Today I will be weighing in on the essentialism vs constructioni^^^sm debate on sexual orientation. Before I proceed further I must define sexual orientation which in turn needs me to define sex and gender.
What is sexual orientation?
There is the behavioral where one’s sexual orientation is defined by the sex of the person that he or she has sex with. If one has sex with a person of the same sex then they are homosexual and if they have sex with someone from the different sex then they are heterosexual. The problem with this view is that someone who grew up in a culture where homosexuality is not allowed might repress their homosexual thoughts and get married and have sex with someone from the opposite sex. By this definition they would be heterosexual but intuitively we’ll know that they are homosexual.
A second definition lets a person identify their sexual orientation. This has the advantage that a person has more knowledge about themselves than other people and should know where his sexual desires lie. The problem with this definition however is that in a repressive culture a person may convince themselves that they are indeed heterosexual and push down their homosexual feelings.
The way I’ll define sexual orientation is how a person would react in an ideal scenario if he had sexual freedom and could have sex with anyone he likes. Although this is a better definition there is a slight problem in the fact that sometimes it is not possible to imagine ideal scenarios
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 topic of sexual orientation is both sensitive and controversial. This is evident in events, such as the Pride Parade, and also in media, where authoritative figures preach against it and speak of its “sinful nature” (Emmanuele, Blanchard, Camperio-Ciani, & Bancroft, 2010). Sexual orientation exists in various forms, it differs in the way it is viewed by different cultures, and researchers propose different perspectives to explain the emergence of an individual 's sexual orientation. In the discourse of sexual orientation,
The predictor for sexual orientation has been debated and analyzed for a long time. Two explanations that have established possible predictors are biological factors and envionrmental factors, more commonly known as the "nature vs. nurture" debate. According to various studies, these factors play a unique role in determining ones sexual orientation. For clarification, sexual orientation as illustrated here is defined as "distinct preferences consistently made after adolescence in the presence of clear alternatives" (King, 226).
The most common sexual orientation, regardless of culture, is heterosexuality. This is defined as a sexual orientation in which an individual is generally sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex. A Centers for Disease Control national survey “reported that the percentage of Americans who identify themselves as heterosexual was 90 percent for men and women” (King, 2011, p. 363). This orientation is also considered by many people, cultures and religion throughout history and into the present as being the “normal” and “natural” orientation, with the idea that any deviation from heterosexuality is unnatural, a choice, and a thing that needs to be corrected. This belief,
Homosexuality is defined or characterized as attraction towards the same gender either male or female. It came from the Greek language, where “homo” means the same or similar, hence referring to the attraction between two beings of the same sex. Homosexuality is also referred as a clinical term. Most male homosexuals generally prefer to be called "gay men" and most homosexual women generally prefer to be called "lesbians." Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, alongside bisexual and heterosexual. The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality is an example of normal and positive variation in human sexual
This includes both primary sex characteristics such as their reproductive systems and secondary sex characteristics such as height and muscularity. Gender refers to social or cultural distinctions associated with being male or female. A person’s sex does not always correspond with his or her gender. Gender is a concept that is created by cultural or the social norm. Sexual orientation is the term used when referring to an individual’s physical or emotional attraction to the same or opposite gender. Examples of sexual orientation are “Gay”, “Lesbian”, “Bisexual” and “Straight” (Huffman,
Sexual orientation can be considered as one of America’s most controversial topics. Although the rationale and choice differs from person to person, and is considered to be a private matter of personal preference, many people have experienced negative backlash and harsh criticism due to their individual likings. In general, sexual orientation is defined as: a person 's sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. While the definition seems to be straightforward and concise, the subject of sexual orientation encompasses much more than just the intensity of emotional and erotic attraction and response to members of the opposite sex, the same sex, or both
The textbook describes sex as biological and gender as behavior and attitudes. Sex is what people are biologically born with, and gender is a person’s masculinity or femininity in their actions and behavior along with their thoughts and outlooks about themselves. The articles go into detail about sexual orientation and gender identity. Sexual orientation is far more external and relates to the emotional connections one shares with other humans beings.
Sexual orientationism is best described as discrimination or prejudice against homosexuals on the assumption that heterosexuality is the dominant, or normal, sexual orientation. Within society there are many barriers, assumptions, and stigmas placed upon the queer community, numerous of which steam from this heterosexist stance that has become the dominant ideology. This stance has historical significance in trauma, and oppression of those within the sexual minority, and how this can play on representation.
Sexual orientation refers to the emotional, sexual, and romantic attraction to men, women, or both genders. It also refers to a person’s sense of identity based on those attractions. In the early years, to be labeled as a gay, lesbian, or bisexual was known to be a mental illness. In recent years, it has been determined that it is a normal aspect of sexuality. Determining how one has this specific trait is up in the air. With homosexuality growing, sexual orientation has been a major discussion in the world throughout the last decade. Some have argued that it has to do with genetics, and some say that it has to do with the environment. This is known as the long-term controversy of nature versus nurture. The controversy discusses which side of the argument affects our behavior, intelligence, development, and personality. Scientists have been investigating and experimenting to find the answer to this debate. There has not been evidence that says one side is 100% the answer.
Homosexuality is most commonly described as being physically, or sexually attracted to the same sex. Varying from person to person, some people believe homosexuality is natural and others say it is a choice to be made. Homosexuality is not a choice, it is natural and it is caused by hormonal changes, DNA epi-mark alterations, and brain physicality. Studies completed in universities around the world like Mercer, and Cambridge have helped strengthen the case of homosexuality being natural.
Sexual orientation is one of the four components of sexuality and is distinguished by an enduring, emotional, romantic,
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
The question of what sexual orientation actually is and how to define it is a very common question within itself. Sexual orientation, as a whole, is a pattern of various types of
Homosexuality is defined as a predominant sexual attraction to persons of the same gender. For example, men being sexually attracted to other men and women being sexually attracted to other women (Exodus Global Alliance, 2017). Heterosexuality however, is the opposite of homosexuality. A heterosexual person has a sexual attraction to a person of the opposite sex, as opposed to an individual of the same sex. In Western society, heterosexuality has been constructed to be viewed as the norm, this however was not always the case. Sociologist Michel Foucault coined the term ‘homosexuality’ arguing that homosexuality was not discovered but produced. “Homosexuality appeared as one of the forms of sexuality when it was transposed from the practice of sodomy onto a kind of interior androgyny, a hermaphrodism of the soul.” Following on from the invention of the term known as homosexuality, medical doctors invented a counter-position, heterosexuality. Although same-sex relationships existed prior to the invention of this terminology, it encouraged people to identify themselves and others differently (Angel Daniel Matos, 2013). As a result, the judgment of gender and