October is also domestic violence awareness month. People should know that domestic violence also happens in college relationships,both in heteronormative relationships and LGBTQ relationships. Even more specifically, domestic violence happens at Vassar.
That's true -- If anyone wants to collaborate on a program about domestic violence within the queer community, please let me know! (firstname.lastname@example.org)
Am I the only person offended by the word heteronormative? It always sounds so dismissive, like, oh, another straight relationship. boring. Just because a guy likes girls or a girl likes guys doesn't make their sexuality necessarily the "norm," or normal or normative or whatever. Could someone explain it to me?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronormativity"Heteronormativity is a term to describe the marginalization of non-heterosexual lifestyles and the view that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation. Instances may include the idea that people fall into two distinct and complementary categories: male and female; that sexual and marital relations are normal only when between people of different sexes; and that each sex has certain natural roles in life. Thus physical sex, gender identity, and gender roles should, in any given person, align to either all-male or all-female cultural norms"The term is not meant to be offensive nor does it mean that heterosexuality is boring. Rather, it refers to the fact that society views heterosexuality as the only sexuality that exists. Many schools like Vassar are trying make people realize that all sexual orientations are normal. We attack every instance of heteronormative and as a result it can seem like we are attacking heterosexuals, even when we aren't.
"bri" said "both in heteronormative relationships and LGBTQ relations" when he could have just used the word "heterosexual" or even "straight". It is the wrong usage of the word and it implies that all heterosexual relationships marginalize LGBTQ relationships which I sincerely hope no one thinks is true. The word is overused without a complete understanding of it at Vassar. End of argument.
yeah, i think bri meant heterosexual relationships.
the very act of splitting relationships into two categories, "heterosexual" and "everything else" IS heternormative in itself.
4:14, you're still missing the point. read the three posts above you.
can i just say, the temporary lgbtq center looks SO GOOD. great job guys!
In fact I am not "missing the point" at all. I understand the distinction between the terms "heteronormative" and "heterosexual", and read the discussion that took place regarding it.I meant to raise a new point entirely - that relationships between people shouldn't be divided into "heterosexual" and "LGBTQ" in the first place, because categorizing relationships as either "heteroSEXUAL" or "anything other than heteroSEXUAL" is heteroNORMATIVE, i.e., portrays heteroSEXUALITY as the NORM.Clearly my point is being obscured by semantics. I hope this helps clarify what I meant to say.-4:14
while I appreciate everyone's discussion of my use of the word heteronormative, I think my point was missed. I divided relationships in heteronormative and LGBTQ to emphasize that there is often a misconception that DV doesn't occur in LGBTQ relationships for the simple matter that they are not heteronormative. Therefore, I did not separate heterosexuality from LGBTQ relationships unconsciously (and thus being heteronormative), but on purpose.Also, when I used the word heteronormative, I was referring the relationships that are viewed through the lens of "normalcy" (thus heterosexual). I hope that clears things up.All i was really tying to do was make a public service statement. I feel like every time someone puts up something mildly intellectual here, it gets ton apart, whether or not that was the intent of the comment.
bri, I think in your justification you reinforced that you were conflating heterosexual and heteronormative. What do you see as the difference, if in your view one exists?
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