Selection From Losing Matt Shepard Analysis

Identity: A Matter of Choice? Identities are constructs that encompass the qualities, beliefs, and characteristics that make a particular person or group different from others. An identity is formed partly by individual choice, but is largely predetermined by society’s perceptions of an individual or group. Having individual choice is having the opportunity or power to make a decision. A person’s ability to choose their identity may be limited due to society’s perception of them, whether they are conscious or unconscious of society’s influence. In “Son,” Andrew Solomon links his own experiences of identifying as gay to identifying with a disability, such as deafness and dwarfism. Just as Solomon did not choose to be gay, people do not choose

Furthermore, he argues that people who identify with a minority group, such as the LGBT community or the disabled, can fight to associate their identity with something positive. In “Selections from Losing Matt Shepard,” Beth Loffreda writes about the anti-gay murder of Matt Shepard, a white, homosexual college student in the small town of Laramie, Wyoming. This leads to widespread media coverage that represents Laramie as a bad place to American society. Loffreda discusses the impact of this representation and how certain individuals react to the media’s and society’s perception of them. In the article, “The Naked Citadel,” Susan Faludi dives into the levels of social constructs within one institution and focuses on the “fourth-class system” at The Citadel that is “intended to ‘strip’ each young recruit of his original identity and remold him into the ‘Whole Man’” (75). Faludi discusses the negative outcomes of this system that derived from the norm of society and the extent to which the cadets were able to choose their identities. People have the power to choose their identity within the biological and social constraints they are in. These constraints are set forth by society’s perceptions of the qualities, beliefs,

In the context of the text, vertical identities are attributes and values that are passed down from generation to generation and are generally accepted by society. In contrast, horizontal identities are a person’s inherent or acquired traits that are not passed down from their parents. According to Solomon, horizontal identities are not initially accepted by others, as they are neither inherently nor culturally passed down to an individual. In this quote, Solomon discusses how the nature of identity is not singular, but rather it is constructed in relation to larger entities, encompassing familial and social factors. The validity of Solomon’s accusation is questionable –his definition of vertical identities implies that they are generally accepted by modern society. Yet, vertical identities, such as religion and race, are not necessarily accepted by society if one and one’s parents share vertical identities that are the minority in larger society. Therefore, parental and societial acceptance may not go together. Furthermore, Solomon argues that people have choice in the matter of self-acceptance and identifying with horizontal identities. Yet, if they choose to do so, they will face “social injustices” due to present times being “xenophobic,” which refers to the fear or hatred of strangers. Beth Loffreda mentions Jim Osborne, the LGBTA chair in Laramie, who defended the whole town’s identity when she