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(I've had this as a draft for weeks, in my Notepad -- been planning to post this both here and on Tumblr (where I'm spending more time, lately) -- and then, my posting agenda got derailed by the Drump going high-key evil, with kidnapping children. And I hate that. Anyway, I want to post this now, before Pride Month is over)
On Tumblr, many (a few? several? Anyway, a bunch) of very vocal younger bloggers are arguing that those in the LGBTQ community should never use the word "queer" to refer to themselves. because it's a slur (much to the annoyance of older folks on the site). So in May of last year, I entered the fray, by posting excerpts of course descriptions for "Queer Studies" available at colleges and universities around the U.S., as evidence that "The Q-Word" has a much richer, and older history than simply being a slur.
...And as I was reading through them, I kept thinking: "Damn! If these courses had been listed in the college catalogs in the '80s (when I was getting ready to graduate from high school) I would have signed up, even as a "Straight" person." Because I love me some interdisciplinary discussions, and the connections between art, cultural trends, and public policy. And if I had been in these classes as a twenty something, maybe I would have realized I was some flavor of queer before I became a fifty something.
I've been thinking about that again, during this year's Pride Month -- that maybe I'd be "queer" even if I were straight, because "heteronormivity" also excludes bodies like mine from what society considers "normal" sexual partnerships. And that got me thinking about the interdisciplinary course I did end up taking, in my Junior year of college (my academic advisor, by then, knew what intellectual buttons to push)
This would have been (*mumbling and counting on fingers*) in 1988? I think it was... ('twould be nifty if it were a round number of years ago) It was an experimental course called "Science and Society" that was taught cooperatively between a professor of philosophy and a professor of physics, focusing on two key points:
Anyway, one day in class, we were discussing when "Homosexuality" was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), in 1973, because actually, Homosexuality is Normal.
And one of the professors explained what the distinction between "normal' and 'abnormal' actually means, in a mental health context, versus what people think it means:
Normal, she said, is something that occurs naturally, even if it occurs rarely, that causes no harm to the individual or the people around them. Gays and lesbians may only be 10% of the population (trans and nonbinary, bi, pan, and ace people weren't on our radar, yet). But even though it's unusual, being attacted to people of your own gender is something that happens naturally, and causes nobody any harm.
Therefore, homosexuality "normal."
She then went on to contrast homosexuality, which is considered 'abnormal' because it is rare, to antisemitism in to Nazi Germany where the inaction of people to resist rhe Holocaust has been excused "Because that's what everyone believed back then -- it was just 'normal'. ...But it harmed millions upon millions of people.
Therefore, Nazism is "abnormal."
Although we didn't use the word in class, I now think what our professor was actually talking about was "normativity."
According to Wikipedia, in philosophy and the social sciences, "normative" refers to those cultural expectations and beliefs which we presume to be healthy and natural, based on our prejudices:
"Normal" = Is. "Normative" = Should Be
So: being heterosexual and being some flavor of LGBTQ are both "normal," in that all variations of sexuality and gender identity are part of the natural range of human experience, and don't, in themselves, cause anyone any harm. That's why pedophilia, beastiality, and incels have no place in the LGBTQ community: they can label themselves with "Alternate" sexuality all they want. But the 'urges' they want the freedom to act out causes harm to others.
And so does "Straight Pride" and "White Pride."
LGBTQ Pride: We're here. We've a normal part of the human race. And we are healthy and loving, even if we're different.
Straight Pride/White Pride: We demand that you submit to our power over you, and be happy about it.
So... Anyway: ...I was hoping to have come to this point and have a really strong, coherent, closing paragraph to wrap this all up. But I don't. I guess this month has just got me thinking about Queerness, and Nazis in equal measure. And that brought up the memory of a classroom discussion from 30 years ago.
Also: I'm queer... in more ways than one (I count at least 3).
(I've had this as a draft for weeks, in my Notepad -- been planning to post this both here and on Tumblr (where I'm spending more time, lately) -- and then, my posting agenda got derailed by the Drump going high-key evil, with kidnapping children. And I hate that. Anyway, I want to post this now, before Pride Month is over)
On Tumblr, many (a few? several? Anyway, a bunch) of very vocal younger bloggers are arguing that those in the LGBTQ community should never use the word "queer" to refer to themselves. because it's a slur (much to the annoyance of older folks on the site). So in May of last year, I entered the fray, by posting excerpts of course descriptions for "Queer Studies" available at colleges and universities around the U.S., as evidence that "The Q-Word" has a much richer, and older history than simply being a slur.
...And as I was reading through them, I kept thinking: "Damn! If these courses had been listed in the college catalogs in the '80s (when I was getting ready to graduate from high school) I would have signed up, even as a "Straight" person." Because I love me some interdisciplinary discussions, and the connections between art, cultural trends, and public policy. And if I had been in these classes as a twenty something, maybe I would have realized I was some flavor of queer before I became a fifty something.
I've been thinking about that again, during this year's Pride Month -- that maybe I'd be "queer" even if I were straight, because "heteronormivity" also excludes bodies like mine from what society considers "normal" sexual partnerships. And that got me thinking about the interdisciplinary course I did end up taking, in my Junior year of college (my academic advisor, by then, knew what intellectual buttons to push)
This would have been (*mumbling and counting on fingers*) in 1988? I think it was... ('twould be nifty if it were a round number of years ago) It was an experimental course called "Science and Society" that was taught cooperatively between a professor of philosophy and a professor of physics, focusing on two key points:
- The scientific method is a particular thing, and not just a vague belief like faith or intuition. It is also the best tool we humans have to figure out the truth of the world. And
- Scientists are human beings, with human limitations, and are swayed by all the bigotries and biases awash in their cultures, just like the rest of us... And that influences how they use the tool that is the scientific method.
Anyway, one day in class, we were discussing when "Homosexuality" was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), in 1973, because actually, Homosexuality is Normal.
And one of the professors explained what the distinction between "normal' and 'abnormal' actually means, in a mental health context, versus what people think it means:
Normal, she said, is something that occurs naturally, even if it occurs rarely, that causes no harm to the individual or the people around them. Gays and lesbians may only be 10% of the population (trans and nonbinary, bi, pan, and ace people weren't on our radar, yet). But even though it's unusual, being attacted to people of your own gender is something that happens naturally, and causes nobody any harm.
Therefore, homosexuality "normal."
She then went on to contrast homosexuality, which is considered 'abnormal' because it is rare, to antisemitism in to Nazi Germany where the inaction of people to resist rhe Holocaust has been excused "Because that's what everyone believed back then -- it was just 'normal'. ...But it harmed millions upon millions of people.
Therefore, Nazism is "abnormal."
Although we didn't use the word in class, I now think what our professor was actually talking about was "normativity."
According to Wikipedia, in philosophy and the social sciences, "normative" refers to those cultural expectations and beliefs which we presume to be healthy and natural, based on our prejudices:
"Normal" = Is. "Normative" = Should Be
So: being heterosexual and being some flavor of LGBTQ are both "normal," in that all variations of sexuality and gender identity are part of the natural range of human experience, and don't, in themselves, cause anyone any harm. That's why pedophilia, beastiality, and incels have no place in the LGBTQ community: they can label themselves with "Alternate" sexuality all they want. But the 'urges' they want the freedom to act out causes harm to others.
And so does "Straight Pride" and "White Pride."
LGBTQ Pride: We're here. We've a normal part of the human race. And we are healthy and loving, even if we're different.
Straight Pride/White Pride: We demand that you submit to our power over you, and be happy about it.
So... Anyway: ...I was hoping to have come to this point and have a really strong, coherent, closing paragraph to wrap this all up. But I don't. I guess this month has just got me thinking about Queerness, and Nazis in equal measure. And that brought up the memory of a classroom discussion from 30 years ago.
Also: I'm queer... in more ways than one (I count at least 3).
