Week 9: Part 2 Flashcards
Two Major Developments
Over the past 50 years, two major developments have helped to shape our thinking about gender and sexuality:
-Sexology—a field of study that attempted to classify sexual desire and gender identity.
-Community activism—a creative and focused movement that evolved in response to a history of oppression and marginalization shared by persons embracing sexual and gender diversity.
-Community activism has led to growing recognition of sexual and gender rights in Canada.
The Heterosexual Is Invented
In 1892, American doctor James Kiernan was the first to use the terms “heterosexual” and “homosexual” (though differently than we use the terms today).
-Heterosexual: people who were seen as deviant because they had sex primarily for pleasure, not procreation, and who were erotically attracted to people of both sexes.
-Homosexual: people whom we would now think of as transgendered—people who bend or cross conventional gender roles.
The beginning of the 20th century marked a shift in how people made sense of these desires and behaviours.
The Heterosexual Is Invented
In 1892, American doctor James Kiernan was the first to use the terms “heterosexual” and “homosexual” (though differently than we use the terms today).
-Heterosexual: people who were seen as deviant because they had sex primarily for pleasure, not procreation, and who were erotically attracted to people of both sexes.
-Homosexual: people whom we would now think of as transgendered—people who bend or cross conventional gender roles.
The beginning of the 20th century marked a shift in how people made sense of these desires and behaviours.
Normal vs. Abnormal Sexuality
By 1900, much of the concern around sexual normality and abnormality was focused on whether people were engaging in sex primarily for reproduction (normal) or pleasure (deviant).
Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902) was a pioneer in creating categories of normal and abnormal sexual behaviour.
In his work Psychopathia Sexualis, the heterosexual represents normality
He defined heterosexuality as reproductive sex between a man and a woman, and homosexuality as same-sex desire.
Scientific Theories of Homosexuality
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-1895), a German lawyer, was a pioneer of the gay and lesbian rights movement.
-He viewed homosexuality as inborn and natural, and was vocal in the fight to decriminalize sodomy.
-Ulrichs created categories of the Urning (a female caught in a male body) and Urningin (a male caught in a female body) to make sense of same-sex attraction.
Alfred Kinsey
-The Kinsey Report, published in 1948 as Sexual Behavior in the Human Male,
-found that 37% of men had had a homosexual experience.
-The report showed that people’s sexual behaviours combined so- called perverse behaviours with those considered normal.
-In 1953, he published a second report, titled Sexual Behavior in the Human Female.
Society and Sexual Behaviour
The second generation of sexologists
-suggested that our social world plays a significant role in shaping our sexual desires and behaviours;
-challenged heterosexism; and
-were influenced by the feminist movement, which challenged the notion of a woman’s “natural” place in society, suggesting that the “female” gender role is defined as much by social expectations as by any innate characteristics.
Biological Determinism
attempts to explain sexuality in terms of biology. Ex: queer persons are born queer and their sexuality is not a matter of choice.
Social Constructionism
argues that sexualities are constructed by our social and cultural context and also by our cultural history.
Argument against Social Constructionism
-Research has found that people cannot change their sexual orientation.
-Some individuals do not act on their desires, but the desires do not disappear
-People accept that our sex, gender expression, and sexual orientation rely upon at least some biological factors.
Queer Theory
-Over the past 20 years or so, Queer theory has emerged as a way to explain sexuality and gender.
Queer theory is partly a response to
-the realization that many people do not fit neatly into the binary oppositions of man–woman, heterosexual– homosexual, and so on.
-Queer deals with issues of gender ambiguity, gender confirmation, fluid sexualities
-Recognizes that sexual identities are multiple, fluid, and unstable.
-Embraced sexual pluralism: Many people can’t fit into a binary
Sexual orientation
emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to another person, independent of gender identity or role.
Cissexual/ Cisgender
persons who have only ever experienced alignment between their gender identity and their anatomy
Cisnormativity
the mistaken assumption that all, or almost all, individual are cisgender
Heterosexism
a system of oppression that assumes heterosexuality is normal and superior
Heteronormativity
the belief that people fall into distinct genders with natural roles and that heterosexuality is the only sexual orientation
Transgender
includes those who identify as bigender and transsexual
Transsexual
individuals whose gender identity does not coincide with their physical sex
Intersexuals
individuals with indeterminate genitalia
Two spirited
First Nations term that recognizes gender as a continuum and that includes sexual or gender identity, sexual orientation, and social values.
Transmisogyny
negative attitudes toward trans women and toward trans and gender non-conforming people on the feminine end of the gender spectrum
Homophobia, biphobia, transphobia
fear and hatred of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons.
The 1950s
In the 1950s, the psychiatric profession considered homosexuality to be a mental disorder. The profession’s response included
-administering drugs to people,
-performing lobotomies, and
-subjecting gay men and lesbians to electroshock treatment.
Some lesbians also endured hysterectomies and estrogen injections.
Early Activism
Gay and lesbian organizations challenged laws limiting the civil and social rights of members of LGBTQ+ communities.
1969 was an important year in this battle:
-Stonewall Riots in the US. Gay Pride started
-Bill C-150 was passed in Canada. Then-justice minister Pierre Trudeau stated that “there is no place for the State in the bedrooms of the nation.”
-Gay sex was decriminalized as long as it was done in private between two consenting adults over the age of 21
-Mystique & Truxx (1977). Bath houses in Montreal.
-Operation Soap (1981) Toronto bath houses. Gay Pride Parade
-PM Jean Chretien put sexual orientation in the hate crime legislation 2004.
1977
Québec includes sexual orientation in its Human Rights Code, making it the first province in Canada to pass a gay civil rights law.
-By 2001, all provinces and territories took this step except Alberta, Prince Edward Island, and the Northwest Territories.
1978
Canada’s new Immigration Act (1976) removed homosexuals from the list of inadmissible classes.
1995
An Ontario Court judge ruled that four lesbians have the right to adopt their partners’ children.
1996
The federal government added “discrimination based on sexual orientation” to the Canadian Human Rights Act
1999
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that same-sex couples should have the same benefits and obligations as opposite-sex common-law couples and equal access to benefits from social programs to which they contribute.
2002
A Canadian court ruled in favour of recognizing same-sex marriages. It ruled that prohibiting them violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
2005
Bill C-38, which gave same-sex couples the legal right to marry, became law
2016
The Liberal government tabled legislation that added “gender identity” for protection under the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, alongside race, religion, age, sex, and sexual orientation.
Bill C-16, which passed in 2017, added ‘gender identity and expression’ to the list of protected grounds. This formally enshrined protections for trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming folks into federal law
LGBTQ+ Persons in the Military
In 1992, the Federal Court lifted the ban on homosexuals in the military, allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the armed forces
Spousal Benefits
Bill C-23 passed in 2000, with the definition of “marriage” remaining as is (“the lawful union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others”), but the definition of “common- law relationship” expanded to include same-sex couples.
The bill gave same-sex couples who have lived together for more than a year nearly all the rights and responsibilities ascribed to heterosexual married couples.
Immigration
In 2001, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was reformed so that same-sex partners can be recognized as members of the family class of immigrants.
-Now, a common-law partner is anyone who has been in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.
-Refugee processes also now recognize that people have legitimate refugee claims if they fear persecution in their country of origin due to their sexual orientation.
Transgender/ Transsexual Rights
In 2013, the House of Commons passed Bill C-279 to include the rights of trans persons in the Canadian Human Rights Code.
-Trans persons in 8 provinces can now receive funding for gender-confirming surgeries.
-However, those on the lengthy surgical wait lists are at a higher risk of suicide than any other known population.
Asexuality
Asexual –A term used to describe someone who does not experience sexual attraction toward individuals of any gender.
-1% of Canada’s population identify as asexual.
-Asexuality is a sexual orientation, and is different from celibacy, which is the choice to refrain from engaging in sexual behaviors
-Asexuality could be a life-long or temporary identity
-(You don’t need to be romantically/sexually paired to be healthy or happy)
Non-Monogamy/ Polyamoury
Our culture is deeply invested in normative practices of heterosexual monogamy.
Increasingly, however, non-monogamous and polyamorous communities and individuals are defending the moral and legal aspects of their relationships.
-Institutionalized non-monogamy in the form of polygamy can be seen as harmful to women, children, society, and the institution of marriage.
-But some female polygamists, polyamourists, and researchers question why we attribute harm to certain forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polygamy) but not to others (e.g., adultery).
Sexual Trauma
Intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and gender-based violence are of concern in the LGBTQ+ community.
Social work with survivors of sexual trauma can involve:
-Helping them to cope with stigma and shame
-Helping them rebuild a sense of security and dignity
-Accompanying them through the medical system and/or the legal process
-Giving them an opportunity to speak openly about their feelings
-Ensuring that they have a say in decision making processes and in what their healing will look like
Self-Acceptance
Many members of LGBTQ+ communities experience internalized homophobia and struggle with self-acceptance
Providing Support
There are two extremes in social work counselling involving lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered or transsexual persons, and gay men:
-Those who exaggerate the difficulties of living in a heterosexist society
-Those who assume that sexual orientation and gender identity make no difference to a person’s experience, attitudes, or behaviour
The challenge is to find a middle path between these two extremes in order to provide balanced support to members of queer communities.
Create a Sex-Positive Atmosphere
-If you identify as LGBTQ+, it is important not to over-identify with clients who are queer-identified.
-For social workers who are not members of LGBTQ+ communities:
-Never assume people are heterosexual or cisgender.
-Affirm and validate transgendered, gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities. i.e., communicate acceptance to everyone
-Explore your own feelings about gender and sexual diversity, including the ways you may be taking heterosexual privilege for granted.
-Move beyond pity, tolerance, and acceptance to celebrating diversity.
