform the training that medical professions receive. This would be beneficial in many ways including to end conversion therapy. If the training was formatted in a way where there was a more intersectional approach to teaching about the queer community then it could possibly create a safer environment for folks within the community. We cannot expect medical professionals to understand experiences of LGBTQIA folks unless we offer better resources and education on those experiences. This could reduce stigmas attached to the community and possible reduce the acceptance of discriminatory harmful practices such as conversion therapy.

[queernaebae-blog]

Hey Jenna,

I really liked your recommendations. I think they’re valid, believable and doable.  I’m wondering about how to communicate this to people who might not understand that they’re under the influence of conversion therapy, and how to not trigger survivors of traumatic experiences. I also think that with most of these topics, starting with education, especially young folks, about LGBTQ issues and topics can start changing the mind of the people who will be adults in 20 years. 

Awesome,

[letstalkaboutconversionther-blog]

Post Two-Analysis of a Web Source: 

The NCLR on “Facts About Conversion Therapy

         This online source is a page for the NCLR (National Center for Lesbian Rights). They have partnered with groups that are trying to end conversion therapy to push the campaign “#BornPerfect” forward. This specific page on their website discusses the basics of conversion therapy in regards to what it is, the different types, examples, how it is seen in the medical field, and the discussion of legislation/policies. The source describes different terms one might hear that are types of conversion therapy such as reparative therapy, ex-gay therapy, and Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE).

           The source aims to answer common questions by tackling ones such as “does conversion therapy actually change one’s sexual identity?” as well as “How/ in what ways is conversion therapy harmful?”. In doing this, the NCLR provides info about studies that were done by the APA (American Psychological Association) to show data results regarding these types of therapies. Importantly, the source also provides material on what types of laws are being pushed for to prevent these forms of therapy in general but specifically to start by protecting minors from these treatments when they do not have a choice in the matter. These laws banning conversion therapy are recent meaning within the past three years starting in 2012.

           I believe this source proved to be an effective way of generally providing the basics of what conversion therapy is and why there is this need for a movement around it providing social change and justice. I appreciate that the NCLR page did offer other resources throughout for either help or just to read up more on specifics regarding things like legislation. I agree with what is said about the change in how medical professional’s approach this therapy but I disagree with the lack of discussion regarding how there has been shift to seeing this therapy occur in religious communities. If I were somebody that was new to this topic or LGBTQ studies I would find it beneficial to have more examples provided regarding the types of treatments.

References: 

http://www.nclrights.org/our-work/bornperfect/

[queernaebae-blog]

Hey Jenna,  I thought your analysis of this web source was really dead on. I was also a little worried about the lack of conversation surrounding the different types of conversion therapy treatments. I agree that the source is an effective presentation of an explanations of what conversion therapy without polluting the objectivity behind it. I also like how the conversation of conversion therapy is geared for the need for social change. It’s imperative that, with such a widening focus on LGBTQ folks, that there is access to help and information.  

Great.

[gws203fall2015]

 Because I Fucking Can

Paper 2 by Lux  

        My favorite piece at the Chances Dances exhibit was a poster of a conversation. The first speaker exclaims, “Why do you dress that way, just because you’re gay doesn’t mean you have to embarrass me…” The response in larger print declares, “Because I am fashion, Am Fagqueen, Am Faggot, and I Fucking Can.” The poster itself was black with white font. The contrasting colors in background and font made the poster incredibly striking and easy to read making it stand out apart from other posters.

           This piece resonated with me because it has fire, it shows anger, and it uses a traditional slur as an identifier. The anger is important because anger is generally considered to be a negative emotion. However, I think anger can be very powerful. Aggression is definitely not okay, but letting oneself experience anger, recognizing why one is angry is powerful especially for people who are marginalized whose anger is often made fun of or trivialized. Allowing people to be angry aligns with the notion this class makes to allow each individual to define their own narrative and for some that may be being okay with being angry.

           A marker of the poster I think is the use of the word ‘faggot’ as a positive and self-defining signifier. Like how the psychology world transformed and changed being LGBTQ from being classified as a ‘disorder’. This change in psychology culture is a result from activism and taking back a word that has traditionally been used to hurt, demean is powerful to some.  The word still holds a heavy weight; however people are trying to use it as an identifier with pride and without shame. The word in the poster is an exclamation of pride and identity. It makes the viewer feel as it being gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender or anything is okay.

Along with the idea of people defining their own narrative, the ‘I’ statements are incredibly striking. Each phrase is a declaration of one’s identity and in a way to claim oneself. The ability to say “I am…” something whatever that is, is a powerful thing. I grew up in a white household so my Asian identity is something that I grew very uncomfortable with. However, in college I started to see myself as not only Asian but Chinese. The first time I called myself Asian American was my sophomore year of college and that was a significant moment for me. To be able to recognize and celebrate my Asian-ness and to express it without fear or apology is a privilege that I am very lucky to have. I think that is what the poster was trying to convey, that it is okay to be gay or queer or however one identifies. It’s not only okay to identify however you want, but it’s also okay to be angry with someone who tries to silence and shame you for being yourself. Thus, I am Chinese, I am Queer, and I can fucking be whatever I want to be.

[queernaebae-blog]

I also really enjoyed this piece too, and I like that you talked about how faggot can be a positive, self identifying marker to those who wish to use it. It reminds me of using Dyke as an affirmative identifying marker. I love the idea of people defining their own narrative and I’ve felt more comfortable, the older I get to really believe that and to create ownership of that.

I appreciate this, and thank you for sharing this.

[gws203fall2015]

“Volly”: Expressions of Language 

By: Jenna Morin

  Throughout the exhibit Making Chances, there are black boards with birdies from badminton appearing to be randomly stuck in them. Some boards have more stuck in them than others and this has a meaning that correlates with the word attached to each board. This work of art titled, “Volley” (sometimes known by the performance event name “take aim”) is a collaborative project by Hope Esser and Daviel Shy that was performed in front of a live audience. These two women dated for quite some time and exchanged letters for eight months after parting ways. As the piece description stated, these letters were about any and all topics, “words that would sting, comfort, and question” (Making Chances exhibit). These letters were made public, and can be seen in the Making Chances exhibit, when the artists decided to come together to work on a live performance. Each board had a word assigned to it. For example some of the words were friend, ocean, and feel. In this performance Hope and Daviel switched off reading the letters that they wrote to each other. When they heard the words displayed with the board they threw the birdie (which had a nail on the end so it would stick). As we discussed in class, language is extremely powerful especially in how we interpret it within ourselves or mentally. “Volley”, however, shows the effect of language in a very physical out of the body type of way that can possibly be seen as expressing the feelings of the inner body in terms of how much it felt the impact. Another feature of this work of art that really makes the audience think about which words are stronger than others is how there were boards that had the words blacked out. These words were never explained to the audience meaning if they were a name, an object, or even a feeling. These words were also blacked out in all of the letters, sometimes even paragraphs relating to this unknown word. Interestingly, this board was the one with the most birdies stuck it (52 to be exact) followed by the words “love” (14), “feel” (9), and “pain” (7).

           Although this work is not directly promoting some form of activism, there is still some critical work and exposure to this push for agency or action around the world of language that can correlate with actions and strides taken by the community. We see this continuance of agency through constantly developing use of language not only by the community but education folks outside of this community. Language is vital to understanding the communication between not only each other but what we put out into this world whether it is through writing, forms of artistic expression, verbally, face to face, through the media, etc. “Volley” can be seen as a representation or possibly an outlet for the ideas we see in the LGBTQIA/queer community regarding this reform of how we use language. This work of art showing the impactful use of language gives a tangible meaning to how we use language every day. This could be related to discussions in class and to the community by thinking about the implementation of language such as pronouns and identity labels. These women might not have focused on such words however, these pieces can still put forth the idea of the importance of the words that we choose and the meaning we attach to them. This need for understanding the language we use in relation to people such as identities is disregarded when we think about the assumption that the terms used in regards to what we know biologically and scientifically about how to identify people are something innate or not to be changed. Somerville discusses this in the article titled, “Scientific Racism and the Emergence of the Homosexual Body” by saying, “In the logic of biological determinism, the surface and interior of the individual body rather than its social characteristics, such as language, behavior, or clothing, became the primary sites of its meaning.“ There are efforts being made to change this idea that we focus more on biology and what we know scientifically about bodies and changing that to also include what we know about the importance of allowing people to use this language to identify and define themselves.

           Furthering the importance of the changing and understanding of language, these artists have found a way to tie in their shared experience as former significant others identifying in the community with one thing people of all identities or experiences within the community have in common: the use of language for expression. The community is diverse in every sense of the word meaning race, sexuality, gender expression, gender identity, ethnicity, the intersectionality of these identifying terms, and many more however, the use of language whether it be verbal or nonverbal is what connects us all and allows us to see our similarities or differences. Language is such critical part of the LGBTQIA community seeing that we put so much emphasis on using identity affirming language such as pronouns and gender affirming terms, just to name a few, when we allow the people around us to build their own sense of self. “Volley” also shows the importance and impact of relationships. Yes, this particular one was romantic but if we expand out to other types of relationships we know they can be just as impactful. Community whether it be LGBTQIA, other communities, or subcategories within the communities are built on relationships formed to create this bigger sense or feeling of fellowship.

-JM

For more pictures and to find out what the letters entailed visit:  http://www.hopeesser.com/take-aim/

[queernaebae-blog]

If I would have known what this piece was about earlier, I would have completely done this. This idea is so completely raw that I’m excited to know more about it. 

Did you ever find out which word it was? 

I appreciate the understanding of language as a crucial and important part of LGBTQAI acceptance and that language, no matter how “insignificant” can mean the difference when interpreting them from the other side. I loved the use of identity in your paper and I loved knowing about the expanding of words and identities in other relationships. 

I really liked this.

[gws203fall2015]

The Queen of My Dreams

By:  Jeff Teuber

At the Making Chances exhibit at Gallery 400, there was a wonderful variety of art pieces showcased throughout numerous media.  One of the pieces that struck me the most was the short film, Queen of My Dreams, by Fawzia Mirza.  This short film documents Mirza’s experience growing into her sexuality and the type of woman she finds she has a preference towards. The film also plays with notions of gender by having two female actors dress up in stylized expressions of a man and woman to act out a scene from the Bollywood film Aradhana, putting a spin on the idea of the typical heterosexual romance story.  Through this experience, Mirza is able to act out her Bollywood romance fantasy of femininity, sexuality, love, and happiness in portraying her character.

           The most important point of this short film is the expression of Mirza’s experience in exploring her sexuality and reverence of this ideal female figure from Bollywood culture – and through the lens of Mirza’s experience, the social construction of gender and sexuality are exposed.  Gender and sexuality are intimately related social constructs – in fact, the construction of sexuality in place cannot exist without a system of gender to support it.  The primary way this film exposes these concepts as social constructs is through the way Mirza is able to describe her experience in discovering her sexuality – growing up in a culture with Bollywood films as a major influencer created a social atmosphere that shaped Mirza’s inherent sexual attraction to this beautiful expression of femininity and sexuality.  Simply, because Mirza grew up in a culture containing Bollywood, these films socially shaped her reality in a way that Bollywood films do not, for example, shape the social reality of sexual attraction in the United States. Cultural differences in gender performance and expression create diverse experiences within queer communities cross-culturally.  Because cultural expressions of gender vary cross culturally, and this creates different preferences as to what is attractive, it lends itself to the idea that sexuality itself is a social construction.  There is not necessarily an attraction to any monolithic “female” or “male” characteristic for any individual; rather, all types of attraction exist through socialized perspectives of what is “attractive” in another individual.

           Through playing with the gender-fucking qualities of the film, Mirza gives herself and other LGBTQIA+ individuals agency to reject notions of the heterosexual imaginary that construct heterosexual love as the one true answer to becoming a whole person.  By having herself and another female actor express their gender in a non-normative manner (e.g. cis-man and cis-woman) to mimic the idealized heterosexual romance, she simultaneously shows conformity to heterosexual notions of love and sexuality while at the same time bending the rules to show that this idealized notion can include more than just one man and one woman – and this is where LGBTQIA+ individuals find their agency.  Through an individual’s choice in expression through gender performance, they are given social agency to take their sexuality away from society’s grasp and make it an expression of their own.  If that expression plays into these romantic ideals, okay.  If that expression does not play into romantic ideals, okay.  Mirza’s perspective shows that, even enraptured by the ideals of a Bollywood romance, she can choose to seek the partner that she wants.  No matter that person or the path Mirza takes to find love, she is able to express her sexuality in a way that allows her to live as her authentic self, because she will be able to find love, even despite not fitting into the idealized, heterosexual mold that society frames as correct.

~~

For more information about Fawzia, and to view more of Fawzia’s work, please visit here.

Photo credit to IMDB

[queernaebae-blog]

I appreciate your acknowledge that sexuality cannot exist without of gender to support it. Understanding this knowledge is critical to understanding the type of compulsory heteronormative behavior in a lot of places where cultural gender expression is heavily assessed. I appreciate the idea that through gender performance, they are given a social agency to take sexuality away from society and use it to express it as their own. It allows more of an understanding of the fluidity of gender in addition to deconstructing the rigid boundaries of gender. This woman sounds as though her awakening to sexuality stems in the understanding of the elimination of heteronormative gender binary to embrace something a little more concrete, even if less “defined.” 

[queernaebae-blog]

*Short Video of the 12 min Film

Janee Spruille

GWS 203

Paper 2

9/24/15

Action Speaks Louder than Rejection

The film about the Youth Empowerment Performance Project began with dancing images of young people engaged in small clips of performances. The camera focused momentarily on each person, candidly, highlighting the person’s before changing. Six young people, many of color, became the focus of the production, which outside the context of the exhibit, would be strange. Apollo, Atlantis, Baily, Kahari, Zizi and Lucas share their experience about being young queer folk and how a street based queer dance group changed their lives. The Lakeview Lutheran Church of Addison St, Chicago Illinois is home to where the six individuals spend most of their time. As many young queer folk are displaced from their homes, the Lutheran Church took them in. The founder of the group speaks to how these people from low income homes in dangerous, inner city “war zones” had no access to resources to get help and that compelled him to become an educator. Many of the individuals interviewed in the film has encountered many stages of homelessness and found the space, “. . .  a place to be vulnerable.” ZiZi. One young African American transgender dancer, Zizi was charged with a felony for a crime she didn’t commit and after coming out as trans at 17, resulted in limited options for both work and safety. Each story shares similar parallels between emotional, physical and even psychological abuse and each person reveals how the access to the arts, changed their outlook on life. The film does little to conclude the piece, and simply ends on the cast, during a performance and reciting. “The way we think. The way we evolve. The way we love. We’re on a journey, to find out who we are.”

The film allows LGBT+ folks agency about their emotional outlet and access. The film highlights that there are places in Chicago, at the very least, where people can go and seek shelter, family and hope. The film addresses the stigma surrounding the violence that can happen to queer people, and specifically queer people of color. People watching this film, like myself, might feel compelled to do what I can to reach out and help people that consider the larger LGBT spectrum a family. The film allows for young queer folk to be in charge of their own narrative, instead of letting other voices speak for them. I’ve experienced silence in my own community, due to cultural and religious cues, but even beyond that, I’ve been treated as someone with a disease that needed to be fixed and this film gives a voice that can’t cut someone off when they’re speaking.  In addition to giving young LGBT people a chance to express themselves physically, emotionally and vocally, the film gives a platform for the folks to identify themselves in as many or as few words as they wanted.

The film reaches out to young, queer folks with significantly hindered access to excellence in the normalized sense. The film holds it’s scope on people who have talent and passion to continue to persevere in hopes that those who watch the film find hope where they live. The film doesn’t explicitly follow people of color and there are many queer folks of color that also come from low income and underprivileged areas. The stories shared also vary. One young person, Kharari, grew up sandwiched between a poor mother and middle class minister father. He bounced back and forth between having everything and having nothing and that shaped his perspective on the world. He realizes that there are people, including his father, that just don’t understand the queer community and knows that he has the power to change stereotypes, opinions and idealizations of queer people. The film talks to Bailey, a young white man who seems aware of the pressures put on men to remain stoic, unfeeling and masculine men. He says that dancing and acting, “makes emotions conscience.” The film speaks to the idea that their community can reject any person and be welcomed into the queer family, no matter their privilege, social status or religion. The film reflects on the power of strength, making a voice and expression, through action and how sometimes, actions speak volumes louder than words.

[gws203fall2015]

Lesbians: the Butch and Femme Dichotomy

By: Jenna Morin

Photo credit: http://othersociologist.com/2014/12/01/transgender-women-inequality-work/

   When people are first taught what it means to identify themselves we assume somebody is asking for your legal name however the term identity spans beyond just your name on paper. It can include every aspect of who you are such as your gender, preferred pronouns, race, class, sexuality, the type of work you do, or even identifying as being a student. The way all of the possible identities one person can hold at once and how those interact with each other is what is discussed through the concept of intersectionality. Everybody has multiple factors that create identity however we cannot assume which ones that person feels is most prominent or how they rank their identities (if they do). It is important to understand that in different spaces some parts of one’s identity might be more prevalent than others. For example, while writing an academic paper, my identity as a college student is more of the focus versus my identification as a member of a multicultural sorority. However, while writing an academic paper about identities within the queer community my identities as a student and as a lesbian are both of focus. It is important to note that, as said by Gibson, Alexander, and Meem, intersectionality does important work of incorporating multiple identity experiences that theories of inclusivity do not. This is because inclusivity is the idea that everybody can be included and represented for what category they fit in like for only your race or fitting in a box for your sexuality versus intersectionality which is the understanding that all of these identity factors work with each other and can constantly be changing (Intersectionalitites, 179).

           The LGBTQIAA or queer community is known for being expressive and open with the intersecting identities within. Often times these identities also go hand-in-hand with experiences of forms of oppression due to societal structures and beliefs. One particular identity that I have experienced the punishments and rewards of due to holding that imaginary identification card is that of a lesbian. Lesbians, as discussed in class, are identified as women that are homosexual and experience attraction to other female identified individuals. The punishments of having this identity are placed more so by society because of the assumption that how you are is negative. For example, lesbians receive punishments in forms of oppressions due to the fact that they are assumed to be heterosexual and because they are not they are stepping out of their perceived gender roles  such as the woman that marries the man and has the family as most of us were probably taught our lives would seem to be. They become part of a marginalized group due to this identification that is outside of the heterosexual or patriarchal structure that still stands, possibly not as strongly as in previous times, in our construction of society. This oppression that can be based off of how a lesbian expresses or experiences their gender and the rewards and punishments can be connected to this expression.  For example, sometimes can’t possibly be feminine or maybe they are just wanting to be like a man. If you go against how society perceives your gender to be expressed, such as the assumption that you are cis gendered, than you experience the punishments while people that are considered to align with expectations might still face forms of oppression but will also receive rewards or fewer punishments.

           Building within the lesbian identity there are subcategories that, while still may experience forms for oppression for being a lesbian in general, experience different forms and levels of oppression. Some of these sub groups are the different ways lesbians can identify such as the butch and femme dichotomy. There is this idea that within identifying as a lesbian you then must fit into either being a butch which is perceived to be more masculine and dominant presenting or a femme which is perceived to be more feminine presenting. This also brings out the age old question of “who is the man and who is the woman”. This is just another example of compulsory heterosexuality. This dichotomy creates further oppression for lesbians in the way they carry out their gender presentation. For example, a “butch” lesbian is going against the societal expectations for them to be feminine presenting and that is when they are punished through forms of oppression whereas a “femme” can be seen as getting the rewards because although she is deviating from the assumed heterosexual norm by identifying as a lesbian she is seen as how a feminine presenting individual is usually assumed to be. I would also claim that the idea of a femme woman being more “passing” for heterosexual can reduce the oppression that individuals might face in everyday life.

           Not only is it important to recognize the intersectionalities within people’s identities but it is also vital to consider the different ways in which a person can experience multiple forms of oppression at once or in their everyday life due to the differing marginalized groups in which they might self-identify with. Lesbians and the subcategory of butch and femme are only one example of a subcategory that could be experienced. There are always other types of identities such as your race, class, ethnicity, and etc. that could create other oppressive experiences.

More on Butch and Femme: http://spot.colorado.edu/~agoodloe/essays/bf-paper2.html

[queernaebae-blog]

Your piece talks about the importance it is to recognize these intersectionalities within the queer community as well as outside of it. I really liked when you wrote,

“Not only is it important to recognize the intersectionalities within people’s identities but it is also vital to consider the different ways in which a person can experience multiple forms of oppression at once or in their everyday life due to the differing marginalized groups in which they might self-identify with.”

It really brings to light how fighting the outside fight of people that discriminate against lesbians in the community might overshadow sometimes some people get oppressed because they’re a lesbian AND they’re masculine presenting, AND they’re black! 

You rock,

JS

[gws203fall2015]

The Position of Bisexuals within the Queer Community and Society

Bisexuality can be thought of as an umbrella term, in that many subcategories of sexuality fall underneath it (pansexual, panromantic, etc.) It refers to those who are sexually and/or romantically attracted to members of “both”, all, or any combination of genders. I say “both” in parentheses, because as we’ve explored in this class, there are many gender identities outside of and within the two which are deemed by popular science as biological (male and female.) While there are those that believe identifying as bisexual brings privileges that gays and lesbians do not have (“straight passing”), there are systems of rewards and punishments which lead to bisexuals being marginalized by heterosexual and homosexual people alike.

           For bisexuals, compulsory heterosexuality and homosexuality may both come into play, as well as monosexism, or the system in society that demands individuals have simplistic sexual preferences and choose (or naturally gravitate to) one gender.  The idea that a person can move freely outside of that binary is a frightening thought for many. As you can see in the comics posted above, bisexual people experience challenges to their sexuality based on who they are seen with at any given time. These challenges occur frequently for those who are out and open with their sexuality. Unfortunately, it is both homosexuals and heterosexuals that try to erase the identity of bisexuals. Compulsory monosexuality says one must identify as gay or straight and if you believe you fall somewhere in the middle or even outside of that dichotomy, you are merely “going through a phase”. If a bisexual person does take a partner, if that partner has what is thought of as an easily identifiable gender, the bisexual person’s sexuality is labeled by others according to that partner’s gender and not according to the bisexual’s own wishes. Society will reward the bisexual who masks their true identity with monosexuality as it is easier for some to comprehend.

           At the same time the identity of bisexuals is being questions, picked apart, and erased, they are shamed and called greedy, indecisive, and promiscuous. A general consensus seems to exist by homosexuals and heterosexuals alike; bisexuals are not to be trusted. Many believe that bisexuals wish to engage in relationships which are modeled after polygamy or open relationships so their desires for both men and women can be quenched. Those who believe such ideas also believe bisexuals who aren’t permitted open relationships or multiple relationships will simply cheat on their partners. However, most bisexual people do desire loving, stable and monogamous relationships. That is of course not true for all, though, and that is okay!

           The experiences of bisexual people is as intersectional as any other person’s experience, so their experiences will vary greatly. There is no single story. For example, a bisexual male may face limited dating options if he is out and proud, while a bisexual female may not. Our society rewards hypermasculine men and the act of male on male sex can be seen as emasculating or even grotesque to many straight women, who will not even entertain the idea of dating a bisexual male. Straight men, however, may not be as critical of bisexual women and their encounters with other women. In fact, it may be seen as erotic. This eroticized view of bisexual women, however, leads to unhealthy fetishizing and so it cannot be said that the experience of bisexual women is more positive than that of bisexual men.  

           Bisexuality’s intersection with race can also lead to punishment. The stigmas surrounding HIV have led to a fear of men who have sex with other men. For black men who have sex with other men and also women, the stigma may become even more pronounced. According to Gibson, Alexander, and Meem, the media has warped reporting of statistics in such a way that people are afraid that all black men who engage in sex with other men are disease-riddled nymphomaniacs, and when those men also have sex with women, they are seen as violent predators seeking to infect and violate others (181-182).

           Many people of color may be reluctant to share information regarding their sexual identity for reasons other than repercussions within their culture. For example, I have a friend named Ninoshka who is an indigenous person of South America. As a woman of color, she experiences men treating her as a fetish and an exotic sex object. She expressed that for many women of color who have already been so heavily dehumanized and objectified, coming out as bisexual could lead to further fetishizing of their identity due to the white, cishet male gaze. Ninoshka herself is a queer lesbian who has had romantic relationships with men in the past due to compulsory heterosexuality. She is currently working in the field of engineering. As a woman, and as a person of color, her performance is already under scrutiny, and personally, she is hesitant to come out to co-workers as she doesn’t want to add another reason to come under the gaze. Ninoshka doesn’t personally identify as bisexual, yet it is easy to see from her point-of-view how the intersection of bisexuality and being a person of color can cause some bisexuals to remain closeted.

As you can see, it can be especially difficult to be the “B” in LGBTQIA. Bisexual people are a minority within a minority group, and so are shunned or erased wherever they turn. Thankfully, the conversation of bisexuality and its place within the queer community has become more popular recently and more people are becoming educated concerning the experiences of bisexual people. 

To read bisexual people’s accounts of others misconceptions regarding their sexuality, visit this link: http://www.advocate.com/bisexuality/2014/08/26/27bistories-appearing-straight-appearing-gay-and-other-misconceptions-bi.

-Tyler H.

[queernaebae-blog]

I totally agree about how bisexuality is a stigmatized group within the LGBTQA Alphabet Soup. Bisexuality is seen as an identity many folks have before they “come out of the closet,” when in actuality sexuality is fluid and identifying as “bisexual” before you identify as “lesbian/gay/ect.” doesn’t take away the value associated with being bisexual. 

I’ve meet lots of queer folk that also agree with this and we talked about why theres a fear of dating someone with that identity. I hope that your friend who feels the pressure of biphobia remembers that identity/sexuality is all dictated by them. 

I wish them good luck, and this was a great paper! 

[gws203fall2015]

Shades of Gray-Asexuality

           Sexuality is the subject of an increasingly common discourse in contemporary society; in the media, on college campuses, at home in conversations between friends and family, issues of sexuality are becoming ever more pervasive as the political discourse surrounding sexuality changes within U.S. society. In all of these talks, one of the most commonly overlooked sexual identities, as part of the LGBTQIA+ Alphabet Soup, is actually an identity defined by the lack of sexuality, otherwise known as “Asexuality.”  Unfortunately, this is a very simplistic view of asexuality, and the true complexities of identifying as a part of the asexual identity are not well known as they are not involved in popular discourse of LGBTQIA+ politics.  There are some asexual individuals who would agree with this definition in regards to their identity: they do not experience sexual attraction, full stop.  However having a monolithic definition of asexuality in this way severely limits the true scope and prevents the understanding of all facets of asexuality and forces all people who identify as “Asexual” into a singular box, in much the same way that Homo- and Heterosexuality are sectioned off into mutually exclusive zones, with no crossover.

           In truth, the term asexuality is a bit of a misnomer as an umbrella term for attraction that exists on multiple spectrums, in ways that make it impossible to fully encapsulate whether an “asexual” person is exactly anything – attraction to other individuals can range from sexual or romantic attraction, to emotional attraction and sensual attraction (meaning desire for touch in a non-sexual way).  As such, it is becoming more common to identify under the term of gray-asexual, or Gray-A, as this term encapsulates the idea that an individual may actually experience one, any in combination, or even none of these types of attraction in varying shades, and this is what makes the term so nebulous.  However, because it becomes so hard to strictly define what a gray-asexual identity actually is, because every individual experiences it differently at any singular time, and because people identifying along these scales of asexuality people who do not experience any or even one of these kinds of attraction become subject to systems of punishment in relation to heterosexual identities and even other sexualities outside heterosexuality, such as homosexuality.  Primarily, people of Gray-Asexuality are punished through their identity being ignored and misunderstood in public discourse. Sexuality pervades our society in every facet, through media and interpersonal interaction.  Discussion of sexuality has become normalized to the point that it becomes background noise to the majority of people, to the point that those who may not experience sexual attraction at all, or who do not feel it as easily as others, feel like they are abnormal and do not fit in, and it almost becomes taboo to say that one doesn’t feel sexual (or other types) of attraction.  People of (Gray-)Asexuality can end up feeling like outsiders in their own society because they can’t express their true feelings without fear of ridicule.

           As mentioned above, however, there are many shades of Gray-Asexuality that make it easier (or more difficult) to pass and escape “punishment” in a society that has compulsory sexuality.  For example, I, as a Gray-Asexual, am able to pass for being of a “normal” sexuality because I still experience romantic and aesthetic attraction, and because I still have sex because it is fun, despite a lack of general sex drive and sexual attraction to others.  This allows me to fit into the norm of sexual activity between young adults in contemporary society, because I am able to section myself off as a member of the binary sexuality system.  At the same time, this system punishes me because I feel that I have to meet certain expectations and social scripts in order to feel like a “normal” member of society.  In the same token, someone who is completely asexual and aromantic might have a much more difficult time of fitting into typical societal standards, especially those who also identify and present as male, because it is a norm of men in our society to be sexually aggressive.  For those who cannot easily pass for that facet of masculinity, it is possible that they become the subject of bullying or ridicule by their peers, or they become forced to act in ways that do not match their true sense of self in order to pass for sexually active in order to escape punishment.

In order to read more about Gray-A or the asexual umbrella, feel free to click the image at the top of this essay, or here for another source (Credit to The Trevor Project for the lovely info-graphic seen above).

-Jeff T.

[queernaebae-blog]

With understanding of what I’ve read, I’m understanding how the broader identity of Asexuality is in itself an umbrella term. It reminds me of how “transgender” is an umbrella term to represent people that transcend gender binary or norm. It also makes sense how not adhering to the same sexual plateau as the norm can place folks in a sense of punishment. So often, sex is the center of television, advertisements, and much of the conversation disputing sexuality comes from an understanding of who is doing what while having sex. Right? Which brings us back to the “Who’s the top?” Question in queer relationships. 

I also acknowledge that asexual folks perspective will probably change where they live. Even culturally, it is more normalized to talk, educate and understand sex, where some cultures, finds the topic taboo. So, the system defaults to using gender to assume assignment to sexual roles for people. Thus, it sets up an environment where male presenting folks might be pressured into keeping up with the sexual exploits of other men. 

-Nae Bae

(JS)