Reply to 3 posts

POST 1

“In 1975, while married to a man, I fell in love with a woman. In the early stages, my new relationship was purely romantic. I thought about her all the time, we talked endlessly on the telephone, I gave her presents, I longed to be with her. The way the three of us understood what was going on was that she was "really" heterosexual and had just happened to fall in love with me, while I was "really" a lesbian and in the process of coming out” (Rupp 37).

This quote comes from the very beginning of week 4 reading by Leila Rupp. I chose this quote as my point of interest because I think it is a concept that a lot of people are confused by. I have heard the question of whether or not someone is born as a homosexual or they grow to develop intimate feelings for the same-sex. I do not think that I have a large enough understanding of queer feelings to directly answer this question. However, I do think this occurs a lot in today’s society. Individuals get involved in heterosexual relationships because they may feel pressure from society or family members rather than embracing their true sexuality. This is not the fault of queer individuals, rather it is an issue that lies within society and it’s standards. I think that we place so much pressure on going to grade school, going to college, and then falling in love with the opposite sex and starting a family together. 

While this may work for some people, it does not mean that this is the plan for everyone. We are not made the same so I think it is absurd that we expect every individual to follow the same life plans. I also like how this quote points out the beauty in her want for another woman. I do not think we hear enough about queer love stories in today’s literature. This brings me back to the idea that society neglects to place heterosexual and homosexual relationships on the same playing field and of the same level of importance. Many of us are told at a young age that being queer is a sin or not normal. This makes us think that we need to hide who we are and conform to what society deems as “normal”. This is extremely unfortunate, however, it is literature such as this, that makes queer love very heartwarming. 

POST 2

In Chapter 4, "A Democracy of Death and Art," Bronski writes about the concepts put forth by socialist Edward Carpenter. Carpenter posits that changes in laws controlling sex and sexual activity are a means to achieve broader equality for less-privileged and marginalized groups in American society. Carpenter states that "...democracy rests...on a sentiment which easily passes the bounds of class and caste, and unites in the closest affection the most estranged ranks of society," (Bronski, Chp 4 pg 80). It Is ironic to me that this notion of sexual attraction, particularly that of same-sex attraction, often crossing class boundaries can be seen as a route to equality through the sexual connections between and subsequent unification of members of society who possess varying levels of power and status. This is because the notion harkens back to the sexual fetishization of an oppressed class by those with privilege. The further statement by Edward Carpenter, “It is noticeable how often [persons] of good position and breeding are drawn to rougher types, as of manual workers, ” (Bronski, Chp 4 pg 80-81) shows how this damaging phenomenon of the sexual fetishization of marginalized peoples by those with privilege was viewed by some as an opportunity for connecting the disparate classes of society when other social links between these classes were rare or non-existent.

POST 3

On pages 40-41 of Rupp's writing in Chapter 3, "Worlds of Men, Worlds of Women," she discusses how "societal norms increasingly emphasized the domestic roles of women," and the changes in the societal perception of women as sexual beings.  I have read in past discussions that, due to agriculturalism, class and status had less of an impact and society was much more egalitarian.  It seems to me that this description by Rupp is indicative of the changing perspectives of society into one that is more divided and less egalitarian due to industrialization and increased opportunities for economic advancement for some people and families versus others.  I am interested to know more about the shift from economically egalitarian agriculturalism to segregated class/caste systems of industrialized society.