Heterosexism

welcomed by their communities (ancient Greece is a fantastic example.) It was not until the beginning of the 20th century did homosexuality become associated with negative things such as communism, destruction of the sanctity of marriage, and most importantly the destruction of family values. Throughout the years, homosexuality has been judged as a mental illness, it has been labeled a crime, and considered a sin. Because of America is more conservative and accepts heterosexuality as the only acceptable sexual orientation and the fact that the LGBT community was heavily discriminated against in the past and even today in America, the history is definitely ignored from contemporary debates on the topic of same-sex marriage. In many ways, the heterosexism is exactly like the patriarchy and racism and all three issues have been dealt with the same way; the parts that make America look bad…

means to instil societal values and reproduce cultural norms. Researchers have referred to this phenomenon as the hidden curriculum (Jay, 2003). This hidden curriculum serves to secure the privilege of the dominant culture while subsequently marginalizing minority individuals. Normative discourses of gender and sexuality are promoted to students through the process of socialization. The process of constructing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals as…

At what point are sexual actions considered “real sex”? Could an act of oral stimulation of the genitals be equivalent to penetrative, penile-vaginal sex? A society dominated by heterosexism and, in turn, heteropatriarchy, holds the discourse that, while all sexual acts may be equally pleasurable, one act, in particular, is the only legitimate way to “make love”. By assuming that every person is inherently “straight”, heterosexism poses a compelling argument as to why penile-vaginal sex is the…

In V. Spike Peterson and Laura Parisi’s article, Are Women Human? It’s Not an Academic Question, they explore how heterosexism and the gender binary that underlies it are inextricable from western state making, and argue that, as a result of the pervasiveness of heterosexism, human rights are “problematic terrain for women and all who are stigmatized by association with the feminine” (Peterson & Parisi 154). Over the course of their critique of human rights, Peterson and Parisi make the claim…

I would add on to this argument by stating that it is not the issue queer people really care about in most countries. "Gay Marriage" is the poster-child of a "first-world problem" for the LGBT community(ies). Marriage is great for Western White gays, but it is not a queer issue. Gay people and queer people are inherently different in terms of gender, race, class, and sexuality and therefore do not experience the world uniformly. As Currier states when you are faced with homelessness, racism,…

progress has been made in the LGBT community; same-sex marriage has been legalized nationwide and the country is now tackling the topic of gender neutral or transgender bathrooms. Kelly Jones a LGBT Resource Center Graduate Assistant at Saint Cloud State University spoke about the LGBT Resource Center, which is located in Atwood Memorial Center. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The LGBT Resource Center’s mission statement is, “dedicated to providing an inclusive and…

“Gay people are not human.” Satirist Jessica Parker wrote this quote, which is one of the numerous repulsive things Americans have said about gay people. On June 26, 2015 all fifty states in the United States legalized gay marriage (Diamond and Vogue). Even with this being legal now, many people still find this concept inhuman and barbaric. Many Americans believe gay people should not have full rights and should be treated differently than straight people. While this may not be everyone’s view,…

“It’s a shame that qualified families are being rejected from the process because of irrelevant considerations, such as sexuality” - Shannon Corregan. Gay couples are being rejected from adoption just for their sexuality. Although some say children need a mother and a father, Gay couples should be allowed to adopt. Laws have been enforced to ban gay couples from legally adopting a child. Evidence from the article states “The Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal was a setback for the…

Homosexual Adoption Must Be Tolerated The LGBT+ community has struggled for many years to have the same rights as cisgendered heterosexuals. Within the last few years, they have gained freedoms granted to the rest of the citizens of the United States, yet many people still disapprove of adoption by homosexual couples. Many adoption agencies bar homosexual adoption, and it is extremely hard to go through with adoptions in some states. Many argue that same-sex couples cannot provide the same…

In an era when being confidently gay and black had violent consequences, it was important that at-risk individuals had a place to be comfortable and expressive. Paris Is Burning, directed by Jennifer Livingston, shed a necessary light on the subculture of the house system and the ball circuit in 1980’s New York City. Because of the socioeconomic and political culture surrounding the Reagan Administration, there was high demand for asylum for LGBT individuals, thus creating the house system. This…