These readings challenged many of the beliefs I had regarding sex and sexuality. It is only now that, after reading the pieces by Seidman, Stoltenberg, and Fausto-Sterling, I can see my previous assumptions were based on my experiences living in a society that reinforces binaries and conditions individuals to feel obligated to choose between two opposite and mutually exclusive categories that don’t actually exist. Seidman’s decoupling of sex and reproduction, Stoltenberg’s acknowledgement of sexuality as a continuum, and Fausto-Sterling’s exploration of the experiences of intersex individuals shed light on the intricacies of sex and sexuality that norms usually try to subvert. Heterosexuality is often given a privileged position in society …show more content…
Humans must recognize that sex is a continuum, and that “We are… a multisexed species” (Stoltenberg 25). To limit sex to man and woman is to oversimplify the vast combinations that genuine, consenting individuals are making. The identification as male is a conscious step into an inner circle, a circle that separates itself through interests and values identified as male and through a rejection or “non-identification with that which is perceived to be non-male, or female” (Stoltenberg 29). By accepting a spectrum sexuality opens one up to un-gender their sexuality so as to not be suppressed by the limitations imposed by a sexual identity. Anne Fausto-Sterling further separates sex from sexual identity by discussing the experiences of intersex individuals. Despite what society expects of those who don’t neatly fit into the binary, intersex individuals generally manage to live happy lives. After this reading, it seems ridiculous that society has been allowed to determine what a person’s genitalia should be. As America begins to become more accepting of homosexuality, hopefully those who genitalia is a mixture of both male and female sex organs will also find themselves being more
Rubin discusses sexual hierarchy and how people are constituted within it based on types of sexual practises. She approaches these schemas as a basis of understanding how various institutional forces such as Medical communities and Religious communities define good sex versus bad sex and how their discourses define how people should see various types of sex. She emphasises that “marital, reproductive heterosexuals are a lone at the top of the erotic pyramid” (279). From this point, any type of sex falls under the heterosexual ideal is considered bad sex. Rubin further argues that “sexual liberation has been and continues to be a feminist goal” and states that both the LGBTQ+ community and Feminists often debate internally whether sexual liberation is good or not
This paper examines the social aspects of the sexual identity in America, illustrating how sexual identities have progressed, evolved, and transformed. Social categories have been created as a tool used for social divide and control, inadvertently creating stereotypical facts and discriminatory opinions on sexes; while also helping create social and welcoming communities, whose goals are to diminish ideals such as those. Concluding, this paper will have explained the dichotomous categories of different sexualities and the divides within them. The already established sexual divide leaves no room for those stuck in the in between of today's society, especially one as progressive as America’s. Derived from the examples giving, this paper argues
Chapter five dealt with biological sexes and gender. The chapter begins by stating that there are more than two sexes, contrary to popular belief. There are at least three sexes: male, female, and intersex individuals, who have genital ambiguity. Most of this chapter discussed the difficulties of intersex individuals’ face in the society. These individuals are often ignored or forced to live their life ashamed of their bodies. In the United States these individuals are seen as abnormality, or medical accidents, that are to be corrected through surgery. In many instances the surgeries make the individual a female by removing any male anatomy within them. This is performed since many believe that gender identity is solely developed by environmental
Between the Sexes is a compelling narrative. Through several anecdotes, it illustrates the devastating psychological implications of early surgical intervention on intersexuals. According to the article, the surgery robs individuals of their sexual gratification, their gender identity, and their innocence. It's argument is noble, yet flawed. Authors Christine Gorman and Wendy Cole spin several sad yarns of intersexed people who are upset with handling of their gender assignment. They tell horror stories of people kept in the dark about their intersex, about a child forced to stop acting like a boy and become a girl, a teen who was raised to be a girl, but developed into a male. Gorman and Cole stumble into the fallacy of hasty
This essay discusses the concept that bisexuality is a true lifestyle and not merely a phase of exploration that one passes through. The focus is on the decades-long psychological debate of nature versus
Not advocating one over the other as an open-minded individual, I remained indifferent towards the sentiment of sexual orientation as time has proceeded to evolve the social stigmatization enveloping one's sexual preference. As a young child, often overseen by a late family friend who I did not recognize was gay until after his departure, I did not conceptualize a severance between one's favored gender as a sexual partner and their own sexual identity. Never being one to distinguish one by labels or preconceived perceptions, I distanced myself from societal norms that most of the population seems to abide. By validating my impersonal attitudes concerning one's sexual orientation, I sustained my conscious
On the off chance that society keeps on empowerring men and typify ladies, our way of life and society will fall flat. The generalizations should be separated, and people ought not be taken a gander at in light of the average standards, everybody is diverse and qualified for fairness. "Correspondence assumes an imperative part in forming our sexual orientation characters and through communications with others we can instruct ourselves on how society characterizes our parts" (Signorelli, 2000).
Genitals that were ambiguous were just thought of as a natural variation of human anatomy [2]. Due to a huge leap in medicine in the 20th century, the medical field started to view intersexual conditions as abnormal and curable through surgery and other options. Starting in the 50s, doctors have used the “concealment-centered model” of healthcare when intersexuality is encountered. Using this model’s derivation, the “optimum of gender rearing model”, doctors “correct” the ambiguous genitals by means of surgery and hormonal treatments. Under this model, gender assignment should be done as early as possible so that children would “grow up to be good (believable and straight) girls and boys” [1]. This method of healthcare tries to “normalize” intersex individuals because it is trying to prevent the individuals from being “ostracized” in society
Intersexuality is not rare. In its traditional definition (impossibility of distinguishing whether the individual is male or female), the incidence is estimated at 1/4,500 births. If all minor variants of the shape of genitalia are included in the definition of intersex, the incidence rises close to 1%. These numbers show that, although not spoken about as openly as other conditions,
For most heterosexuals, when they see a person, they see them as heterosexual unless the observed person displays some “homosexual” characteristic, such as being flamboyant for males. Despite the progressions society has made in accepting the LGBTQ+ community, there is still a long way to go to de-genderize sexuality, or to unlink sexuality, gender identity, and gender roles. As seen in various studies including “The Complex Negotiations of Gender Roles, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation” by Nagoshi et. al, “Does Nature Rule? A Sex Reassignment Tragedy” by Lindsey, and “‘I Always Felt I Had to Prove My Manhood’: Homosexuality, Masculinity, Gender Role Strain, and HIV Risk Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men” by Fields, sexuality is often strongly associated to gender identity, which is in turn influenced by behavioral gender roles due to gender socialization. From the gendering of sexuality comes various other social issues, including the discrimination against people in the LGBTQ+ community and an increased chance of HIV in homosexual men.
When analysing the current state of sociological attitudes toward gender and sexuality, the overwhelming conclusion is that the hegemonic view in society assumes an inherent binary (Lorber via Steele, 2005, p.75). We categorize people into two groups: male or female; man or woman; masculine or feminine; gay or straight. However, throughout humanity’s development, variances to that model have emerged, either choosing to sit somewhere between the binary, or reject the model altogether. These variations challenge the binary assumptions entrenched within society, and as a result, are often denied, misunderstood or ignored entirely.
Queer studies, child of Women's Studies and Feminist Studies, sprang into the academic setting next. Queer Studies have been often aligned with homosexuality and homosexual identities, and the questioning of normative heterosexual and homosexual practices, as well as calling attention to the fluidity of sexuality. “Queer theory concerns itself with any and all forms of sexuality that are "queer" in this sense--and then, by extension, with the normative behaviors and identities which define what is "queer" (by being their binary opposites)” (Klages, 2012). Queer theory followed feminist ideology in rejecting the notion that sexuality is predetermined by biology or that it should be “judged by eternel standards morality and truth” (Klages, 2012).
Being male or female is the natural sex of a human. It is their physical, real nature. Being manly or female is the sexual orientation of a humanities. It is a demonstration of decision—the way a man carries on. The current social mantra is that these two, sexual orientation and sex, are inconsequential to one another. Men, they say, can be ladylike, manly, or both; and ladies can be female, manly, or both. This is the subjectivity meaning of sexual orientation that it is up to either sex's self-assertive
Gender and sexual individuality are compound concepts and are extremely contingent upon values and societal context, which can change swiftly over time. Sexuality includes no less than three significant elements: erotic identity, sexual appeal, and sexual performance. Erotic identity is a human beings own insight of his or her inclusive sexual nature. On behalf of one’s erotic identity, for instance heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual, or gay, is consistent through ones sexual appeal and performance, but for certain human beings erotic identity can be inconstant with appeal and/or performance. Perhaps, a gentleman whose main sexual significant other is a woman can categorize as heterosexual however infrequently partake in having sexual intercourse
Transsexuality has been variously constructed throughout the latter part of the twentieth century as a psychiatric disorder, identity category, and the basis for a political movement. Throughout history transsexualism was discursively constituted through each of these frameworks of reference, in which different psycho-medical assertions were employed to conceptualize trans identities. Today transsexuality, also known as gender identity disorder (GID), represents a term that is medically used to categorize and diagnose individuals who show a strong and persistent cross-gender identification and discomfort with their anatomical sex. For example, an individual that believes that his and or her assigned sex at birth conflicts with their psychological gender, and is likewise preoccupied with getting rid of their sex characteristics is an individual who suffers from GID. In response to the medicalization of transsexualism, much of society’s current legal and social understanding of trans persons has become rooted in the ongoing medico-scientific discourse. Moreover, modern-day transsexualism has been historically and socio-medically constructed through the growing demand for self-expression and transformation, which correspondingly challenges the sex and gender regime of the West.