Analysis of Queer Theory of Homosexuality - Essay Example

? Gender & Sexual Studies The most significant role of sexuality and gender generates important areas of study for the purpose of exploring the contemporary societal condition related with prehistoric human behavior in comparison with the other dimensions of sociology. The past four decades have seen the growth of an internationally active gay and lesbian movement. The new homosexual identity thus developed has become an international standard now. Today becoming gay is to adapt a particular set of life style, standard, and behavior. The Western gay identity has become almost a de facto identity of this post modern world (Fortier, 2002). This paper is aimed at providing a critical analysis of the Queer theory of homosexuality and the related empirical evidences from the real life experiences on the notion of non-heterosexuality. The method used in the paper is based on the library search on different aspects related to hetero-sexual identity and application of Queer theory. In this essay, interviews of Annie Lennox, David Bowie and Liz Aggis have also been considered and discussed in the related context. Queer theory The complexities of the postmodern and post colonial issues of identity and belongings have been used by the notion of queer diaspora for changing the perception of the orientation away from the preexisting identities established alternatively by either nature or culture (Fortier, 2002). Generally, the word queer means strange, odd, or abnormal. This word was generally attached to the lesbians and gay men in terms of abuse. The term centers around various range of critical practices and priorities, critiques of sex-gender system, studies of transsexual and transgender identification and of transgressive desires (Spargo, 2000, p.9).Sexuality, when broadly conceived, can be viewed as the direct and indirect motivation for international relocation and movement captured in the light of sexual migration. Sexual migration captures the notion that queer persons confronted by homophobia or discrimination, the queer persons migrated to different locations to enable queer practices, identities, and subjectiveness. Various urban sectors in the West are amongst the first destination for evolution of the queer Diaspora. The areas include San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Some urban centers also attract the Queer migrants which are dedicated for economic development (Fortier, 2002). Queer Diasporic desire and queer diasporic body centers contradictions and violence of multiple uprooting, displacement and exiles. Queer diasporic cultural forms and practices generally indicate to the submerged histories of the racist and colonialist violence that persist to continue and make the people with queer desires to feel through the bodily desires. Queer Diaspora brings culture that is deliberately forgotten within the conventional nationalist or diasporic scripts (Gopinath, 2005, p.4). Homosexuality among men From the birth, the young boys are infused with the feelings that they it takes some attributes to be recognized as a man in true sense of terms. Certain attributes which a man should entail are that of independence, reoccupation with career and competitiveness of physical strength, aggressiveness, and courage. When these young boys have the difficulties in attaining these goals, generally emotional isolation is likely to crop up which results in the problematic behavior. In the western societies, males are usually accustomed to keep themselves muscular, lean and fat free and also to maintain a mature successful look. The males become trapped between getting bigger and trying to slim. Men who are physically fit may not be completely satisfied with their bodies. Various studies state that the gay men express a greater degree of body dissatisfaction than heterosexual men. For many years, the homosexual men are victims of prejudice because of their queer sexual orientation. Their self images are also at high risk of decline due to the social stigma imposed upon them. The AIDS epidemic inspired a new health consciousness among the gay men and their inclination to the gym culture. Subsequently, muscularity became related to a healthy and AIDS free body (Scheiner, 2011, p.15). The irrational perceptions of AIDS and the body build have been termed as AIDS phobia. The gay men found themselves discriminating the potential partners based on their body size and shape. They believed that it was impossible for a man with well-toned physique to be HIV positive. To look young and virile communicated a healthy status. Today, the gay men still relate the physical beauty with health. Innumerable gay men resort to it in order to contradict the effeminate stigma set upon them by the heterosexual notion and standards of muscularity determined by straight society. To many people, the hyper muscular body itself has become synonymous with gay self esteem. Well-toned body is still considered as a definite indication of a man’s homosexual orientation (Scheiner, 2011, p.15). Modern types of sexual orientation Several endeavors have been made in order to normalize the offbeat behavior entailed to the homosexuals by the society. The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) has been developed in order to formulate a structural format in order to terminate shame, secrecy and unwanted genital surgeries for people born with the anatomy which is decided not standard for male or the female. The prime agenda of ISNA is that the children with intersex, parents of those children, and adults with intersex should be treated in an open, shame-free, supportive, and honest way, should be provided access to trained psychologists and social workers, care providers for the child to grow up, medical procedures for maintaining health sustainability and surgeries on the genitals should not be performed until a child becomes mature enough to make an informed decision for herself or himself (Intersex Society of North America, n.d.). Geographical boundaries also play an important part as we have seen the liberal methods followed in America. It will spread the message to a larger area and will build up the consciousness. A gender theorist Elizabeth Grosz has stated that, “the city is one of the crucial factors in the social production of sexed corporeality” (Gray, n.d., 270). Male are also seen to wear women dresses, including skirts and shorts, which make them feel like women and, hence, in this way, these people enjoy their feminist identity in the society. Queer theory and heterosexual identity Compulsive heterosexuality is a sexual direction which refers heterosexuality as the default sexual orientation and acts as an organizing principle which discriminates and discourages all other sexual orientations and relationships other than heterosexual relationships. In the health research paradigm, heterosexuality ignores the influence of sexual identity and also ignores the ways in which the interaction between the sexual identity and gender takes place in order to produce unique health outcomes. Judith Butler states that the heterosexual desire forms a major role in constructing masculinity and opposing feminity. She also states that the within dominant heterosexuality, the object of masculine desire is inherently feminine, while the object of feminine desire is inherently masculine. Hence, sexuality is linked to the construction of gender identity (Johnson and Repta, n.d., pp.30-31). Society is indispensably related with the concept of compulsive heterosexuality. Butler states that the notion of the compulsory heterosexuality bears its position from the construct of the Western patriarchy. According to Butler, the compulsive heterosexuality is characterized as, “hegemonic discursive/epistemic model of gender intelligibility that assumes that for bodies to cohere and make sense there must be a stable sex expressed through a stable gender (masculine expresses male, feminine expresses female) that is oppositional and hierarchically defined through the compulsory practice of heterosexuality” (Hogue, 2003, p.181). She also states that the gender is culturally constructed and so the gender is neither the casual result of sex nor as seemingly fixed as sex. The juncture where the compulsory heterosexuality and the bourgeois nuclear family are attenuated, a series of sites of sexual desire, individuation, identity, pleasure, social definition, and politics multiply and flourish. Sex, gender and identity become performative. Issues concerning sexual identity compel us to assume about gender in innovative ways and have pressed the boundaries of queer theory (Hogue, 2003, p.181). Even though most of the ecofeminists have acknowledged heterosexism as the problem, a more systematic examination of the possible intersections of ecofeminist, as well as queer, theories has hitherto to be created. By interrogating different social constructions related to the "natural", the diverse uses of different aspects of Christianity as the logic of domination, as well as the rhetoric of the colonialism. Different essays have revealed those theoretical intersections as well as opinions for the significance of developing the queer ecofeminism. Different progressive activists as well as scholars have frequently mourned the disunity associated with the political absent in different counties of the world, including mainly the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Sometimes characterized as the "circular firing squad," the absent or progressive association has been acknowledged for its rational debates as well as hostilities, which have provided to polarize varieties of groups that would be working in union. This union includes “labor activists, environmentalists, civil rights activists, feminists, animal rights activists, indigenous rights activists, as well as large number of gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender (G/L/B/T) activists”. In the meantime, it has been observed, that the conservative right or notions in these nations has been mislaid no time in identifying the links among these different liberatory movements as well as it has opened a campaign (in most recently cleared in the "Contract with America") for the purpose of ensuring their communal annihilation. As an outcome, this appears the most important future related to the fact that the progressive organizing can well depend on the process of how effectively different scholars, as well as activists, can identify and eloquent many bases for the coalition between the Queer theory and the non-heterosexuality. In theory as well as in practice, hetero-sexuality and ecofeminism has by now contributed most importantly to this effort (Gaard, 1997, p.137). At the origin of non-heterosexuality and ecofeminism is the consideration that the most of the systems of domination are mutually strengthening. Based on the different socialist feminist ideas that racism, classism, as well as sexism are interlinked, ecofeminists have identified different additional resemblances between those particular forms of human domination as well as the oppressive arrangements of specialism and naturism. The early momentum for the non-heterosexual and ecofeminist movement has been the process of realization associated with the fact that the freedom of “women-the aim of all branches of feminism -- cannot be fully effected without the liberation of nature; and conversely, the liberation of nature so ardently desired by environmentalists will not be fully effected without the liberation of women: conceptual, symbolic, empirical, and historical linkages between women and nature as they are constructed in Western culture require feminists and environmentalists to address these liberatory efforts together if we are to be successful” (Gaard, 1997, p.137). Till date, different ecofeminist theories have blossomed, thus, exploring the associations among many different aspects, such as racism, environmental deprivation, economics, different electoral politics, and significant level of animal liberation. Also different reproductive politics, “biotechnology, bioregionalism, spirituality, holistic health practices, sustainable agriculture, and others” are also connected with these aspects (Gaard, 1997, p.137). In these contexts, it has been argued that the eating habit of the human beings is basically socially constructed. From the essentialist angle, all human beings must eat to survive. However, in the social world of humans, how and what we eat is socially constructed. The way the human beings act on their sexuality is greatly influenced by the societal forces. It has been found that the male heterosexual engages in homosexual acts and still considers them heterosexual. This self-deceived act can be stated as an excuse that a female is not available. Apart from the societal side, we also need to focus on the study of how homosexuality became a social stigma and developed the social identity of the homosexuals. Homosexuals are now regarded as one of the most important parts of the present open societal structure where people have the social freedom as well as choice to act like non-heterosexuals (Recio, 2000, pp.4-5). Emilyn Claid has opined that the notion of sexuality is an inseparable part of the modern dance and fashion where both the hetero-sexual and non-heterosexual people are required to be coordinated with each other to make positive effects on the profession (Friedman et al., 2008, p.46). Case studies Annie Lennox These aspects are more modern as Annie Lennox has replied in an interview that she desires to be a perfect man. This fact reveals the androgynous attitude in her as well as in other hetero-sexual people in the world. In her interview for The Guardian, she does not feel any kind of difference between her and a man regarding any works to get done or regarding any of the social or economic aspects of the society (such as protesting against HIV or sexual harassment of both men and women). She believes in a black sensitivity where she does not care about the rest of the world and what other people think or believe regarding the hetero-sexual nature of her. She has described herself in an interview at the “Barclays Woman of the Year Award” by saying that “she is given each year to an exceptional woman whose personal and public life has been both brave and bold. Such a woman is a modern maverick, combining extraordinary insight with determination and a visionary approach” (Lennox, 2010). She also tries to engage herself in different fashion shows and award ceremonies that different perspectives of both the men and women are required to be present in one person’s attitude for the purpose of improving the overall image of that person. These facts have essentially been revealed by various charities and other social works by her for the children of poor section of the society who are suffering from HIV and other diseases (Lennox, 2010). David Bowie The essay has been prepared considering interviews of people across the globe. The main focus of the study has been developed to consider the distinguished features of the Queer theory and the hetero-sexual identity of modern people all across the world. The essay has been designed to understand the attitude of the respondents regarding the hetero-sexual behaviour of them. During the telephonic conversations, respondents, who are the hetero-sexual people, have revealed their level of preference in favour of the hetero-sexual behaviours as well as they have revealed their level of satisfaction of living such kind of life. These responses have been similar to what has been revealed by David Bowie. He has replied to an interviewer of The Dailymail that he was highly satisfied with the kind of hetero-sexual life that he lived. He has also revealed that being a hetero-sexual person his level of performance in the field of music has improved to some significant extent (Dailymail, 2011). Along with this, these respondents have also expressed that being a hetero-sexual person they are habituated to live two different types of lives at the particular point of time. This process helps them to restore different types of unfulfilled desires among themselves. This process also helps them to understand different aspects of human lives from the point of view of both men and the women. Hence, they can improve their level of performance in each and every sphere of life, both thinking as a man and as a woman. These mixed feelings, according to the respondents, work as the most important guiding force in their lives. These respondents have also revealed the fact that in spite of the general rejection from the majority section of the society, they feel free, at least in modern times, to regard themselves as hetero-sexual person (Dailymail, 2011). It has been derived from the interview that David Bowie believes the sexual orientation of the human beings is the generator of their social identity (Dailymail, 2011). Sexual identity outweighs the mere acts and behaviors of a particular nature. It is basically in effect a way of life. The non-heterosexual people have been long discriminated and been victims of hatred and societal avoidance. The heterosexuals dominated the world with utter subordination of the homosexuals, the so called queer people even if they are also found to perform homosexual acts. The theories states that the societal structure has to be metamorphosed and the homosexuality should come into the mainstream as a separate identity with equal freedom of life as the heterosexuals live. Shift towards the liberation of the homosexuals have been encountered in a wide scale in the modern world and they are quite independent with laws implemented in favor of protecting their rights. An outlet for gender experimentation to confused individuals is performed through the drag, whenever these individuals feel ambiguity with their own identity. The drag identity is neither masculine nor feminine but it is basically a complex collection of characteristics which induces to challenge the traditional polarized view of the society. In this context, the point of view of David Bowie has been very important that drug usage increases the potentiality to act like a hetero-sexual person. The fashion preferences of these people also reveal the nature of hetero-sexual mind which is related to the notion of vogue sexuality. In this context, the uses of drugs are also creating significant impacts of these people’s minds (Dailymail, 2011). Liz Aggiss The androgynous mind of Liz Aggiss has also shows the aspect that the hetero-sexual attitude is one of the most important issues in the sexual dancing where the main idea is to reveal the sexual heterogeneity of people. A third gender category is created by the drag queens where being a gay is seen to possess lack of masculinity and power. Their rigorous performance and domination on the stage incorporate within the individuals a means of attaining masculinity and power and, in turn, allow them to challenge the dominant structure of a society and question the straight male privilege. In the recent times, the gay and the straight communities usually hold the drag queen characters in high esteem and provide them celebrity status. Through solid admiration of the audience and the community, the self esteem of the drag performer is usually boosted up. The drag queens who were previously thought to possess little or no marketable talents confessed that they were not only earning good money for them but at the same time receive huge attention through their drag performance. Hetero-sexual people’s drag aired focuses on the transformation of the less attractive straight women into divas. In an interview, these hetero-sexual people have stated that the show teaches the contestants to boost up confidence and empowerment in the way of taking charge of their own feminity. The dancing shows of Liz Aggiss basically spread a message of self esteem and empowerment to all the people who feel less confidence in their bodies. These aspects have closely associated with the nature of sexual fashion types of people across the globe (Brown, 2011). Conclusion Androgynous attitude and hetero-sexual behaviours are distinguished from the notion of Queer theory on the ground that the sexual orientations, as well as sexual beliefs, are much more diverse from the notion of modern identification of human beings. People in the modern world, are recognised by their sexual attitude, as well as according to their beliefs regarding the sexual behaviours. In most of the cases, these sexual behaviors are found to be determined by the sexual beliefs of the concerned person. Mainly, these sexual beliefs create problems for the society or for the person. These problems are sometimes solved by the society through interventions of law or through interventions of social or cultural beliefs. However, it is most likely to be opined that these problems are more social than cultural. If different people possess different types of sexual beliefs, those people should not be forcefully undermined or rejected. References Brown, C. (2011). Reasons for Dancing, [Online] Available at: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/53467/Liz-Aggiss-Reasons-for-Dancing-by-Carol-Brown.pdf [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Dailymail, (2011). David Bowie Biography, [Online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1368621/David-Bowie-biography-From-reverence-Nazis-drugs-sex.html [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Friedman, S. et al. (2008). High culture, mass culture, urban culture- Whose Dance? UCT School of Dance, [Online] Available at: http://www.dance.uct.ac.za/confluen/confluences5.pdf [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Fortier, A-M, (2002). Queer Diaspora, Handbook of Lesbian and Gay Studies (2002), [Online] Available at: http://www.omnilogos.com/2011/05/24/queer-diaspora/ [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Gaard, G. (1997). Toward a queer ecofeminism, Hypatia, Vol.12, Issue.1, [Online] Available at: http://www.lespantheresroses.org/textes/ecology_toward_a_queer_ecofeminism.pdf [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Gopinath, G. (2005). Impossible Desires: Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures, USA: Duke University Press. Gray, S. (n.d.). America and the queer diaspora: the case of artist David Mc Diarmid, Transnational Ties, [Online] Available at: http://epress.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ch161.pdf [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Hogue, W. L. (2003). The African American Male, Writing and Difference: A Polycentric Approach to African American Literature, Criticism, and History, USA: SUNY Press. Intersex Society of North America, (n.d.). [Online] Available at: http://www.isna.org/faq/patient-centered [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Johnson, J. L. & Repta, R. (n.d.). Sex and Gender 2 Beyond the Binaries, Sage publishers, [Online] Available at: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/40428_Chapter2.pdf [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Lennox, A. (2010). 'I would have been perfect as a man', The Guardian, [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/oct/10/annie-lennox-eurythmics-christmas-cornucopia-universal-child [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Scheiner, J. S. (2011). Gender Performativity and Self-Perception: Drag as Masquerade, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Vol.1, No.13, pp.12-19. Spargo, T. (2000). Foucault and Queer Theory, Post modern encounters, [Online] Available at: http://wxy.seu.edu.cn/humanities/sociology/htmledit/uploadfile/system/20100826/20100826023752876.pdf [Accessed on June 13, 2012] Read More