Week 6

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This week we watched the film , “Kinsey.” Kinsey is the one who developed a scale that attempts to describe a person’s sexual history or episodes of their sexual activity at a given time. This was the first time I had seen this film and I have to say that I did enjoy it. However, there were parts in the film that were hard to look at, in a way it made me a little uncomfortable but just realizing that the topic and the themes were nothing but real just holded me back and forced me to stay tuned. I could not help but wonder how hard it must have been for Professor Kinsey, the topic itself was unheard of at that particular time and I am sure that if it makes people uncomfortable now then one can just imagine how it must have been back then. The film itself I think wants to aware people of the themes it holds, however one of the questions becomes, Does it openly moralize for greater sexual freedom? I think that it takes more than a film to do this but most importantly it indirectly encourages people to examine their own beliefs.

This week we also read “Homophobia,” by Suzanne Pharr The article explains what homophobia is and how it affects people. According to Pharr “homophobia” is a weapon and it hurts people. An example is given that clearly states that homophobia is passed on, children learn this, reason being, because we have given them “clear messages that those who deviate from standard expectations are to be made to get back in line” (pg. 88) In other words children are not born with innate beliefs or with homophobia, we as a society teach what is “right” and “wrong” and it continues to be passed on.

Pharr also defines what “lesbian” means. According to Pharr “To be a lesbian is to be perceived as someone who has stepped out of line, who has moved out sexual/economic dependence on a male, who is woman-identified. A lesbian is perceived as someone who can live without a man and who is therefore against men,” (pg.88) In other words, according to Pharr to be a lesbian is more than just women liking other women but it is a women not being dependent on men. This just got be thinking on how much pressure a woman is put through simply because society has made it seem that a woman should get married and have children by a certain age (or depend on a man) and if this does not occur then it becomes a problem, in a way for some women this means settling for less and simply sticking with a man one meets for the pure pressure. Well what about those of us who want to pursue a Masters? or P.hds? we might have to hold back on having children until we pursue our careers but does that mean we will be faced with being called Lesbians? Is it fair to be worried simply because we have “women roles” we must meet in order to be defined as real women? This is something I think about on a daily basis, I want to pursue a PhD, and I am aware of the fact that starting a family might not be a good idea until I have acquired the degree, but I cannot help and worry about how that might affect me, I ask myself questions like “will I be too old to have children/get married once I’m done with school?Do I have to have children? when in reality does it matter? it should come down to what I want in life aside from what society wants from me. I want to pursue a Phd and if that means holding back on my “women-role” then so be it.

 ”Some Like Indians Endure” By: Paula Gunn Allen This poem compares Indians to “homosexuals.” It is an interesting comparison, it states that society has occupied/colonized everything even people’s beliefs. In other words, society has taken over the ideas people own. Society has left out homosexuals and in comparison, we also colonized the Indian’s and put upon beliefs we thought/think as right.