Adolescence is a difficult time for everyone. All young people struggle to find themselves and to define their identity. However, while adolescent females struggle to develop their sexuality and identity in a society where they are expected to sexy but not to have sexual feelings of their own, or rather they are supposed to be sexual objects but not sexual subjects (Tolman 153-158), males also face many difficulties because they are very restricted by a need to protect their masculinity by never appearing too feminine or weak. If boys lapse or deviate from the social standards, they risk becoming a target for unrelenting homophobic harassment. In order to avoid this, most young boys work very hard to convince others of their heterosexuality at all costs.
Homophobia
Final Concept Analysis: Intersectionality of Identity Formations
Throughout the semester, a concept that has continuously emerged is the formation of identities. For some people, identities can be created, redefin Continue reading
What’s Sex Have To Do With… WWE?
Final Reflection: A Post on Society & Sex
Upon being asked the question of what the most important and influential concept to understanding the relationship between sex and society covered in this semester, I began to think about all the different concepts talked and read about in class. When thinking about everything, I began to see connections between different terms that came up throughout the semester that were discussed that I had never seen before. The concepts are all fairly different, yet are all still related in some ways because of the manner that society has been formed over the years. Agents of socialization, sex education, social constructions, and heteronormativity have all become interconnected, creating an environment of hostility towards people who do not identify as heterosexual.
The agents of socialization people are exposed to impact their views on everything in life. However, their views on sex are affected more so than some other aspects of life are. The socialization of sex and sex education has a more prevalent impact on how a person forms their ideas and views on sex. The environment a person was raised in, their religion, schooling experience, family, friends, and the media all heavily influence the formation of what sex means and should mean to a person. But, this can be dangerous- with the amount of societal constructions (such as what “good” or “normal” sex is, gender, etc.) that exist today, it is easy for the manner in which a person was socialized to negatively affect their views on sex or gender. For example, many religions do not condone homosexuality, so if someone is raised in that environment, it is likely they would judge and discriminate anyone who is homosexual.
SInce gender is a social construction, it easy to stereotype and discriminate against those who do not fit into the gender binaries that exist today (boy and girl). So, those who appear as lesbian, gay, queer, bisexual, or transgender are easily stereotypes and judged. The heteronormative ideals that are held by the majority of the people in this country also lead to stigmas and discrimination. When people who have other sexual orientations other than heterosexual, they are often mistreated by society and can even be susceptible to violence, sexual violence in particular (as seen in the video of the transgender man who used the bathroom of a New York McDonald and was beat for it by the manager, yet was charged for a misdemeanor when in actuality he was the victim ).
Over the years, this problem has perpetuated. It has become easier for discrimination and violence to occur without any repercussion on the perpetrator. The connections between these terms and these societal constructions and manifestations all lend to why society is as it is today and why people discriminate, act violently toward, and outcast nonheterosexual people. Having a good understanding of all these terms allows for a person too see the interconnectedness and understand why these horrible things occur. It allows for people to be aware of the problem and not lend to it or be an enabler.
What’s Sex Got To Do With… Identity? (Final Reflection)
Throughout the course of the semester, we have learned about and discussed a wide variety of sexual orientations and how western culture has normalized a sex and gender binary. We traversed through the LGBTQI alphabet soup, learning how each identity has to navigate through society and the common dangers they face by merely existing as an unconventional body. Homosexual bodies, particularly gay men, are learned to be feared from a young age through the existence of the “fag discourse” perpetuated in schools. Bisexual individuals are also often viewed as predatory and dangerous because of their refusal to cooperate within the straight/gay binary that society has constructed. Further complicating sexual binaries are transgender individuals, whose by definition identify as a gender different to the one they were assigned at birth. Intersex individuals, who were born with ambiguous genitalia, can fit into any one of these categories, or none at all. Completely removed from the sexuality spectrum in which all of these other identities exist is asexuality, which can be defined as a lack of sexual drive. Since around the 1960’s, when sexuality shifted from a behavior to an identity, heteronormative attitudes have emerged and worked to confirm heterosexuality as the “correct” form of sexual identity while marginalizing all others.
One of the preoccupations with a heteronormative society is to scrutinize the identities of non-hetero people. A clear example of this can be seen among the bisexual population, where the straight (and sometimes gay) populations discredit the “bisexual” identity. Some claim that bisexuals are just “gays in denial” or straight, but “going through a case.” For some, that may be the case. For others, not at all. The bottom line is that it really should not matter what someone identifies as. Everyone has their own definition of their own orientation, and it is ignorant and presumptuous to simply say that one’s identity is “incorrect.”
One identity that has come under considerable scrutiny for lacking a clear definition is asexuality. In the documentary (A)Sexual, we are introduced to a number of people who identify as asexual, but very few of them conduct their romantic and sexual activities in the exact same way. Some maintain a long term romantic partnership devoid of sexual interaction. Some acknowledge that they do engage in some sexual behaviors, but prefer to do so without the presence of a partner. Because asexuality itself seems to be a spectrum, people are very hesitant to accept someone’s identity as an asexual body because it differs from their own prototype of an asexual in their mind.
One of the most important and lasting lessons I have learned this semester is that people will attack and scrutinize the legitimacy of a sexual identity far more than any other personal identifier. Because heteronormative constructions have deemed “straightness” the norm and every other identity as degenerate and ultimately “abnormal”. This dichotomy has allowed those who identify as “straight” to incorrectly assume privilege and marginalize others. The only person who can declare someone’s sexual identity is that individual. We must end our preoccupation with accusing others of having “false” identities if we truly want a just world.
What’s sex got to do with…Final Reflections
For me, the most important concept to understand the relationship between sex and society is heteronormativity. The Oxford dictionary defines heteronormativity as “denoting or relating to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation.” Throughout the semester we have seen how much this concept plays out in our modern world despite burgeoning support for the LGBTQI community.
What’s Sex Got to Do With…Nashville?
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The idea of heteronormativity is an extremely important topic in our media today. In the TV show Nashville, heteronormativity is at an ultimate high. Thankfully, it is obvious that the show has made some distinct efforts to create diversity through sexual orientation and racial identity in the film.
The show Nashville shown on ABC is a drama about the lives of Rayna James, Julliette Barnes, and many other country music stars just trying to make it in the industry. The idea of heteronormativity is defined as the normality of heterosexuality throughout our society and the exclusion of the LGBTQ community. Throughout the show, there are many sexual relationships between the characters. There is a point where Rayna James has to choose between 2 men to marry, and throughout the show Juliette Barnes dates and hooks up with almost all of the male characters on the show. There are many heterosexual relationships on the show, but thankfully, the producers do make an effort to show diversity in the film.
In addition to heteronormativity, the idea that “sex sells” is prominent for the TV show. Throughout the show, there are many sex scenes and sexual relationships. The show was primarily advertised as a family show, but when the majority of the show turned out to be about sex, the producers received much backlash. The truth behind this is simple: sex sells, and the relationships and hookups shown throughout the show is what makes it dramatic and makes people want to come back and watch more.
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The characters in this photo are Will Lexington on the right, an upcoming artist in the music industry. On the left is the first guy with whom he had sexual relations. This is the man who makes Will know for a fact that he is gay. Will goes through lots of trauma throughout his coming out because he is a young, good looking country star who seems to be the definition of masculinity. His character is a distinct example for the producers trying to depict diversity because it is through a person nobody would think to ever be gay.
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Secondly, the producers make a distinct effort to show an interracial relationship in the show. Gunnar, a white male, and Zoey, an African American female, date throughout Season 2 of the show.
What do you believe are the effects of how the producers of Nashville planned an interracial relationship and a gay, male, country artist in the show? Does this have any major affect on heteronormativity in our media? Does the idea that Nashville is in the deep South and that country music tends to be very old fashioned and conservative have any effect on the majority of the show being heteronormative, or is this just the way our society is? The producers could have chosen any character to be gay, but why did they choose Will Lexington?
What’s Sex got to do with… 19 Kids and Counting?
The First Amendment of the United States Constitution ensures that all US citizens have freedom of speech and are free to choose and participate in whatever religion they want. However, there is and has always been a lot of controversy over where one person’s rights begin and another person’s end. Fisher argues that, in the United States, the discourse surrounding sexual morality is predominantly based on the more powerful religious cultures (namely Christianity) which act to control the sex lives of the populace and to organize individuals into those who are “pure” and those who are “polluted”. There are those who corrupt, typically men and “impure women”, and those who are corrupted, typically children.
Following this logic, the United States is organized in such a way that sexuality is suppressed, children are taught abstinence only sex education, and women are slut shamed. However, in recent years there has been a major shift in the discourse. With the ever growing marriage equality laws across the country, people are more aware than ever of the inequality and oppression that those who fall outside of the heteronormative Christian group face.
Recently, the Duggar’s, a very conservative Christian family, the stars of the TLC show “19 Kids and Counting”, have been at the center of controversy. 100,000 people have signed a petition to remove them from the television claiming that they are “fear mongering” and “spreading ignorance and hatred” about the LGBTQI community. All of this started because the mom, Michelle Duggar, opposed a law for her community which would allow transgender individuals to use restrooms and changing rooms based on their chosen gender, not their assigned one. Duggar remarked that she did not want the system to be abused by child predators who could lie about being transgender.
Do you think Michelle Duggar’s response to her town’s proposed bill warrants such extreme reactions from the public? Are her rights protected less under the First Amendment because she is a conservative Christian? Where is the line between freedom of speech and religion and “fear mongering” and discrimination?
What’s Sex got to do with…19 Kids and Counting?
The Duggar family made their national TV debut in 2008 when 17 Kids and Counting aired on TLC. Fast forward 6 years, two more kids, and and a couple grandchildren later and the show is now 19 Kids and Counting and still airing today. But maybe not for much longer…
An article posted on November 19th from the Huffington Post reports that a new petition from change.org, started by Jim Wissick of San Jose, CA, is calling for the cancellation of the Duggars’ series because of the families’ discriminatory feelings toward the LGBT community.
In his letter to TLC, Wissick explained that “The Duggars have been using their fame to promote discrimination, hate, and fear-mongering against gays and transgendered people.” Fear-inducing practices are a recurring pattern we’ve seen towards the LGBT community. For example in Pascoe’s essay, “‘Guys are just homophobic,’” he writes that analyzing boys’ homophobic practices as a ‘fag discourse’ shows that their behavior reflects not just a fear of same sex desire, but a specific fear of men’s same sex desire.” (NSS 177). The idea of the “predatory fag” and attaching scariness to homosexuals is something that we’ve seen as a popular but ignorant discourse. For whatever reason, scare tactics are a strategic means of discrimination because it is human nature to want to avoid things we perceive as “fearful.”
Likewise, in the documentary (A)sexual, at the pride parade we saw many people react to David and his team with fear. They were hesitant to accepting informational pamphlets about asexuality almost as if it was an illness they could contract. Again, we see ignorance and fear as a common reaction to “non-normative” sexual identities.
Furthermore, the oldest Duggar, Josh, is the executive director of the anti-gay Family Research Council’s legislative group, a Christian lobbying group, which openly opposes gay marriage and goes as far as to link pedophilia with homosexuality. This sort of illogic and unintelligence in regard to minority groups is unfortunately accepted amongst discriminatory folks. Rather than being accepting and tolerant of diversity they dismiss and demean it. For example, we saw this play out in the misconception of homosexuality as a disease or illness in some cultures of the 19th century.
I am afraid, that despite the strides the LGBT community in garnering acceptance by society, there are still many people practicing unjustified and uninformed discrimination. What’s worse is when these people are media figures, such as the Duggar family. The media is a pedagogical force that should only purport messages of equality and acceptance.
What do you think about this petition to cancel the series? Should media figures be held to higher standards when it comes to acts of discrimination? Do you think the principle of “freedom of speech” is ever exploited to justify discrimination?
To read more: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/news/a33470/duggars-19-kids-and-counting-petition-to-cancel/?click=_hpTrnsprtr_1
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/petition-tlc-cancel-19-kids-counting-article-1.2016721
Final Concept Analysis: Heteronormative Culture
The most important concept that I learned this year is the theories of our heteronormative culture. According to Webster’s dictionary, heteronormativity is defined as, “The belief that people fall into distinct and complementary genders (man and woman) with natural roles in life. It asserts that heterosexuality is the only orientation or only norm, and states that sexual and marital relations are most (or only) fitting between people of opposite sexes.” From all that I have learned this semester (so much I never knew before), it may seem somewhat lame that I picked heternormativity but I believe that it is imperative to understanding all the other theories we learned. Additionally, it is this heteronormative mindset that leads to the LGBTQI? community having to fight for inherent rights that they should already have, because sexuality should not define ones identity.
During the first half of this class, we read Introducing the New Sexuality Studies, and discussed many terms and theories within it such as BDSM, adolescent girls sexuality, gay and lesbian sexuality, anal sex, lives of immigrants and migrant workers, porn, fag discourse, femininity, domestic violence, medicalization of desire, sexual socialization, gender roles, and much, much more. However, as our knowledge of these concepts and identities exponentially increased, I kept facing the fact that in our heteronormative culture today, any forms of sexual relationships that is not between a man and a woman are considered wrong. This should not be the case because last time I checked it was 2014. Putting things in perspective, we have smart phones that can talk and are merely years away from self-driving cars, yet society cannot handle the fact that some men like men and some women like women.
Though I found all of this to be interesting, the second half of the semester so far is my favorite. We read Katherine Bogle’s Hooking up: Sex, Dating, and Relationships on Campus, and are focusing on applying these concepts to the hook-up culture seen on college campuses. Though we shifted to the hook-up scene, the heteronormative culture that we have here is still applicable. Though students often think that since there are no parents on campus, they can do whatever they want strings free, this is not true. There is a shift to hooking up instead of dating, but through interviews conducted in Bogle’s book show, there is a double standard between males and females that is also part of our heteronormative culture. For a male to have slept with a triple digit number of girls is extreme but okay, but for girls to even hit the low double digits, there is a stigma and they are considered “whores” and “sluts”. How does this seem fair? Our heteronormative culture is accepted widely, but shouldn’t be. This is not the 1800s, men and women should be equal in all facets.
Before this course, I would have accepted the heteronormative culture that our society holds us to without a doubt, but now that I am enlightened to its discrimination, say we should all take a stance and be equal as human beings where sexual stance has no say in ones identity.
Sex and Society 
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