Analysis of Sexual Identities - Essay Example

IDENTITIES INTRODUCTION "Sex is an either/or phenomenon - appealing or appalling, rarely in between," Murray S. Davis (1983: 87) (taken from Weeks, 1986, p.1). Sexual identity gives an importance to a person, as important as a person's name. It defines the person's personality, characteristics, future and place in the society. In the Stone Age, before societies were formed, perhaps sexual identity was unimportant and insignificant. Even though we have not chosen our sexual identities, it is important to have an identity, to be part of the society. To most people, it is a simple accepted part of life that automatically comes by birth without any compulsion or confusion. For a few others, it is a complicated, confusing and sometimes even shameful part of biological history. In today's world of sexual tolerance and acceptance, questioning one's own sexual orientation is considered to be normal. In the same way, gays, lesbians and bi-sexuals are accepted in most of the advanced countries, although this is still a matter of contention in eastern countries. Being transgender is not a matter of utter shame any more in western world. The same western world that had punished Oscar Wilde, an unquestionable genius, for suspected homosexuality. In 1895, in the sad and sensational trial of Oscar Wilde, Reverend Richard Armstrong of the Social Purity Alliance denounced him as 'one of those writers of elegant and glittering literature, glossing over vice'. Wilde never regained his dignity or health after the imprisonment and died young. Such a person was never seen again. This incident still remains as one of the worst persecutions of sexual minorities. Today, fortunately, three sexual orientations are accepted: heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual. The term sexual identity was not in vogue earlier. Comparatively, it is of a recent origin, mainly used by psychologists. "The term sexual identity is used by psychologists and some recent writers in the general area of sexology to describe the gender or sex with which a person identifies, or is identified," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_identity DEFINING KEY TERMS: 1. Androgeny: Simultaneously exhibiting both feminine and masculine characteristics. 2. Bigendered: one who switches between masculinity and feminity. 3. biphobia: ill-treatment of bisexuals by lesbians or gays. 4. Bisexual: one who is attracted by male and female both; hetro and homosexuality in the same person. 5. Butch: masculinity regardless of gender. 6. Femme: feminity regardless of gender. 7. Cross dresser: one who wears dresses of the opposite six. 8. Dyke: lesbian or bisexual woman. 9. Gay: homosexual man 10. Lesbian: homosexual woman. 11. Heterosexual: one who has sexual attraction for the opposite sex. 12. Homophile: gay male 13. Homosexual: formal term for gay. There are two essential views of logical reason and development of sexual identity. The essentialist view is that everyone is born with a sexual orientation and the sexual orientation is the centre of the person's sexual identity. 'Our sexual orientation is essential to what we are.' Social Constructionist View is different from the Essentialist View. According to this view, we construct our own sexual identities and it is not born with us. This view argues that sexual orientation does not come by birth; but comes by learning. So the person is not burdened with a sexual identity. Instead he acquires the sexual identity. According to this view, people do not have firm self-images and instead at different stages, we have different self-images and these images are according to psychological and external circumstances. There are many external factors that would influence our view, according to the Social Constructionist view. It has a self-determinant depending on what a person thinks of himself. It also 1has a third person determinant, depending on how an individual reacts to whom. "Sexual identity refers to how one thinks of oneself in terms of whom one is sexually and romantically attracted to, specifically whether one is attracted to members of the same gender as one's own or the other gender than one's own," http://www.sexuality.org/l/lesbigay/glossary.html Any confusion over the sexual identity could lead to a Bipolar Disorder in the individual. Sexual identity could be matter of social concern and can evoke acute dislike among moralists of the society. "It is no longer possible to think of sexuality as 'a private matter' with little or nothing to do with the processes of power. Feminist theorists have effectively argued this case with respect to women's rights," Ronald J. Hunt, Ohio University, http://www.pupress.princeton.edu/titles/6979.html 10 years ago Judith butler called them "necessary errors" Alan Sipfield has suggested that we might be entering a period which he labels 'post-gay'. The uneasiness with the identities is widespread even in today's world. Now we hear more about gay cultures and in many societies, it is still hidden and yet to see the light for the fear of being ridiculed, and persecuted. Some cities have separate neighbourhoods for gay men and lesbians, as once upon a time, in Indian societies, they had separate neighbourhoods for 'untouchables'. This practice still makes the entire issue of sexual identity look sad and isolated. There were whispers in various societies, starting with Greek and Roman societies about gay practices. But no one knows for sure. The recent attempt to brand Alexander the Great as a homosexual, looks more like an effort to grant a pedigree to homosexuality, because there is absolutely no evidence. There are a few paintings in Ancient Egypt that depict men embracing. We immediately jump into the conclusion that homosexuality was rampant in Ancient Egypt. One should not forget that embracing the same sex or even the opposite sex people, need not be a symbol of flourishing homosexuality. Taking into account all the historical errors, one has to move forward cautiously and we can come to the conclusion that homosexuality no doubt existed, but not to the extent of sociologists dream about. Wherever it existed, it was a great secret because none of the countries acknowledged or tolerated its practice. People were persecuted, jailed, mutilated and killed even on suspicion, though the 'crime' was never proved in most of the instances. Even as late as 19th and early 20th century, gay culture was highly covert and relied on symbols and codes to communicate. After being accepted in the society in a rather hesitating way, they were mainly connected with ballet, opera, fine cuisine and other high cultural arenas. It is surprising to know that interior decoration and designs were given shape by gay men in the exalted Hollywood circles. Famous cinema, Gentlemen prefer blondes, starred by Marlyn Munroe was accused of gay dancing in one of the sequences. In 1970s, gay culture and visibility was increasing in American pop culture and was spreading into Europeon countries. Pop culture gay icons were respected all over the globe. Subcultures in the gay world like chubbies, bears, gay skinheads developed during this safe era. The essay will try to give coherence to the path on which these sexual minorities have walked over centuries and decades. It will try to answer the question why an identity is required for a person. It will explore the recent change of hearts and change in laws. It will also touch the question facing sexual identities in other cultures and countries. It will pin down some of the key issues confronting sexual identities. Main body Dr. Freud famously said: "Anatomy is destiny". In his usual frighteningly brutal candour, Freud put forth his own theories and logics about sexual identities. Usually, sexual identities are connected with the stereotypes. If we forget the stereotypes for some time, we come across many more key issues and peculiarities. John Stoltenberg identified one such peculiarity when he pointed out a situation of 'Refusing to be man.' This is very different from embracing feminity. It is also not aggressively anti-social, but just a matter of slight difference from the usual identities already in place. These variations of sexual preferences have created sexual minorities. Sexual minorities have taken the form of a subculture inside the culture. In some societies, this subculture is still stigmatised and these people who have shown a diverse tendency towards life are socially isolated. Sometimes sexual identity and sexual preference are used interchangeably. Biological factors and abnormalities have a definite say in the sexual differences of an individual. Some people are born with a slightly different version of genital organs. It is a known fact that genetic factors like chromosomes play an important role and chromosomal abnormalities may result in abnormalities of the genital organs. Sex hormones could be another contributing factor to confusion in sexual identities. What we call as confusion or difference or variation, has been accepted today as a 'different choice' or 'another way of life' Society from inception had arbitrary rules about sexual identities of its members and ill-treated anyone who dared to show an individual preference of his own. Persecution of such people has gone on for centuries. Sexual identity could pose highly complex situation too. "Sexual identity is the degree to which we identify with the social and biological aspects of being a man or a woman," http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/selfhelp/sexual-identity.html In modern times, people have the option of redefining their sexual identities and choose another identity for which perhaps they are psychologically and biologically suited better. Sexual redesignment surgeries are a question mark on sexual identities with which people are born. Most of these surgeries have proved to be highly successful, although some of them ended in a psychological mess. Reconstructions of organs have not always been crowned with glory. Sexual minorities are defined by sexual orientation and gender identity as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. These groups hardly have anything in common with each other. Still they are grouped together and are considered to be belonging to the same culture. This is not strictly true as mostly their resemblance with another member ends with being 'queer'. Cultures always tend to have stereotypes that hardly give space for individual peculiarities and difficulties and usually come in the way of understanding their problems from an unbiased platform. Sexual identities are like adultery, which was unacceptable for centuries and centuries. Adultery today is tolerated at least in Western societies. It is sad that in some societies it still remains a punishable offence, warranting such a horrific end as being stoned to death in public. Along with all the stigmas, at one point AIDs was considered to be the Gay Cancer. With the change of heart and law in Western countries, now gay men are considered to be stylish, modern and sophisticated. Queerness has come a long way in the society and had never looked this good. Coming back to the sexual identity, it still remains a matter of perception, according to many sociologists and thinkers. "In a more general sense, identity refers to the construction of self, specifically how one perceives both themselves and their perception of how others view them," http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Sexual_Identity_Online It defines the way of behaviour, interaction with others and works as a performance guide and characteristic code. It also gives a distinct personality to the individual. At the same time, 'homosexuality is not a political choice. It is dictated by the imperatives of desire.' As per historical records, homosexuals abandoned it many times to become heterosexuals, but failed to maintain the choice, because their desire dictated them otherwise. They failed to swim against the current, go against their mental and physical requirements. This is done after undergoing extensive psychological therapies and the shock treatment. Now the therapists advise their clients to accept their desires as normal and learn to live with it. It is wrong to assume that a person with rare sexual identity is unemotional. Emotion becomes a life-political issue in numerous ways with the latter-day development of modernity. Emotion, passion and sex for pleasure have become the biggest issues of developed societies. "A sexually addicted civilisation is one where death has become stripped of meaning; life politics at this point implies a renewal of spirituality. Front this point of view, sexuality is not the antithesis of a civilisation dedicated to economic growth and technical control, but the embodiment of its failure," says Giddens (1992, p. 203). The diverse sexual identity never earned a better place in the societies than what it has attained today. It had been ridiculed and condemned and punished and conventional societies were baffled at it. Even today, they remain baffled. "In our society homosexuality has been variously considered to be unnatural, abnormal, inverted, perverted, immature, neurotic, psychopathic, and psychotic. There are stringent laws against it, and the three major churches in our country have historically condemned it," Weltge (1969, p.3). After the Second World War and the connected upheaval, there had been a gradual opening up by discussing various aspects of homosexuality, especially in the media. Churches too are willing to open up a dialogue on the subject and with some clergymen being openly gay, things had already reached a boiling point. Till 1967, England treated homosexual behaviour as felony. 'The abhorrence of homosexuality in England was derived from the ecclesiastic law.' It had always been difficult to convince conventional societies that homosexuality is not an illness, but a way of life. There are the psychological issues of suppressing the homosexual desires trying to act normal according to the demands of society. Continuous suppression can lead into major mental health problems and in rural areas of East, such symptoms are treated as witchcraft or black magic. Witch doctors take over and treat such patients mercilessly. Years ago, this horrible situation existed in western countries as well. Term Latent homosexuality is used to express two concepts: "(a) repressed homosexual desires which the person has not allowed to come into his consciousness, (b) psychologic homosexual reactions," according to Weltge (p.9). In the first concept, even though the person banishes the homosexual desires, it would continue to haunt his mind. There would be mental conflict between the desired homosexuality and the assumed heterosexuality. In the second concept, the individual finds it almost impossible to curb the psychological and sexual reactions he feels by the close proximity of another member of the same sex and both these concepts could scar his mental health deeply. The necessary sexual identity brought much relief to the 'queers'. Homosexuals, who were thought to be promiscuous, flitting from one relationship to another, recently are showing the tendency of 'settling down' (Elton John!), as the laws are liberalised and unions, registering the relationships are all permitted. Issue of prostitution exists even amongst gays. Some of them show gay or lesbian identity as a result of being confined to an all-male or all-female atmosphere like prisons, institutions, and army stations. Such people usually revert back to their earlier sexual identities under normal circumstances. It is not a rare phenomenon that happens to only certain types of people. It could happen to anyone. "Homosexuality is no respecter of age, religion, or social level. It occurs as frequently among physicians, psychiatrists, clergymen, judges and politicians as among truck drivers and ditch diggers," Weltge (p.10). There are many myths surrounding sexual identities and its rarities. Common myth is that gays are effeminate and identifiable and lesbians are manly; at least one of the pair. Actually, they all live in the society without warranting undue notice of the society, as they cannot be stereotyped. Another myth is that HIV is a sickness of lesbians and gays, which is absolutely untrue. Another dangerous myth is homosexual is either a sex offender, or a child molester, or worse, a serial killer and nothing could be farther from truth. Still suspicious eyes bore into them. Paedophiles could be having any sexual identity and it would not have any psychological bearings on their criminal behaviour. Etiology of odd sexual identity has not been completely understood and the effect of genetic factor is indefinite. Even amongst monozygotic twins, it is proved that one could be homosexual while other could be a hetero. Hormonal studies had been inconclusive. Dr. Sigmund Freud wrote the most compelling sex theories for sexual identity psychology. Some of these theories no doubt reach an incredibly unbelievable height. But most of the theories are of great value to the sexual behaviour and identity. Another issue that could not be forgotten is the crisis of aging and this could plague both hetero and homosexuals. It is presumed that heterosexual person could be better off after all, with family and children, or at least with them nearby to give him a helping hand. But the fate of the homosexual person is in jeopardy after aging. Psychologists say that sexual identities could be creating sympathy and fellow feeling in others who imagine that they are different too. "Sexual activity was increasingly coming to define a particular type of person. In return people were beginning to define themselves as different, and their difference was constituted around their sexuality," Weeks (1986, p.31). A person of different sexual identity always dreads the reaction of the society and the laws of the Government. Even after today's liberalization, these people keep petrified at the thought of future controls and a change of mind in the society, which would take away all the freedom from them. "And in reconstituting the domain of sexual politics it has been able to draw on a host of assumptions embedded in the 'sexual tradition' of sex as danger and threat rather than opportunity, demanding not the extension of democracy but the reimposition of control," Weeks (1993, p.32). Jeffrey Weeks, as an authority in the field of sexual identity, gives the following information: "The prevalence of such situational homosexuality reveals more clearly than anything else the constant homosexual element which can be expressed whenever need arises or social restraints collapse," Weeks (1990, p.35). Sociologists feel that culture could be another contributor in sexual identity, because it provides concepts that could be applied in life. Culture becomes a preconceived notion of sexual identity and even before the child knows about his own identity, culture provides him with an identity with the expectation that the child would grow up to be marching in the usual much-trodden path. If that does not happen, the culture gets outraged. A person's own activity coupled with activities of outsiders is the main indicators of sexual identity. "Rather, based on our personal experiences we learn our sexual preferences, assume a matching role from those available within our culture, and create a sexual identity," http://www.ablongman.com/html/henslintour/henslinchapter/ahead3.html Till recently, the main theory of sexual identity and difference stated that the biological defects lead people to same gender sex. Now we know that they are not really responsible for the sexual orientation of the person. "Today, it is increasingly recognized that the sexual organs a person is born with do not in themselves predetermine either sexual behaviour or social roles. These are learnt, in the family and in society at large. This concept offers a fundamental challenge to theories which rely solely on biological concepts of behaviour," Weeks (2000, p.34). Another major issue is that nothing had been done about female sexuality. Not much of research or information has gone into it. Sociologists have glossed over it and Female sexuality, in Dr. Freud's words, had been a 'dark continent'. Lesbian culture had been unable to attain gay kind of coherence. One reason was that it had been closely associated with feminism and its many-sided movements. It languished when feminism movement did so, and flourished when feminists had their say. Till recently women were ashamed of declaring their sexual preferences, which were regarded as perversions. With the famous admission of Navarathilova and the more recent flaunting of relationship by Dick Chiney's daughter, we can safely assume that the critical stage has passed over at last. The first stages of sexual differences are still going on in other countries where they have not yet been legally honoured. Certain cultures are still going through the 'unimaginable' mode and it would take decades for them to be comfortable with the sexual minorities. To many it still remains images of disease and sin, anti family, anti God, anti creation and aflicted unfortunates are still treated as lepers. Conclusion "A century ago, homosexuality was the love that dared not speak its name; now it has become a veritable Tower of Babel. For this is the Golden Age of gay and lesbian studies," Plumer (1992, p.3) 'For the first hundred and fifty years of its history, sociologists were mute on the subject of homosexuality,' says Nardi, starting the introduction of Social Perspectives in Lesbian and Gay studies. "The psychological isolation of the homosexual from society, his dependence upon other deviants for the satisfaction of sexual needs and self-expression, the crystallization of social roles and behaviour patterns within the deviant group, the reciprocal obligations and demands within the homosexual community, and their significance for the larger society in which they occur, are but a few of the areas of theoretical interest to the sociologist," Leznoff and Westley (Nardi and Schneider, 1998, p.5). Unfortunately, society from inception had arbitrary rules about sexual identities of its members and ill-treated anyone who dared to body who showed an individual preference of his own. Persecution of such people has gone on for centuries. Sexual identity could pose highly complex situation too. "Sexual identity is the degree to which we identify with the social and biological aspects of being a man or a woman," http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/selfhelp/sexual-identity.html We return to the same question again: does sexual identity rule the life and its ways To a large extent, yes. But it need not rule the creativity and intellectuality of a person. There is no evidence to prove that sexual identities mar the ability, either mental or physical, of a person in any way. In a strange coincidence, gays and lesbians had always been connected with superior creativity. Mankind has a deplorable way of looking down upon something that is out of the ordinary. The sexual identity perspectives are shifting from sin to mental health and now, they have reached an incredulous tolerance. They are given legal protection, which is an excellent development. People with various sexual identities have dared to live together openly in many societies in recent years. Mainly in western societies people are comfortable with the close proximity of others with various sexual preferences. They are neither laughed at nor ridiculed any more. Tolerance on sexual matters has come into existence in recent years. "It is now clear that the assertion of identity is insufficient if basic forms of inequality persist. Cultures are perfectly able to accept the idea that some people are different without fundamentally shifting their values or power structures," Weeks (2001, p.19). It also heartening to note that societies are moving away from strict morality that does not allow individual freedom. If societies accommodate individuality and individual preferences, persecutions would vanish, especially in the region of sexual identities. "One of the critical shifts of the last hundred years in most highly industrialized countries has been the move away from moral regulations by the churches to a more secular mode of organization through medicine, education, psychology, social work and welfare practices," Weeks (1986, p.25). He also gives his opinion about the legal situation. "The deterrent legal situation has made the choice of a homosexual life-style more difficult. But, in the furnace fanned by the oppressive legal situation, a modern homosexual identity has been forged," Weeks (1990, p.11). If we go through the history of sexual identities, it had not been easy to reconstruct it. These histories are never told or written or published and the entire story is shrouded in mystery. "Creating lesbian and gay history means reimagining the past, forcing the personal onto the public stage, asking questions of the sources that are often impertinent, sometimes, anachronistic, and always difficult" says Gowing (in Medhurst, 1997, p.53). Recently a lot of work had been done on the issue and a large section of literature is dedicated in sociology to matters of sexual identities. For the last few decades continuously work had been done on sexual matters that were an untold story earlier. "Arguably, space in sociology for work on sexuality/sexualities became available in large part because of previous work on sexual divisions and gender," Weeks, (1996, p.17). This cannot be taken as a change in politics or political views. It also does not mean that morality in the society has greatly decreased or increased. It is the gradual change that has to take place in any society. "There is no necessary connection between political decision making and moral change: politics is not a simple reflection of changes in society. But the political context in which decisions are made - to legislate or not, to prosecute or ignore - can be important in promoting shifts in the sexual regime and these must be analysed both in terms of long-term shifts and in conjunctural terms," Weeks (1981, nhp.14). Fortunately, there is a lot of improvement in lesbian matters as well. Till recently, it had been a taboo area and in olden days, women sexuality was totally misunderstood. When women with normal sexual identities could be totally misunderstood, it is impossible to hope that lesbians were treated better. The whole concept of female sexuality was wrong for centuries and to a large extent, credit goes to Freud for liberating women from the sexual stereotypes. "The assumption that women were dominated by their reproductive systems (women belonged to nature, while men belonged to culture) was implicit in all medical attitudes," Weeks (1981, p.23). In some cultures, unconventional sexual identities are neither recognised nor respected. Even now, in these societies it had been tremendously difficult for people with different sexual identities to have any kind of comfortable life. They live in fear and struggle all their life not to be sexually identified. Although their sexual orientation exists in another direction, they try to live with the expected version of it. Even in progressive countries without such stringent cultures, gay marriages or lesbian relationships are not yet permitted. For a beginning, perhaps living together rights could be permitted in the rigid cultures. Reverting back to the matter of sexual identities, it is imperative for a human to have a sexual identity. In society, a person without sexual identity is forever ridiculed, humiliated and poked fun at and never taken seriously. Even in tolerant societies, such a person is treated with pitiful contempt and is sometimes reduced to the role of a pimp, or worse still, a mad person. It is difficult to come across a dignified person without certain sexual identity. Sexual identity forms the very core of a person's life and in its absence, going through life will be arduous. It is not easy to live a life of an outsider, pushed away from society, more like a hunted animal, an excommunicated being, living at the mercy and volatile will of the society. Such people are accused of witchcraft, sorcery, bad omen, bad luck, and reasons for every misfortune. They are hunted as harbingers of evil and ill fortune on the entire community and targeted at the least possible excuse. Living like that, it is impossible to gain any distinction, or dignity or individuality. Every action is viewed with suspicion and intolerance. Today some of the societies have reached a better level where they can be tolerant towards sexual diversities. If this could expand its field to other more conventional societies, it would be a great success towards accepting our own individualities. If societies and cultures show tolerance to all forms of sexual identities, that will be like winning the biggest social battle. Unfortunately, it would take a long time before such a change could be achieved. In the meantime, people with questionable sexual identities live their lives in misery, fear and secrecy without any individual rights to be asserted. It is a sad existence, bereft of human rights, a kind of substandard, isolated way of living, invoking only pity and contempt, and never a fellow feeling. Many laws have to be changed and many adjustments have to be made before offering a comfortable life with dignity to these sexual minorities. Even though the path is difficult and movement is slow, mankind has to accept its own individualities as inevitable variations. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Giddens, Anthony (1992), The Transformation of Intimacy, Polity Press, Cambridge. 2. Medhurst, Andy and Munt, Sally R. (1997) ed., Lesbian and Gay Studies, Cassell, London. 3. Nardi, Peter M. and Schneider, Beth E. (1998), ed., Social Perspectives in Lesbian and Gay Studies, Routledge, London. 4. Plummer, Ken (1992), ed., Modern Homosexualities, Routledge, London. 5. Weltge, Ralph W. (1969), ed., The Same Sex, An appraisal of Homosexuality, Pilgrim Press, Philadelphia. 6. Weeks, Jeffrey (1986), Sexuality, 2nd edn., Routledge, London. 7. Weeks, Jeffrey, (1993), Sexuality and its discontents, Routledge, London. 8. Weeks, Jeffrey (1990), Coming Out, Quartet Books, London. 9. Weeks, Jeffrey (2000), Making Sexual History, Polity Press, Cambridge. 10. Weeks, Jeffrey and Holland, Janet (1996), ed., Sexual Cultures, Communities, Values and Intimacy, Macmillan, Hampshire. 11. Weeks, Jeffrey, Heaphy, Brian and Donovan, Catherine (2001), Same Sex Intimacies, Families of Choice and other life Experiments, Routledge, London. 12. Weeks, Jeffrey (1981), Sex, Politics and Society, The regulation of sexuality since 1800, Longman, London. ONLINE SOURCES: 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_identity 2. http://www.ablongman.com/html/henslintour/henslinchapter/ahead3.html 3. http://www.sexuality.org/l/lesbigay/glossary.html 4. http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/selfhelp/sexual-identity.html 5. http://www.pupress.princeton.edu/titles/6979.html 6. http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Sexual_Identity_Online Read More