#cornell asb

On Tuesday afternoon, we took a trip to the National Immigrant Justice Center, NIJC, to discuss what type of research we would help them with, but before we received our assignment we got some background information on the group. The NIJC works with immigrants who are seeking asylum in the US from their country because of either being attacked because of their sexuality, being stranded because of their sexuality, or fear of the above. The NIJC offers advice and pro bono work to LGBT individuals and couples who are trying to stay in the US to escape their home country where they could be harmed either by the government or by the people who the government turn a blind eye to.

On Monday night as part of our evening ASB reflection our group started discussing the distinction of sex, gender, and sexuality and the challenges of identity claims. While conceptually distinct, in contemporary American society sex and gender are generally assumed to be and are treated as indistinguishable. While we might conceptually distinguish sex as a term used to indicate physical differences from gender as reflective of masculine/feminine self-identification, in mainstream interactions it is typically assumed that male bodied individuals are men and female-bodied individuals are women. It is also assumed that men are/should be masculine and females are/should be feminine. This creates challenges for trangendered individuals whose birth assigned sex, gender presentations, and identities are not congruent, as well as cisgendered individuals whose are not normatively masculine or feminine. Our mainstream notion of dichotomous stability also affect those who do not fit our dichotomous models of sexuality. Contemporary gendered models of sexuality presume that one's sexual orientation is based on the sex/gender object choice. Further this also is presumed to be static and dichotomous—which means we are expected to have consistent and congruent fantasies, attractions, romantic affiliations, experiences. This limits our ability to be fluid in gender or sexuality. Sexual experiences and relationships which do not fit our presumed trajectory or which are not rooted in gender are incomprehensible and de-legitimized. Based on the various people we've talked to with the LGBT organizations we are meeting with, we've come to realize that not everyone has the same perspectives and expereinces. In order to understand, communicate, and accept the diversity of gendered and sexual experience we need to clarify our terms, listen to each other, and be open to new possibilities.  

The Center On Halsted

Created by The Legacy Project, a nonprofit organization operating in Chicago, The Legacy Walk  is the world's only outdoor museum walk created to educated the youth as well as celebrate LGBTQ History. It currently features over a dozen rainbow pylons with plaques commemorating members of the LGBTQ community who have made a significant impact in a wide variety of fields: ranging from art and literature to science and social justice.