Inequality of Sexual Orientation - Chappals and Gym Shorts by Almas Sayeed - Article Example

Inequality of Sexual Orientation In her essay d “Chappals and Gym Shorts”, Almas Sayeed points to the sources of cultural conflict affronting people like her, when caught between an impulse for progress and the restrictions of tradition. Almas alludes to the fact that she herself is not certain about her sexual identity and orientation. For example, not only was she in a long term relationship with a White man, but she also has a huge crush on a particular girl from her college. While Almas is trying to grapple with these realities of her sexuality and being only partially successful at that, her father on the other hand has set a deadline for her marriage. For the western educated and progressive minded Almas, her father’s idea of “long-term security” for her in the form of an arranged marriage seems regressive and anathema to her feminist principles. Rather than portraying her father as the villain of the piece, Almas tries to elucidate his point of view – one borne of fatherly concern for his only daughter. So, Almas is debating with herself on two fronts – the feminist angle and the queer angle. If getting around her father’s endeavors for a traditional arranged marriage is a huge challenge in itself, trying to accommodate her homosexual inclinations would prove almost impossible. In the essay, without suggesting or proposing a radical solution to the aforementioned conundrum, Almas Sayeed, implies that a balanced, moderate and accommodative approach is the way to move forward. According to her, abandoning either her traditional Islamic cultural norm is not a viable solution; neither is embracing a modernist western feminist lifestyle. In many ways, this middle-path approach to the opposing cultural imperatives seems a clever and informed choice. Submitting herself in marriage to a total stranger (as a result of an arranged marriage) would definitely be anathema to her feminist ideology, but she does not doubt the earnestness behind her father’s persuasion. After all, she believes, her father will act keeping her best interests in mind. For someone who was just twenty-two at the time of writing this essay, Almas Sayeed displays a maturity beyond her age, and to that extent, her suggestions on negotiations issues of sexual identity, orientation and marital choice are prudent ones. In the words of Almas herself, “There is a delicate dance here that I must master – a dance of negotiating identity within interlinking cultural spheres….change my frame of reference, developing from a rebellious tomboy who resisted parental imposition to a budding social critic, learning how to be a committed feminist and still keep my cultural, religious and community ties.” (Almas Sayeed, p.266) 2. The write-up named “Anti-gay Slurs Common at School”, written by Laura Sessions Stepp (Reading 34, p.267) offers another perspective on the contentious issue of verbal assaults on gay students. What stands out in the narrative is the fact that verbal slurs pertaining to one’s sexual orientation are being directed at High school students, whom one would expect not to have a concrete idea of their orientation but rather a fluid one. So, the offence in such a scenario is on two grounds – firstly the conception of homosexuality as an inferior basis for interpersonal relationships, and secondly the decadent culture of verbal abuse seen among teenage school goers. The author illustrates the prevailing apathy and indifference among the policy makers and other authorities in school. The case of teenaged boy Justen during his time in Sherman High School and later in Sherman Senior High illustrate how pupil like Justen Deal, who are suspected to be gay, are treated differently by their peers and are subject to abuse of different sorts. In the case of Justen, the lack of support from the school administration is all the more poignant, given the fact that he had briefed his teachers and principal about the hurtful comments directed at him. Even after Justen was assured by the school administration that they would look out for the abusers and take action against them, the abuse continued to flow. To be fair to Sherman Senior High staff, teenage students are very clever in imparting snide remarks and other forms of derogatory comments without getting themselves into trouble. Since the teachers cannot always be at the side of Justen to overhear whispered comments and insults, it is very difficult to curb peer verbal abuse. Laura Stepp, while pointing to the inherent difficulties in disciplining offending students in this regard, does not propose any effective solutions to stop this trend. Nevertheless, the essay is successful in portraying the hurt and pain suffered by homosexual pupils through her plain and lucid style of writing. It seems that a broader awareness of what homosexuality entails as well as legislations and policies toward curbing verbal abuse against the group is the way forward. A successful implementation of awareness programs and policy enforcements will help alleviate the existing inequalities in the social experiences of “straight” and “gay” students. There is already some evidence that suggests a more hospitable social atmosphere for homosexuals in the future. For instance, the following passage indicates the kind of impact persistent activism for gay rights can have in the coming years: “He [Justen] visited West Virginia Gov. Robert Wise’s office asking the governor to convene a task force to investigate harassment. He testified before the legislature on an amendment to the state’s hate crime bill that would have included protection based on sexual orientation. His comments made both Charleston newspapers, including the front page of the Daily Mail.” (Laura Stepp, p.268) 3. The final essay that is taken for analysis is “The Hazards of Naming Sexual Attraction”, written by Michael Kauth. This piece deals with the technicalities involved with naming someone a homosexual. In a world made small by better connectivity and the Internet, words such as “gay, lesbian, homosexual, queer, straight, etc” assume different meanings in different cultural contexts. In the words of the author, “The term ‘homosexual’ was adopted in the late 19th century by psychiatrists and medical practitioners to identify a type of psychopathology and, consequently, this term implies sickness, aberrance and immaturity. Not surprisingly, people for whom this term was applied find it objectionable. The term “gay” has an altogether different history and different meanings, without the taint of psychopathology. Older definitions of gay mean happy or joyful, which challenges the image of disease, conjured up by the term ‘homosexual’”. (Michael Kauth, p.149) Kauth’s essay is historically well informed and looks at the reasons for lack of discussion, debate and objective analysis of homosexuality as a result of its “assumed” negative connotations. Many scholars and historians have evaded documentation of many controversial subjects of their time; and same-sex relationships have for most part of human history were deemed unnatural, decadent and evil. Kauth infers that the present state of homosexuals in the larger society is a reflection of a long-reaching pattern of suppression, neglect and condemnation of any sexual action that is deviant from the prevailing norm. In this juncture, the author points out, labeling homosexual groups under any category can be hazardous to the community. The strong undercurrent of hate-crimes against members of this minority community has found no respite so far. And classifying human beings under such hate-provoking terms can only worsen the existing inequalities. So, the author is quite accurate in the rationale and logic that he applies to arrive at the ultimate conclusions. Works Cited: Almas Sayeed, Chappals and Gym Shorts – An Indian-Muslim Woman in the Land of Oz, Section 2, Reading 33, p.263. Laura Sessions Stepp, Anti-gay Slurs Common at School – A lesson in Cruelty, Section 2, Reading 34, p.267. Michael R Kauth., The Hazards of Naming Sexual Attraction,, Section 1, Reading 18, p.148. Read More