The Construction of Modern Sexualities Flashcards
What did John Boswell highlight in ‘Christianity, Social Tolerance and Homosexuality’ about the attitudes of the Christian church and homosexuality, in regards to sexual desire.
Emphasised that all sex was considered ‘sinful’ if it was not between a husband and wife for the purpose of producing ‘legitimate’ children
When was the term homosexual invented?
1860
What did the classification of the term ‘homosexual’ serve to do to those who identified with it?
The term homosexual served to ‘name’ a minority of people who encapsulated the identity as possessing same sex desire
Why did early homosexual campaigners fight to invoke medical models of homosexuality?
They hoped that by establishing homosexuality as a medical condition, the case for penal or religious persecution would be minimised/weakened.
When was homosexuality declassified as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association?
1973
When was homosexuality declassified as a mental illness by the World Health Organisation?
1978
How many phases does Tim Edwards (1994) identify as being apparent in the changing construction of homosexualities in ‘Erotics and Politics’?
Six
What are the six phases that Tim Edwards (1994) identifies as being apparent in the changing construction of homosexuality in ‘Erotics and Politics’?
Damnation, Criminalisation, Medicalisation, Regulation, Reform and Liberation
Tim Edwards (1994): who was involved in the damnation phase of the construction of homosexuality?
The church: religious discourses dominated society
Tim Edwards (1994): who was involved in the criminalisation phase of the construction of homosexuality?
The state: state persecution, which was supported by the church
Tim Edwards (1994): who was involved in the medicalisation phase of the construction of homosexuality?
Medical professionals: the rise of science and it’s infatuation with explaining homosexuality
Tim Edwards (1994): who was involved in the regulation phase of the construction of homosexuality?
Legal and medical discourses: this phase marked the rise of these discourses
Tim Edwards (1994): who was involved in the reform phase of the construction of homosexuality?
Legal: modification of legal discourses
(In the UK: Turing’s Law (amnesty law), pardoned men who had been cautioned or convicted under historical legislation that outlawed homosexual acts
Tim Edwards (1994): what is involved in the liberation phase of the construction of homosexuality?
Society as a whole (including church, state, medical and legal professionals) supporting diversity and equality
Why have lesbian identities been silent and invisible for so long?
It reflects the marginalisation of women in general
