Recently I have seen a video that I found very interesting that related very well to our recent class discussion. (Click here for link to video) The video is a short film that allows viewers to imagine a different or alternate society where being a homosexual is actually normal and being heterosexual is looked down upon. The film opens up on a "normal" homosexual lesbian couple having a child and raising it in a society that accepts them for who they are. The movie follows the daughter of the lesbian couple, Ashley, and her narration of how she felt different from the other children around her. She tries as hard as she can to repress her attractions towards boys but slowly the other kids around her notice her odd behavior. She begins to be taunted at school. Her life is slowly turned upside down as she realizes she has to deal with the judgement of society just because she has a different sexual attraction than the others around her. Her parents see a heterosexual couple move in across the street and her mom makes her walk the other way to school to avoid their house. Then, another day at school, she was getting teased by some girls, and her teacher broke up the fight. The teacher tells Ashley that these feelings towards boys are just a phase. If she got a girlfriend, then the teasing would stop and these heterosexual feelings would vanish. One day, Ashley gets caught kissing a boy at school and she is chased by some kids and beaten up. Eventually, all of the judgement and hatred towards Ashley for being straight becomes too much that she ends up physically hurting herself and committing suicide.
While the movie is only fictitious, this is something that happens to homosexual kids every single day. When someone realizes that they are gay, they will most likely suppress these feelings in order to fit in. But when the judgement and hatred become too much, many kids turn to fatal alternatives in order to get relief from the harsh society that we live in. We read Blackwood's article in class that explained that this hatred for homosexuals in our society is just a cultural construct. It is an interpretive context of sorts. Because we see our culture as a heteronormative society, all of our laws, institutions of marriage, economy, and kinship rules benefit relationships between a man and a woman. If one person expresses themselves differently than the rest of their peers, then a label is automatically placed on them and these basic rights are stripped from them. When we look at this cultural construct, Blackwood shows us that there are even real examples in our world today where homosexuality is accepted and even celebrated. These examples include the "mummy-baby" relationships and the masculinity rituals in other cultures. Looking at these examples show us that homosexual relationships and sexual acts are normal in societies and they prove to be beneficial to the people that act upon them. So why can't we live in a society where being gay is normal? Why can't a homosexual couple move across the street without the neighbors turning their heads in disgust? Twisting the scenario around shows us the judgement that gay people have to deal with every day. If we just changed the culture of our country into a place where people are able to express their feelings and not have to be afraid of who they are, then our nation would be a happier place. Finally, we would have a place where being gay is normal and in order to do that, we all have to come together and change our mindset in order to change our world.
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ReplyDeleteI thought this post was really interesting. I recently went to the discussion on lesbians in history, and was disgusted by the past. I understand that most people think fallowing the norms are what creates a good, well ran society. However, I think that in all honesty the way people are treated for feelings they have is not a very healthy society. The speaker that I went to talked about an experience she had when she was on a bus going to a march for gay/lesbian rights and majority of the bus was homosexual. Except for two people and these people had to ask each other if they were heterosexual, and it made the speaker smile. She felt very happy that in a world where she is seen as abnormal, she felt like she was the majority and the norm for once.
ReplyDeleteThis idea relates a lot to the Blackwood article because it shows that this is how America has socially constructed sexuality. Other countries don’t even follow the same rules of sexuality, and it is normal to partake in homosexual acts. In South Africa the “mummy baby” idea is that having a mentor of the same gender is a learning experience and helps someone determine who he or she really are. How come that can’t be the case here in America? Why can’t we ignore the way it always has been? My opinion is that this is due to our institutions and compulsory heterosexuality. We want to make sure that everything is the way it has always been, for example nuclear families where the mother stays home and the father goes to work. It’s just the way that the economic situation of families is supposed to be according to people. This article/video was very interesting because I’ve never thought about a society where it was the opposite and the straight kids get made fun of. I think that if society were run this way then most of our institutions would change. For example the institution of sports because people choose this to hide their feelings because being part of a sports team insures your masculinity according to the article written by Messner. What if it was the norm to be homosexual how would this affect this institution? I think that society needs to be systemically changed but it wouldn’t be easy. I think a lot has changed from the past and has got a lot better. According to the speaker I went to she says that it is being seen as less deviant, but that it still is very hard living in a society that assumes heterosexuality.
I thought this post was very well written and caught my attention. You have brought up many good points from the movie and from your thoughts. I think it is wrong that people can't express themselves because of how society will look at them. For example, when an professional basketball player came out and said he was homosexual this summer, the whole sports world blew up about it. Many people supported him and how he handled the situation. Others on the hand were thrown off by it and didn't want to cheer for him because of his choice. I just wish society would accept everyone the exact same way. I am glad to see your standpoint for this topic. I think just because in the past people were supposed to be heterosexual, I don't think it should be that way now. People should be able to do whatever they want while loving whoever they want along the way.
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