What if Heterosexuality were frowned upon instead?
It is difficult, if not impossible to conceive what it would have looked like, if heterosexuality were frowned upon as the odd way to express his or her sexuality. Heterosexuality is a simple term that recognizes human sex and human sexuality as appropriately expressed either by being a male or a female. The idea of gender binary (human having distinctive sex and sexuality as either a male or a female) is deeply rotted in the heterosexual philosophy that every individual is either male or female and nothing else. Heterosexuality recognizes among other things within its ambits, the conventional position about heterosexuality in marriage, as the union that can exist between two persons from
…show more content…
Heterosexuality in general promotes reasoning beyond the notion that every individual is either male or female and nothing else, heterosexuality does more harm than taking a rigid approach on how humans can or should express the sexual orientations. Sticking with the rigid analysis and myopic orientations popularized by heterosexuality, and using the same as the normal baseline to determine sexuality in humans have stood time immemorial as one of the main pillars of gender and sexual discrimination against the LGTBQI persons in space and time in human society.
Heterosexism, continues to be the trigger of intolerance, oppression, suppression, sexism, hatred and discrimination for the LGTBQI communities across many societies today. Beyond the shadow of doubt, official statistics support the altruistic position in many countries that heterosexuality is often used as the baseline to determine sexuality. In terms of the number of individuals that prefer to be identified or are themselves heterosexuals, the truth is that heterosexuality has been long prevailed and been used as the proper standard to express sexuality in many
…show more content…
Being a sexual majority have many advantages as opposed to falling within the category of sexual minorities which encompass the LGTBQI persons. Non-heterosexual persons were left on the margins of the society for many generations, LGTBQI persons were either marginalized or assimilated into the mainstream (heterosexual) society. To add to the woes of LGTBQI persons, it was considered as a taboo, frowned upon in many societies, criminalized or deemed abnormal for an individual to express sexuality out the box of
For years homosexuality in the United States of America has been looked down upon by citizens, religions, and even politicians. The homosexual culture, or the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender), has been demoralized and stuck out and lashed against by the Heterosexual community time and time again. To better understand the LGBT community we must first grasp the concept of Sexual Orientation.
Although homosexuality is not a mental disorder in and of itself, gay men and other men who have sex with men can present with poorer mental health outcomes as a result of social discrimination, rejection, isolation and marginalization.3 4, 5 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gay men and other MSM are at increased risk for major depression, bipolar disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, the common basis of which is likely homophobia.6 Sustained stress from this can also lead MSM to contemplate suicide or cope through substance use.7 Although providing appropriate mental health support for gay men and other MSM from a clinical perspective is similar to treating anyone else with mental challenges, it is critical to recognize the role that structural and social barriers play in exacerbating negative mental health outcomes among these individuals.
I chose this topic because there is an issue of homophobia around the world. I find it interesting as to why people are homosexual, and if there is a gene responsible for this or if it can be developed later in life. This area of research directly relates to the age old question of “nature Vs. nurture”.
The world as we know of it today has evolved over several decades of conflict. The conflicts have taken place due to many factions fighting for their rights. It began with African Americans wanting to be treated as equals. The Civil Rights became the theme of the 1950’s and continued for many years. More recently, there have been conflicts based on sexuality and gender preferences. The LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) Movement of today has changed and evolved over the last several decades just as the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s which gave African Americans the fight for racial equality. The similarities and differences of both movements are striking, and deserve thorough investigation.
Many people relate sex, gender, and your sexual orientation as the same thing grouped in two categories of male or female traits and preference, however as both authors argue it is imperative to view each as a separate and ever changing category in order to protect peoples beliefs who contradict the earlier statement. “Educating legislators and policymakers about the damage inflicted by sexism and gender stereotyping is a critical component of winning
Osmond and Thorne (1993) stated that “heterosexuality has been long assumed to be the norm and other sexual practices have been deemed deviant” (p. 616). However, the norm has not ways suited everyone in our community and society. Some of the people in our society don’t see gender as man and woman, but in a different way. There has constantly been the issue that relationships and marriages are supposed to be with a man and woman, however, it seems as if that has changed over time. Now people believe that true love doesn’t necessary have to be with a man or woman, but with whoever they are attracted to. A feminist leader by the name of Adrienne Rich states “if heterosexuality were “natural” … there would be no need for the many deliberate and coercive efforts to channel individual in that direction” (Osmond & Thorne, 1993, p. 616). What Rich meant was if man and woman were supposed to be together naturally, why is there a need for a constant reminder that man and woman should do so. Rich also insinuated that women are born homosexual tendencies due to the erotic tie with their mothers. Whether this is valid or not this is a statement that needs a bit more research conducted on it, before making a bold statement as
In my opinion, only after we learn to respect all kinds of differences out of majority we are able to have liberal minds, which makes the world a better place to live for all people. That is the reason I decided to write my paper on compulsory heterosexuality. To come to main idea, my arguement will be dominantly on heteronormativity. I will try to prove that both heteronormativity and gender are social constructs, which means that they are all learned behaviours by society through culture, tradition and religion. I will show a world where any norms and taboos exist, to turn our origins of nature. I will support my arguement by the works of writers and researchers on that topic. My whole effort will be on to claim that there is nothing called heteronormativity by nature, it can not be. We can not rule out the genes and instinct behaviour of people. It is just a coverage, to live in a reproductive and moral society.
As Tamsin Wilton explains in her piece, “Which One’s the Man? The Heterosexualisation of Lesbian Sex,” society has fronted that heterosexuality, or desire for the opposite sex, is the norm. However, the reason behind why this is the case is left out. Rather, Wilton claims that “heterosexual desire is [an] eroticised power difference [because] heterosexual desire originates in the power relationship between men and women” (161). This social struggle for power forces the majority of individuals into male-female based relationships because most women are unable to overcome the oppressive cycle society has led them into. Whereas heterosexual relationships are made up of the male (the oppressor) and the female (the victim who is unable to fight against the oppressor), homosexual relationships involve two or more individuals that have been freed from their oppressor-oppressed roles.
In the United States, there are approximately 581,300 same sex couples, according to the American community survey of 2012. Approximately 253,576 are male to male and 300,890 are female to female households. (Lofquist & Ellis, 2011) It is clear that there is diversity of sexual taste.versity of sexual preference. Age wise is also not a very big difference since the sexual preference of a person could take place from child to elderly. Nevertheless the highest portion of same sex couples living in together would be between the ages of 45 and 54 which it being close to 30% followed by 25% of the ages 35 to 44. Approximately 88% of the LGBTQ population are from white origin followed by a capital deviation, which would be Hispanic with 10% and African American with 8%. The lowest would be of Asian origin coming in with about 3-5%. (American Community Survey, 2012) With such high numbers it has been understood that people being LBGTQ are coming out more. Se...
Throughout Western civilization, culturally hegemonic views on gender and sexuality have upheld a rigid and monolithic societal structure, resulting in the marginalization and dehumanization of millions of individuals who differ from the expected norm. Whether they are ridiculed as freaks, persecuted as blasphemers, or discriminated as sub-human, these individuals have been historically treated as invisible and pushed into vulnerable positions, resulting in cycles of poverty and oppression that remain prevalent even in modern times. Today, while many of these individuals are not publicly displayed as freaks or persecuted under Western law, women, queer, and intersexed persons within our society still nonetheless find themselves under constant
In order to discuss the biology of gender identity and sexual orientation, it is necessary to first examine the differences between multiple definitions that are often mistakenly interchanged: sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Sexual orientation is defined by LeVay (2011) as “the trait that predisposes us to experience sexual attraction to people of the same sex as ourselves, to persons of the other sex, or to both sexes” (p. 1). The typical categories of sexual orientation are homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual. Vrangalova and Savin-Williams (2012) found that most people identify as heterosexual, but there are also groups of people that identify as mostly heterosexual and mostly gay within the three traditional categories (p. 89). This is to say that there are not three concrete groups, but sexual orientation is a continuum and one can even fluctuate on it over time. LeVay (2011) also defines gender as “the ...
In order to bring change, the myths of Gender have to be altered. Believing that the world consists of only two genders has been a cultural invention which does not accommodate the vast number of experiences humans are capable of living. According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network in 2009, “86% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students experienced harassment at school; one in three skipped a day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe there” (Colombo 376). Their gender preference is not accommodated in society, and as a result, they are being discriminated, judged, mentally affected and not allowed expression of their social identity. There are many cultures that have three or more gender categories.
Gender and sexuality can be comprehended through social science. Social science is “the study of human society and of individual relationships in and to society” (free dictionary, 2009). The study of social science deals with different aspects of society such as politics, economics, and the social aspects of society. Gender identity is closely interlinked with social science as it is based on an identity of an individual in the society. Sexuality is “the condition of being characterized and distinguished by sex” (free dictionary, 2009). There are different gender identities such as male, female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exists all around the world. There is inequality in gender identities and dominance of a male regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and a traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much changes has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed. In general a traditional society is more conservative where as a modern society is fundamentally liberal. This is to say that a traditional society lists certain roles depending on the gender and there are stereotypes that are connected with the genders. One must obey the one that is dominant and make decisions. On the other hand, a modern society is lenient, It accepts the individual’s identity and sexuality. There is no inequality and everyone in the society is to be seen as individuals not a part of a family unit...
Society today has become more accepting of homosexuality. There are single gender couples in the media, and gay rights, such as marriage, have become a political standpoint. In this class we have discussed how society today is changing, and how important it is to be accepting of others who are different. In a heterosexual society, it is a big deal that we are becoming more accepting of people who like the same sex. The problem is, some people aren't just heterosexual or homosexual. Similar to the gender binary, there is a sexual orientation binary being created by the media. The black and white view is damaging to people who like both genders. Society tries to put labels on people, causing people to question their own identity. In the time of adolescence this can be very damaging to someone, male or female. Education about bisexuality could be the step society needs to take to create a more accepting society. Right now, a bisexual is seen as someone who cannot make a choice, but society should not pressure people to choose. People should not have to label themselves heterosexual or homosexual. The media has become more accepting of same sex couples, however, it exploits bisexuality.
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.