Disrupting gender norms

Posts like this disgusts me !!!!

Raped culture is characterized by people who are surrounded with images, laws, and language that promotes and tolerates rape as natural sexual encounter. Interestingly, today the media promotes more and more rape, and not only promote but legitimizes rape as a way to enforce man’s masculinity. The violence against women and the sexually objectification of women are constantly normalized through the use of images and language in the media. Moreover, instead of teaching men not to rape we teach women how to prevent rape. Why? Men are excused from raping women because they were intoxicated, provocative, or they were asking for it. Raped culture strongly believes that is the women’s duty to be more cautious, appropriate, and more submissive to prevent rape. Raped culture encourages the masculinity behind the rape because of the exercise and demonstration of power over women. Homosociality perpetuates hegemonic masculinity throughout the sexual objectification of women. Additionally, homosociality among men ensures men are doing what they are supposed to do. At the same time, rape culture encourages that men do what they are supposed to do when women wears provocative clothes and when women are intoxicated. For instance, the famous rapper Rocky Ross writes “Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it I tool her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it” promoting the rape of women who are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Furthermore, another example of the perpetuation of rape is portrayed in Tyler Perry latest movie Temptation where the date rape of the main character Judith (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) is portrayed as a seductive and consented sexual intercourse. But, quite the opposite the confused scene it is clearly portraying date rape and punishing the victim by foreshadowing that Judith dresses up too provocative and drinks alcohol in some scenes. Sadly, while the discourse about how to avoid/prevent rape targets only the possible victims instead of the rapists. The media promotes and perpetuates rape by portraying rape as a tolerable act. Artists and famous figures must be hold responsible for what they write, sing, and portray in television and movies because 99% of lyrics and commercials degrades women depicting them as sex toys that are asking to be used. The well-known “NO MEANS NO” must be updated to “ANYTHING OTHER THAN YES MEANS NO”. http://www.racialicious.com/2013/04/23/tyler-perrys-rape-problem/ http://rapgenius.com/Rocko-uoeno-lyrics#note-1553426 http://stfurapeculture.tumblr.com/

In “How to Be a Woman in Any Boys’ Club” Molly Lambert, illustrates the standards that women must comply with to be part of the Boys’ Club. But why women would like to be part of the Boys’ Club? Women must enforce men’s power and privileges to ensure their admission in the club. Women should not be trying to live up to male standards. At the same time, Lambert depicts that the boys’ club is used as a way to practice homosociality. Homosociality is the interactions of members of the same sex in this case man to promote the distinctions between men and women. Furthermore, as we have learned throughout the semester homosociality perpetuates hegemonic masculinity through; emotional detachment, competitiveness, and sexual objectification of women. Furthermore, Lambert also depicts the difficulties that men face because they have to comply with certain standards that reassure their masculinity. Additionally, I can relate this article to “The Act-like-a-man box” by Kevel because Lambert demonstrates the challenges men face and must overcome to maintain their privilege. Lambert states, “all I ever witness is straight men showing me how miserable they are with the expectations placed on them as men, how much they hate trying to live up to this impossible standard and how unhappy they still are if they manage to succeed”. But failure to maintain hegemonic masculinity does not alter gender roles or the privileges some have. The failure to comply to the maintenance only punishes men, humiliating them and emasculating them. I totally agree with Lambert statement, “if you end up exiled or excluded from the boys’ club for not towing the party line, start your own fucking club”.  Women do not need to comply with the standards that men have imposed them; we can create our own club that will deter the oppression inflicted to women. 

In Fun Home Alison Bechdel, portrays the struggles in her household, her sexuality and the difficult relationship with her father. Many scenes in the book reminded me the difficulties I have faced with my father. Interestingly, Bechdel uses many terms we learned in class. For instance, the use of “queer” to describe the death of her father as “Business Queer” (57), and the multiple definitions of Queer described in the background. Interestingly Bechdel portrays the dissatisfaction of people when they fail to identify someone’s sexuality. Furthermore, Bechdel not only portrays the relationship with her father but at the same time, describes her father’s struggles and confused sexuality. There are many passages where the father is described as an evil sexual individual and an evil father. Bechdel states, “But would an ideal husband and father have sex with teenage boys?” (Bechdel, 17). Additionally, in the same passage the graphics represent an indirect critique to the Catholic Church scandals of sexual abuses of boys. Moreover, Bechdel evidently shows the importance of keeping the appearances and following gender roles, only to prevent judgments and perhaps social punishments. I really enjoyed this reading because I can identify with the writer in so many ways when she describes the relationship with her father. The distant relationship between Bechdel pretty much describes the relationship of me and my father. Bechdel depicts the distant relationship with her father as an oppressive and cruel relationship that highly affected the way she thinks about herself and her sexuality.  

In “Bowery as Heaven and Spectacle” from Gay New York, George Chauncey explores the practices, culture and identities of male homosexuals in the twenty century by exploring the function of Bowery Fairy Resorts. Sociability was more privatized for middle class, while it was more vividly open for the working class. Interestingly, men and women of middle class were both defined themselves as a class defined by the “boundaries they established between the private life of the home and rough and tumble of the city streets” (Chauncey, 35). Sexuality played a crucial role defining social classes, “the privacy and order of middle class sexual lives also became a way to define the difference from the working class” (Chauncey, 35). On the one hand, sexual resistance and devotion to family characterized middle class individuals. On the other hand, men and women of working class were characterized by the lack of control of sexual resistance. The spatial segregation of social classes had practical and ideological consequences because streetwalkers were kept outside of middle class neighborhoods. But, the spatial segregation ideologically reinforced the association of immorality with the working class. Furthermore, Chauncey argues that slumming gave men more opportunities to explore their sexuality and their sexual fantasies that were restricted due to their social status. 

In “Homosexual and heterosexual: Questioning the terms” from A queer world: The center for gay and lesbian studies reader, Jonathan Ned Katz describes that the way people recognize the words: heterosexual and homosexual in the past since they are contemporary constructed. Katz explains that the term “homosexual” was publically used in 1969 to describe unnatural fornication. At the same time, the term “heterosexual” was used to describe erotic intercourse of men and women. However, it was not reproductive therefore continued to denote immorality. Both terms were used to describe sexual perversions. Interestingly, a note in a medical journal in 1892 described the term heterosexuals as persons with inclinations for both sexes. By 1901 the Philadelphia medical dictionary defined heterosexuality as an abnormal sexual desire for the opposite sex. During the twentieth century doctors generate new ways to define sex normal from sex perverts, creating hierarchies between hetero and homo. Katz argues that both terms establishes the politics of sexual ethics, sex ideologies and categorizes the relationship of sexes. Moreover, Katz explores the distinction of homosexual behavior as universal and homosexual identity as specific. The inability to recognize the behavior at different periods in time prevents us from understanding the different type of sexualities and gender structures in society.  Additionally, Katz claims that heterosexuality and homosexuality have an overlooked past and unpredictable future.

What is a man? I will be a man like my mom one day!

  In “Is Paris Burning?”, Hooks explores the significance of cross-dressing, appearing in drag, and transsexuals. Hooks argues that privileged heterosexuals perceive cross dressing, men dressing as women as if symbolically they are crossing a bridge from the powerful side to the powerless side.  Interestingly, Hooks evaluates cross dressing as a way to mock women because often they are ridiculed and disrespect. Additionally, Hooks argues that black men drag comedians in the media perpetuate sexism and racism of black men and women. Furthermore, criticizes Jennie Livingstone Film Paris is Burning arguing that the documentary reinforces and perpetuates white male domination. In the documentary femininity it is represented mainly by white women. Moreover, the drag ball culture is depicted as idolaters of white women and men, because they want to be like them and they imitate white women in magazines and professional white men. In the documentary, the real issue of black men dressing as women losses the seriousness of the issue with the use of certain scenes because it is portrayed as a way to perpetuate and legitimize white supremacy. Furthermore, the tittle of the movie evokes a documental that deters the oppressive white male power. However, the documental reveals quite the opposite of the destruction or deterioration of white supremacy. In addition, Livingstone’s documentary is delegitimized because Hooks argues that Livingstone does not have any connection or interest in portraying the black gay culture as a way to empower them or to depict their individualism and autonomy. Instead, Livingstone’s documentary is portrayed as if black gay men reinforce the oppression and worship the white male power. Nevertheless, Livingstone wants to be perceived as if she is doing them a favor by documenting the issues of the voiceless black gay men.

In "Trans gendering: Blurring the Boundaries of Gender" McKenna and Kessler, explain the origins and development of the use of the term transgender instead of transsexual. In 1979 Virginia Prince introduced the term transgender to replace transsexual arguing that individuals’ biological sex cannot change. However, the term transgender challenges natural attitudes described by McKenna and Kessler. Moreover, in the introduction of this article McKenna and Kessler, describe the beliefs that constitute the natural attitude about gender and the impact of essentialism on transgender individuals. Transgender refers more to the gender identity of the individual rather than their biological sex. Transgender individuals struggle to find their identity because they do not follow the roles and rules set up by the social construction of gender. Additionally, McKenna and Kessler state that the term transgender challenges three major areas of the essentialist believers; there are two and two only genders, individuals’ genders never change, and genitals are the essential sign of gender.  

In “Abstinence” from Wannabes, Goths, and Christians: The Boundaries of Sex, Style, and Status Wilkins argues Unity Christian’s abstinence commitment is designed to show who they are and who they are not. Moreover this strategy portrays moral worth, self-discipline and innocence. Additionally, abstinence promotes more conservative relationships and influences gender roles and expectations. Unity Christian’s abstinence prohibits homosexuality, prevents casual heterosexual intercourse and influence people to find Christian partners. Moreover, they promote sex as a transition only appropriate in marriage. However, others argue and perceived this abstinent practice as fake or hypocrite because many do not act in the same way they preach they do. On the other hand, others argue that abstinence only prevents individuals to acknowledge the risks of STD’s and pregnancy. Furthermore, abstinence in politics argues about the extent of information provided to the youth to prevent STD’s and teen pregnancy discourages abstinence. Moreover, Christian unity’s strategy is to label marriage as the only acceptable status to have sex and kids, segregating those who do not live up those standards. Interestingly, Wilkins argues that Christian unity encourages traditional gender behavior in women because expects women to be innocent and submissive. Additionally, the abstinence in men turns masculine failure into a conscious decision and men have other ways to prove their masculinity.