Identifying Lesbian and Mother
In her 1995 book, "On the Outside Looking In: The Politics of Lesbian Motherhood", Ellen Lewin presents the phenomenon of lesbian women who, through childbirth, gain access to the heterosexual community as an in-group member. At first glance, Lewin's observations seem to subvert traditional inside/outside ideology, portraying the boundaries of the hetero- and homosexual worlds as permeable rather than rigidly, relationally exclusive. A more exhaustive analysis, namely of the accounts of the women Lewin interviews, serves instead to reinforce inside/outside construction in relation to self and perceived identity. While the women are 'allowed' into the selective sphere of heteronormality, they do not cross these categorical lines as both 'lesbian' and 'mother'. This paper will argue that the terms 'lesbian' and 'mother' are mutually exclusive, perhaps not in reality, but in the capacities of identity, performance, and location within an inside/outside dynamic.
Lewin prefaces her analysis with a glance at the classic Western representation of the lesbian. This depiction focuses on the exclusion of lesbians from typical female roles of "motherhood" and "nurturing"; being a mother carried an implied notion of heterosexuality, therefore, lesbianism and motherhood "cancelled each other out in the popular imagination" (107). Indeed, many of the women surveyed shared the sentiment of motherhood as "overwhelming and engulfing other dimensions of their lives—including what they considered the lesbian component" (109). While this may be ascribed to the daunting tasks of mothering and childcare, the women pointed to a more self-appropriated explanation as they echoed one another in their tendencies to "downplay the significance of their lesbianism in giving accounts of themselves [as mothers]" (110). Simultaneously, these women were rooting themselves more deeply in the heterosexual world and losing ties with the homosexual world. Many of the reports quote the lesbian mothers as feeling stronger ties to the world they share with straight women than with other lesbians. Many felt the lesbian community to be unfriendly to lesbian mothers. One woman was even asked to leave her all-lesbian rap group after her child was born, as her fellow group members believed she was no loner "attuned to lesbian issues" (124).
The question remains as to why straight mothers, as a representation of the larger heterosexual community, would be so quick to ally themselves with lesbians, even lesbian mothers. For a scholar of feminist theorist Diana Fuss, this coalition seems to threaten the inside (read: dominant) status of heterosexual society.
The Permian-Triassic Extinction is a mass extinction that occurred between the Permian and Triassic geologic time periods approximately 250 million years ago; it is the deadliest of all extinctions that have occurred on Earth. In addition, during the Permian-Triassic extinction the continents of today existed as one supercontinent known as Pangaea. This was the first time in history where continental or land mass exceeded that of the ocean. This was also before dinosaurs of the Triassic period roamed Earth, during this time animals such as the therapsids, and Synapsids such as the Pelycosaurs, insects and amphibians also occupied Earth. Fauna that existed during the Permian period includes Gymnosperms, or seed producing plants such as the Conifers. Other animals that existed during this time include marine life such as brachiopods (clams), bryozoans (coral-like skeletons), bony fish and sharks, as well as crinoids (sea urchin like creatures). According to National Geographic, about 90 percent of all the animals and fauna of this period perished, the marine life was hit the hardest wi...
“Human papillomaviruses are small, double-strained DNA viruses that infect the epithelium and cause common skin warts.” (CDC, 2012). Most HPV infections are asymptomatic and resolve on their own. About forty strains of HPV infect the mucosal epithelium, which can lead to cervical cancer. Cervical cancer was first thought to be linked to sexual activity in the 1960s, and in the early 1980s, in was proven that cervical cancer cells contained HPV DNA. The first publications of this were not until the 1990s. (CDC 2012). Because the detection of HPV was so recent, there are still many unknown factors regarding transmission and treatment.
In this essay, Gay deconstructs the stereotypical view of a feminist, by showing that you can be a feminist, even if you’re not in the small box the rest of the world thinks you should be in, in order to qualify as a ‘feminist’. Throughout the essay, Gay uses several quotes and stories from other women who are either afraid to say that they’re feminists, or don’t quite understand you don’t have to be in the limiting ‘box’, even though in their moral beliefs and actions, these sourced women are, in fact, feminists. According to Gay, if we didn’t have this stereotype, then maybe more women with diverse lives and views would be able to ‘come out’ as
To understand and add historical to the opinion the public felt towards homosexual women in the 1950s it is imperative to understand the popular view held by much of the public towards lesbians as early as the mid-nineteenth century. In 1843 William Bryant wrote an essay that was published in the Evening Post that described a portion of his trip to Ver...
The Permian Triassic extinction was an event of cataclysmic disaster and almost the extinction of all species on planet earth. The Permian Triassic extinction is said to have occurred millions of years ago, geologist have estimated that its occurrences happened about 248 million to 286 million years ago. This rare occurrence of events proceeded the Triassic geologic periods and the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. This mass disaster was the largest dissipation of living life on planet earth; it is believed to be even superior to other crises such as the Ordovician and Devonian events and the conclusion of the cretaceous era that came upon the dinosaurs.
Blakey, R. C. (1996). Geologic history of western us. Informally published manuscript, Northern Arizona Univ, Flagstaff, AZ, Retrieved from http://www.jan.ucc.nau.edu
Our article title is “The Origin of the Naked Grains of Maize” which introduces the research performed to explain one aspect of the large variation between maize and Mexican teosinte from which maize was domesticated. The paper goes into how maize has evolved from teosinte and the genetic experimentation performed in order to demonstrate that maize evolved from teosinte. This is an interesting research topic because both of their genotypes are so similar yet their phenotypes are so dramatically different that it resulted in a question of whether maize did in fact evolve directly from teosinte and are members of the same species (Zea Mays) or if it is just a completely different species.
This manifests itself in stereotypes, particular those associated with feminism that all feminists are women. Such stereotypes endorse a normative framework that implies that men cannot be feminists simply because they are men, limiting their beliefs and practices within the heteronormative matrix. Butler (1990, 1) concludes that “the very subject of women is no longer understood in stable or abiding terms”. This allows for non-binary gender terms to be discussed and legitimised as a way of living. The example of the term queers is exemplary of the attempt to move beyond static identity by dissolving binaries classifications and umbrella terms and instead conceptualising sexuality as a state of flux (Butler,1993, 226). However, the term has also been used as a derogatory noun or adjective for homosexuality until, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, queer was reclaimed by activists (Callis, 2009, 214). Thus, while there is legitimacy and agency in non-binary identity categories, the very nature of terming the non-binary creates a new binary between queer and normal which positions the heterosexual in the dominate normative position (cited in Callis, 2009, 5). This example of the failings of sex based categories
The modern day understanding of lesbianism can best be described as nebulous. Although most know that a lesbian is a woman that loves other women, the public opinion surrounding lesbianism mainly consists of half-formed stereotypes and vague disapproval or begrudging acceptance. When considering the LGBT community, most people picture the gay male and neglect the rest of the acronym. There a multitude of reasons for this nebulous perception of the modern day lesbian, but in actuality, lesbian culture is a vast and solid connection between woman that history has often refused to acknowledge. Although lesbian culture is often forgotten or overlooked, it encapsulates the broad variety of actions and appearances reclaimed by thousands of women,
In our society most men are likely to obtain higher paying jobs and are able to continue working even after becoming parents, whereas, majority of women obtain lower paying jobs and having to choose between being a parent and having a career. After reading the plays of Top Girls by Caryl Churchill and Hosanna by Michael Tremblay, I discovered that gender played a major role in how men and women are treated in society. The characters in these two plays challenges the gender norms, and therefore, I will argue that women are not treated equally in the workplace; that people who are of the queer community are considered to be inferior and less worthy of being accepted within the public sphere.
n Prelude, Katherine Mansfield explores issues of sexual frustration and the restrictions on female identity in a patriarchal society, as experienced by three generations of Burnell women. Linda Burnells responses to male sexuality are tainted by their inevitable association to her obligations in fulfilling her role as a wife and a mother, both of which Linda has shown indifference towards. As a result, Linda's own sexuality suffers under feelings of oppression.
objections can only be social (104). She thinks that these social objections are issuing from ignorance (105). She takes the example of a mother who was refused artificial insemination by donor because she was a lesbian but who still managed to do it by herself. Hanscombe thinks that “we ignore groups o...
Charlotte J. Patterson. “Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents. Psychology, Law, and Policy.” American Psychologist. Nov. 2009. Web. Jul. 30.
Summers, Alex. "The Important Role Of Music In Learning."Edudemic. N.p., 19 Apr 2013. Web. 14 Mar 2014.
Rich’s work was not exclusive to the 1960’s and 1970’s, but such pieces were flooded with political and personal righteousness, and further empowered by feminism. (cite 1) Her identity as a lesbian during the period was an additional factor of personal rage,