Sexualities 10/07

The four different readings deal with societal norms and expectations of people, whether it’s someone’s sexual orientation, lifestyle, or body image. Society puts a great amount of pressure for people to fit into the mold of what is normal or acceptable. For those people don’t feel like they belong (and the majority don’t fit perfectly) life can be extremely difficult, as they can experience loneliness or feel like an outcast. The first reading, by Adrienne Rich, “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence,” she writes about the assumption of female heterosexuality, and the silencing of all other possibilities. She claims that male power demands that women maintain that role. She goes about defining characteristics of male power that subordinate women. These forms of power range from being recognizable to being very discrete. She also goes on to define different aspects of being a lesbian and the falsified notions society supports of why women are lesbians. Leila Rupp then writes about same-sex sexuality in her article, “Toward a Global History of Same-Sex Sexuality.” In the article she examines and tries to define the various relationship between men and women, men and men, and women and women. She believes the term same-sex sexuality goes beyond terms like “gay” or “lesbian.” In searching for a clearly idea of these relationships, she looks back in history and to various cultures around the world to try to come up with a concrete understanding. The relationship between women is especially difficult to define because it has not been well documented, and different cultures view types of relationships differently. It is important to take away from this article that not one mold or definition can be used to describe sexual interactions. Laurel Gilbert builds on these two articles in her own, “You’re Not the Type.” In this reading, she describes the difficulty in trying to fit her into one specific model. She is constantly told that she isn’t the type to have some of her defining characteristics. As a lesbian, feminist, and single mother she feels ostracized from mainstream society, especially from the norm set by her town. As she has grown up and become more comfortable in her own skin, she realizes that most people feel out of place and have various character “flaws.” Abra Fortune Chernik’s article, “The Body Politics,” approaches the notions a fitting into social norms from a different point of view. She discusses her struggle with anorexia and how she almost lost her life to try to make her body look the way she thought society expected her to look. After being hospitalized and extensive therapy, she now realizes that being skinny isn’t the key to happiness. She also realizes that the majority of women all struggle with some form of body image issue at some point in their lives, even if it is not obvious.

I really enjoyed how these readings shed light on the pressures to conform to society’s ideal type. When people don’t fit the mold they are afraid to be open about it and address the issue. As a result so many people feel lonely and out of place and at times must result to desperate measures to try to fit in or end their misery. I think the Rutgers student who killed himself after his homosexuality was exposed, is unfortunately a perfect example of what societal pressures can drive people to do.