The Cissy: Heteronormative Standards Of Sexuality In South Park

Sexuality is an aspect of human experience that is at once produced through society, regulated by society and used to regulate society (Craig 2012). Society prescribes to very heteronormative standards of sexuality. In which expectations and behaviours adhere to a strict gender binary, the reinforce gender norms (Lecture4A). For example, the appropriate couple is of opposite sexes, one male and one female. From what can be seen in these episodes of South Park, the couples present adhere to this ideal, the children seem to belong to families with one mom and one dad, who for all intents and purposes are married, except for Mr. Garrison who has a male partner, Mr. Slave, making them a same-sex couple. However, in the episode “Mr. Garrison Fancy …show more content…
Before Mr. Garrison’s sex-change, he was part of a same-sex couple with Mr. Slave, which does not comply with heteronormativity, but after he became Mrs. Garrison, he tried to convince Mr. Slave to not be gay anymore by remaining in the relationship with Mr. Garrison, now Mrs. Garrison, as the male to her female. Had Mr. Slave decided to stay then they would have become the hetero-couple that society encourages. In “The Cissy,” another instance in which society tries to enforce heteronormativity on those who do not conform to it when the Principal tries to expose Cartman as not ‘really’ being transgender, by stating that, “if you are a transgender girl, then you must be attracted to boys” (Parker, 2014 3:18). Just because you identify as a girl it does not mean you must be attracted to boys, and vice versa, by doing so you are adhering to society’s expectations and need to reinforce normative standards. On the other hand, Mr. Garrison and Mr. Slave situation as a couple could characterize homonormativity. Since, Mr. Garrison became Mrs. Garrison, it can be assumed that prior to the sex-change Mr. Garrison and Mr. Slave were married, because she referred to herself as Mrs., rather than