Gay 's Personal Identity Attributes

This term is based on the assumption that we as a whole understand differences in color, race, and sexuality. However, this portrays the idea that we truly understand homosexuality; in reality we have not. The more this term is analyzed the more society will stamp homosexuals for being “diverse”. Which they would like to few equal. Sullivan explains, “But as obsession with diversity intensifies, the possibility of real difference alarms and terrifies all the more. They are marginalized as “stereotypes””. This fact demonstrates how homosexuality will be considered different no matter what day in age.

The LGBT community has been silently suffering through generations. But in this generation, they are finally showing the world their voice. There have been many instances where young adults were denied their right to be who they are and now they are speaking out about the mistreatment. Even though the united states have begun to be more open about the LGBT community here is still more change it come. These changes can be explained through many sociological perspectives including: functionalist, conflict, symbolic interactionism and interactionism. Along with these perspective religion, norms and deviance all impact these individuals who are striving to be open about who they really are inside and out.

A peculiarity he mentions after explaining the search for a specific gender partner is how, in the South where he is, gay men tend to seek “masculine” partners, which defeats the idea of gender roles in same-sex relationships. The concept of gender is defined as “the identity and roles associated with, and/or appropriated by specific persons, regardless of their biological sex,” (Rich, 2016). While the concept is different across cultures and time, a constant happens to be the grouping and automatic attribution of roles based on a person’s biological sex. The author challenges the idea of gender roles associated with biological sex, however, saying that these men in the South tend to seek boyfriends who are sporty and have other classic masculine characteristics. Mays comments that there are few actions or characteristics that can be classified as gender neutral as these can be in present-day society. Thus, in their case, if both partners will exhibit these masculine qualities, they will both, in turn, be forced to take up women’s roles to live normal lives, for example cooking and cleaning, which would lead to the canceling out of masculine or feminine qualities.

The article dives into the 'gay gene’; a gene where individuals had hoped that would be the answer to peoples orientation. While scientists have found some new information regarding chromosomes and genetics, there still is no simple answer that reassures anyone that there is a single 'gay gene ' that defines their orientation.

The word “gay” has gone through drastic changes. Traditionally, it was a positive term that meant to be “happily excited” or “jolly” (Merriam Webster, “Gay”). It was used regularly to express one’s feelings about life. Today, it has a far different meaning. Now people use the word gay to label homosexuals, those with feminine qualities, or those who do something thought to be outside of the norm for their gender. “Being gay” went from expressing someone’s happiness to describing his sexual preference. The definition of gay has changed so much that its original meaning has become archaic and lost to the times.

During the 1980’s indulging in homosexual activity was considered in crime, people were imprisoned when caught doing so. But in 2003 some parts of the United States, suspended the law, and made homosexuality legal, soon European countries such as Canada, Belgium, and Netherlands passed an act which approved of homosexual weddings (Bonvillain 2006). If one digs deeper into this issue, where these debatable, one can find that it roots back from religions. Most religion disapprove of homosexuality but in religions such as Hindu, for sexuality, scriptures of homosexual activity only stated that it was normal and natural, to be attracted to the same sex (Bonvillain 2006). But in today’s society the main issue is regarding the issue of males being attracted to each other, an example of this issue is ‘Homophobia of men’. Homosexuality is considered to be a cultural construct, which apart from the ‘lesbian identities’ gave rise to the ‘gay identities’ (Herek 1986). It is common for normal men, to avoid influencing with homosexual men, as they fear what the public might think of them being judged as not ‘masculine’, where as its more normal for woman to associate with lesbians or homosexual women, as they are not being judged by the rest of the females (Herek 1986). Studies showed, that the social construction of gay identities meant that there was something psychologically wrong with that person,

In society, heterosexuality is a principal method of organizing institutions and regulating individual behavior. A culture based on ideas of heterosexuality values relationships that are between men and women; as a result, sexual contact occurring between same sex individuals is seen as deviant and labeled as homosexual. In her book, Ward explains how straight white men can have sex with other white men while retaining their heterosexuality in addition to gaining a masculine appeal. Ingraham and Namaste’s discussion of heteronormativity, heterogenders, and supplementarity aids in understanding why straight white men are not labeled as homosexual and how this functions to reproduce inequalities based on race, gender, and sexuality.

In the article “Gay ,Latino ,and Macho” by Albert Serna Jr. and the essay “Masculinity as Homophobia” by Michael S. Kimmel, the authors both address how Masculinity and Homophobia are both effect by the gender scripts that are established by institutions. However, Kimmel and Serna bring light upon the issues in different manners. Kimmel states that Masculinity is a mental burden upon men who are unable to truly express themselves without being seen by society as a “sissy, untough, uncool” (Kimmel, 44). Consequently, this leads many heterosexual males to develop an “irrational fear of gay men” (Kimmel,44).Contrary to Kimmel’s essay, Serna address how the Machismo Culture (a strong sense of masculinity) effects Josue Velazquez and Felix Rios (who are both Mexican males who are homosexual).Serna expands on how many homosexual Mexican males have been affected by the Machismo Culture by introducing the reader to the advancement of the underground queer nightclubs and bars and also to the evolution of art that is center around “sub-culture of gay Latino men”(Serna,54) that is done by Hector Silva. Through his art form, Silvia is able to bring a better look upon “the community” (Serna, 54) that the queer “nightclubs cannot” (Serna, 54).

This paper will continue on, researching the societal change/acceptance in the gay and lesbian community as no longer being unorthodox and with the stigma coming from the gay community itself.

The homosexual community is one of the most misunderstood and degraded cultures in today’s society. Homosexuals are usually the brunt of much of the misunderstanding and, as a result, have most of the unban legends and denigrating jokes that are found in modern tradition centered on themselves. Two legends stand out above many others; the myth of “Gerbiling”, which describe a supposed cruel and exotic practice of gay men, and “The Gay Roommate”, in which a gay man sexually assaults his heterosexual roommate in a college dorm. Both of these legends exemplify the fact that, through misunderstanding or fearing a culture, you can create horrible monsters out of average men.

The media tends to depict these intersectional friendships generally as gay men and straight women that are the best of friends who go shopping and clubbing together. Though this gender norm was common within the study, there are still other friendships that are regularly overlooked. The

I will be writing about George Chauncey’s Gay New York. In this text, George Chauncey seeks to restore that world to history, to chart its geography, and to recapture its culture and politics by challenging three widespread myths about the history of gay life before the rise of the gay movement. These include the myths of isolation, invisibility and internalization. The homosexual community is considered a subculture to the heterosexual community, which identifies as the dominant culture. George Chauncey wants to know why the dominant heterosexual culture often misinterprets the heterosexual subculture. He also talks about the assumptions the dominant culture carries about sexuality and culture. I believe there are two reasons the dominant culture misinterprets and make assumptions about the homosexual community; these two reasons consist of religious beliefs and social stigma of the dominant culture towards the subculture.

This chapter talks about the development of gay and lesbian identities. According to Mary McIntosh, gay identity developed in the 17th century with the development of molly houses in England. The molly houses created a way in which homosexaulity can be recongizeded by expression through clothes, language, gesture, buildings, etc. D’Emilio believed that homosexual identity (men and women) developed in direct response to capitalism and wage labor. He argues the that the family shifted from unit of production to a unit of emotional satisfaction and happiness. In addition, the need to procreate decreased with the labor of children no longer being necessary. This led to a change in sexual relations within marriage. Furthermore, lesbian identity

Queer theory questions creations of normal and divergent, insider, and outsider.2 Queer theorists analyse a situation or a text to determine the relationship between sexuality, power and gender. Queer theory challenges basic tropes used to organize our society and our language: even words are gendered, and through that gendering an elliptical view of the hierarchy of society, and presumption of what is male and what is female, shines through. Queer theory rejects such binary distinctions as arbitrarily determined and defined by those with social power. It works to deconstruct these binaries, particularly the homosexual/heterosexual binary.4

A clarification of some falsehoods related to homosexuality is also mentioned. It is hoped that this essay will make people in society of Hong Kong better understand homosexuals and decrease discriminations, prejudices and misunderstandings towards them.