Rossoff, Rabbi Don. What is Judaism’s view on Homosexuality? The 107th Annual Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, March. 1996. <http://urj.org/ask/homosexuality/>…
While heterosexuality serves as a masculine tool for the perpetuation of what Cixous calls masculine economy, bisexuality is a mere reproduction of…
Anna Paquin is presently married to a man and has children; Larry King asks the young actress if she is a “non practicing bisexual (561).” This is a clear example of how someone’s sexuality isn’t taken seriously if you are not heterosexual. Being bisexual is looked at as a fad, just having fun because you cannot decide if you like men or women. Amy then mentions that being bisexual isn’t a button you can turn on and off, or a naughty habit that goes away once you find the right man (561). It is clear that television and film are not giving bisexual individuals the right exposure; considering all of the stereotypical roles given. Bisexuals are mostly portrayed as promiscuous, while female bisexuality is always shown to excite and satisfy men. This shows exactly why Larry King thought it was appropriate to ask Anna Paquin such a…
Although the show George Lopez ultimately portrays George’s family as the ideal nuclear family, there is an underlying factor within all the themes and concepts discussed that provides an intriguing insight as to why his family was portrayed the that it was—heteronormativity. As can be assumed, heteronormativity is quite simply the automatic assumption that heterosexuality is the “default” sexuality unless proven or stated otherwise. This belief that heterosexuality is the societal norm and expectation can certainly be seen throughout the two episodes, such as with the George and Angie. The show portrays George and Angie in a heterosexual relationship, which may seem like an insignificant detail; however, whenever a show…
When we have been exposed to a specific role of gender all our lives, it is difficult to accept different scenarios. A different scenario would be when society would not be able to accept a powerful and non-emotional woman, or a very sensitive man. An example of this is children are educated of what roles a man and female play. In Disney movies, such as Aladdin, children are shown roles of women and men. A young girl is given to a man just to own more land. It shows society what role a man has over a woman. Anna Quindlen author of a short essay “Gay” and Gillianne N. Duncan author of “Why Do We Hate Our Bodies?” are examples of how the norms of society shape and make people judge others only because they are different. In “Gay,” Quindlen tells a story about her friend’s friend, about how a family would rather lie about the sexual orientation of their dead son, than tell the truth and be judged…
Americans tend to see the world from a black and white point of view. The idea of change is considered taboo. It is often hard to discuss controversial topics without offending a certain group of people. The idea of gender equality or the lack of is still a fresh topic that many refuse to acknowledge. With the rise of gender equality and public awareness of homosexuality, straight men are now questioning where they stand in today’s society.…
Tom Ambrose is a man that believes homosexual behavior is immoral, he wrote a chapter about it in the book “Homosexuality” he truly believes that homosexual…
The concept that I have chosen to focus on for this week’s journal article is “gendered homophobia” that comes from the Dude You’re a Fag reading (Pascoe, 128 2005). This concept explains that sometimes it is okay for one sex to act a certain way but not the other. In the article the author tells us that the boys that she interviewed stated how they hated guys who were gay but not girls who were gay (Pascoe, 2005). For example the author states, “For example, while Jake, a handsome white senior, told me that he didn’t like gay people, he quickly added, “Lesbians are cool though” (Pascoe, 128 2005). From this you can see that guys see it to be okay for girls to be gay but to not accept it if a guy is gay. The author goes on to explain that some…
What I do not agree with is when the author speaks of homosexuals as being a “sin” and it’s something people could deliver themselves from. I find this very offensive because people are who they are. You can’t just go to church and ask the pastor to deliver you from being gay. She also compared homosexual to drug addiction or an eating disorder. This is an internal ordeal one must figure out themselves. Yes, there are those who are “reformed bisexual”, but one cannot simply go in front of a mirror and simply say “I want to be straight” and then becomes straight. Some people feel they are born with it, just as any straight person feel about being…
influence on that. Media is somewhat blunt or ham-fisted in its portrayal of even heterosexual…
In relation to Richard’s Mohr perspective on the status of homosexuality in today’s society, I have to agree 100%. I feel as though Mr. Mohr drew decisions based on logical reason and reliable facts within the discriminatory history of homosexuality. Richard Mohr declares that homosexuality isn’t as unknown or rare as the society would like one to think, rather, it’s a common practice. One spiking piece of information which Richard list to support his argument was that a Gallup poll showed only 1 in 5 Americans reported having a gay acquaintance as opposed to Alfred Kinsley’s 1948 study on the sex lives of 5,000 white men, which showed that 79% of these people have had various homosexual experiences. The unit in which the 1948 and 1985 studies differ could be greatly derived from one’s incapability and fear to accept his/her sexuality because of the narrow societal standpoint on the subject matter.…
For centuries heteronormativity, the belief that heterosexuality is the only sexuality and it is the normal sexuality, has oppressed those who do not identify with heterosexuality (Nussbaum). One of the biggest factors that propelled the belief of heteronormativity is religion (Masci and Lipka). Historically, mainstream religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Catholicism, Hinduism,…
I thought it provided an interesting platform from which to launch his views. He stated, “We suppose that heterosexuality is unchanging, universal, essential: ahistorical,” (Katz, 1990, p. 47). He followed this by saying, “Such privileging of the norm accedes to its domination, protecting it from questions,” (Katz, 1990, p. 47). The latter statement was admittedly brilliant, both conceptually and syntactically, even if (in my opinion) the grandiosity of its delivery only heightened the disappointment of the argument that was to follow. But not to jump ahead of myself….…
Homosexuality has been a hot topic for the last fifty or so years, as it has been at various times in the past. There are different theories pertaining to the history of homosexuality. Essentialists say it has existed in all times and cultures, while social constructionists believe that it has arisen only in certain places and eras (ancient Greece, for instance) (Bailey 54). Its social acceptability has varied widely as well. The stigma of non-heterosexuality has faded considerably in the twenty-first century. Psychology no longer views homosexuality, bisexuality, and transexuality through a lens of pathology, instead recognizing that lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgenders (collectively referred to as LGBT individuals) have particular issues related to their minority status and the ways in which they are viewed by American society (Garnets and Kimmel, Introduction 2). Formation of an identity that is faithful to the self rather than formed according to societal expectations is now encouraged and recognized as healthy. Nonetheless, many in the heterosexual population are not fully informed about homosexuality and struggle to understand how the needs and outlooks of their LGBT neighbors differ from their own. This paper looks at several aspects of the lives of LGBT individuals, and argues that equal rights for this community have yet to be achieved in this country.…
In the article Metrosexuals Come Out we explore the process of being a metrosexual. Shows such as Queer-Eye for the Straight Guy explore a group of gay men helping straight guys look better and act better. It is just a way for them to…