Elements Of Sexual Identity
The author, with the example of the term “sexual identity” explains that many more ideas are attached to what one believes as one idea, such as the type of person one is attracted to. These ideas include ideas about one’s self, others they are surrounded by, and non-physical dynamics such as “emotional bonds, sexual fantasies and ideas of masculinity and femininity that seem to come together to create the human created notion of sexual identity (271). They may also disregard other factors that are important to figuring this out such as fluidity and temporality of these factors. These presumptions also vary and take place among other people, actively configuring to determine another’s sexuality by formulating these conclusions, regardless of how inaccurate they may be. There are almost always biases in these conclusions, referred to by the author as “heterosexist assumptions” which may also and ultimately skew the accuracy
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of one’s sexuality.
These elements of sexual identity are not “condensed” equally, as some contribute more and less than others.
This is where the beauty of the term queer comes in, as it encompasses a variety of marginalized and status quo defying identities, important as some may argue, because it challenges the standard use of categories that immediately bring comfort and solace to others as the person being categorized can therefore be easily identified. However, the mere mention of the word queer does not immediately indicate who or “what” someone is or may be due to the word’s “open mesh of possibilities, dissonances, lapses and excesses of meaning.” This term becomes even more powerful when it includes other intersection, such as “language, skin, migration, and state” adding more dynamics to an identity (272). However, because the term has such a violent and volatile history considering whom it was used to identify,
many people have rejected its use, as it may cause too many painful memories and recurrent perpetuations of this abusive past. Many people within the LGBTQ community may also refuse to identify as queer, along with those outside of this community whose outward behaviors would constitute as “queer.” It may be problematic to identify another as “queer” because of many of the factors listed above and because enforced labels upon people continues to be harmful and a practice that the LGBTQ community is ultimately fighting against. This term may ultimately seem simply too “radical” for many people within the LGBTQ community, especially for those also considered the older generation, as they may have known this term to be negatively connoted for longer than its reclaimed connotation, and thus, may not be comfortable with it for this reason alone. For some, this term is more acceptable when it is used as an adjective to describe things other than people, but somehow feel it may be dehumanizing and degrading when it is merely used as an identifier for people. When it is used as an adjective versus a noun to describe people, it may have a slightly different meaning and not particularly relate to the LGBTQ community as it does as a noun, which may be why many people are hesitant to use it this way due to some internalized homophobia. In the notes that author explains that these notions explain that males and females are “opposites” perhaps in a “biological” understand, rather than a social one, however, this may be problematic as it seems to disregard the grey areas even in male and female anatomy that may contradict this. Rather, the idea that all men have penises and all women have vaginas, the heavy reliance on anatomy must be completely eradicated in order to become completely inclusive of all members of the LGBTQ community, includings trans people and non-binary folks.
of one’s sexuality.
These elements of sexual identity are not “condensed” equally, as some contribute more and less than others.
This is where the beauty of the term queer comes in, as it encompasses a variety of marginalized and status quo defying identities, important as some may argue, because it challenges the standard use of categories that immediately bring comfort and solace to others as the person being categorized can therefore be easily identified. However, the mere mention of the word queer does not immediately indicate who or “what” someone is or may be due to the word’s “open mesh of possibilities, dissonances, lapses and excesses of meaning.” This term becomes even more powerful when it includes other intersection, such as “language, skin, migration, and state” adding more dynamics to an identity (272). However, because the term has such a violent and volatile history considering whom it was used to identify,
many people have rejected its use, as it may cause too many painful memories and recurrent perpetuations of this abusive past. Many people within the LGBTQ community may also refuse to identify as queer, along with those outside of this community whose outward behaviors would constitute as “queer.” It may be problematic to identify another as “queer” because of many of the factors listed above and because enforced labels upon people continues to be harmful and a practice that the LGBTQ community is ultimately fighting against. This term may ultimately seem simply too “radical” for many people within the LGBTQ community, especially for those also considered the older generation, as they may have known this term to be negatively connoted for longer than its reclaimed connotation, and thus, may not be comfortable with it for this reason alone. For some, this term is more acceptable when it is used as an adjective to describe things other than people, but somehow feel it may be dehumanizing and degrading when it is merely used as an identifier for people. When it is used as an adjective versus a noun to describe people, it may have a slightly different meaning and not particularly relate to the LGBTQ community as it does as a noun, which may be why many people are hesitant to use it this way due to some internalized homophobia. In the notes that author explains that these notions explain that males and females are “opposites” perhaps in a “biological” understand, rather than a social one, however, this may be problematic as it seems to disregard the grey areas even in male and female anatomy that may contradict this. Rather, the idea that all men have penises and all women have vaginas, the heavy reliance on anatomy must be completely eradicated in order to become completely inclusive of all members of the LGBTQ community, includings trans people and non-binary folks.